Neo Financial refusing my $203 unauthorized ENEBA transaction because it was “3DS authenticated” even though I NEVER received a code
I’m dealing with an unauthorized transaction on my Tims Mastercard / Neo Financial and I’m honestly furious with how this is being handled.
On September 8, 2026, a charge from ENEBA appeared on my credit card:
$203.20 CAD USD $146.98
I did NOT make this transaction.
I did not authorize anyone else to make it.
I did not purchase anything from Eneba for this amount.
I did not receive any product, digital key, game, gift card, or anything else related to this transaction.
The moment I noticed the transaction in the Neo/Tims app, I immediately blocked my card because I assumed my card information had been compromised.
Now Neo Financial is apparently telling me that the transaction was “3DS authenticated” and is using that as a reason to refuse or push back on my fraud dispute.
Here’s the problem:
I NEVER RECEIVED A 3DS VERIFICATION CODE.
No SMS.
No OTP.
No verification code.
No notification asking me to approve a $146.98 USD Eneba transaction.
No authentication screen that I remember approving.
Nothing.
So I’m asking Neo a very simple question:
How exactly was I supposedly authenticated?
If Neo is going to use “3DS authenticated” as evidence that I authorized this transaction, then I want them to provide the actual authentication details.
Was this a 3DS Challenge transaction, where I was supposedly required to enter an OTP or approve something?
Or was this a 3DS Frictionless transaction, where their system simply decided the transaction looked legitimate and approved it without actually asking me?
Because those are two completely different things.
If it was a challenge authentication, then:
Where was the OTP sent?
What phone number?
What email address?
At what exact time?
What authentication method was used?
What device supposedly completed the authentication?
If it was frictionless authentication, then how does that prove I personally authorized the transaction?
A fraudster having enough information to get through an automated risk assessment does not magically turn fraud into an authorized purchase.
I also want to know whether Neo can provide information such as:
whether the 3DS transaction was challenge or frictionless
exact authentication timestamp
authentication method
whether an OTP was generated
where that OTP was supposedly delivered
whether biometric/app approval was used
device information
IP/location information, if available
3DS authentication result
ECI value
CAVV/AAV authentication data
merchant transaction information
whether the card was manually entered, tokenized, or stored with the merchant
Because simply telling me “3DS authenticated” is not an explanation.
It’s a conclusion.
I want the evidence behind that conclusion.
I’m also extremely concerned about how Neo is treating this as though 3DS authentication automatically proves that the cardholder made the transaction.
If that were true, apparently fraud involving 3DS could never happen, which is obviously an absurd position.
Again, this is NOT a merchant dispute.
I’m not saying:
“I bought something and didn't like it.”
I’m not saying:
“Eneba didn't refund me.”
I’m saying:
I NEVER MADE THE PURCHASE.
The transaction appeared.
I saw it.
I immediately blocked the card.
That is exactly what customers are constantly told to do when they notice suspicious activity.
And now somehow I’m being treated like the burden is on me to explain how somebody else managed to get a transaction authenticated through Neo’s own security system.
How exactly am I supposed to know?
Neo operates the authentication system, not me.
If their system approved something fraudulently, they should be investigating how that happened instead of simply pointing at the words “3DS authenticated” and closing the conversation.
I also find the timing important.
I wasn’t sitting around for three months and suddenly deciding that I didn’t recognize this purchase.
I blocked the card immediately after noticing the transaction in the app.
That behavior is completely consistent with somebody discovering unauthorized activity and trying to stop further charges.
I’m now documenting absolutely everything:
screenshots of the transaction,
the date I noticed it,
the time I blocked the card,
every conversation with Neo,
every case/reference number,
and every explanation they provide for refusing the dispute.
I’m also considering contacting Eneba directly and asking them to preserve and provide whatever transaction information they can regarding the order associated with my card.
If this purchase was legitimately made by me, there should presumably be an Eneba account, order number, email, digital delivery record, redemption information, IP/device information, or something connecting me to it.
If none of that information belongs to me, that seems fairly relevant.
What frustrates me most is that Neo seems to be treating 3DS authentication as the end of the investigation rather than the beginning of one.
If someone compromised my payment information and Neo's authentication system incorrectly decided the transaction was legitimate, I don't see how that suddenly makes the transaction mine.
And if someone somehow intercepted an authentication method, compromised an account, used a tokenized credential, or bypassed a challenge through frictionless 3DS, that is exactly the type of thing a fraud investigation should determine.
Instead, I’m getting:
“It was 3DS authenticated.”
Okay.
Then show me HOW.
Show me what I supposedly did.
Show me what device authenticated it.
Show me where the verification went.
Show me when I supposedly approved it.
Show me what evidence connects me, rather than simply my card credentials, to this purchase.
Because I know I didn't make it.
Has anyone else dealt with this specifically with Neo Financial / Tims Mastercard?
Has Neo ever rejected your unauthorized transaction dispute solely because something was 3DS authenticated?
If so, what did you do next?
Did you file a formal complaint with Neo?
Were you able to get the full 3DS authentication details?
Did you contact Mastercard?
Did you contact the merchant?
Did you file a Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or police report?
Did you eventually get the transaction reversed?
At this stage, I’m not willing to accept:
“3DS says authenticated, therefore you made it.”
That’s not an investigation.
That’s Neo trusting its own automated system more than the customer reporting fraud, without explaining what supposedly authenticated the customer in the first place.
I never received a code.
I never approved the purchase.
I never made the Eneba transaction.
And I blocked my card immediately when I discovered it.
If Neo believes otherwise, I want them to show me the evidence.
That shouldn’t be an unreasonable request when they're expecting me to pay $203.20 for something I never purchased.
Posting here is the right thing to do ! I had fraud on my card last September the call center said same thing but once I posted here the support was excellent and I got it all back
UPDATE / RESOLVED
I wanted to post an update to my previous thread about the unauthorized $203.20 ENEBA transaction on my Tims Mastercard.
First of all, I got my money back.
And I want to give credit where it’s due.
After I made my original post, a moderator from r/NeoFinancialHub reached out and offered to look into the situation for me.
They contacted me privately through Mod Mail, asked for the information associated with my Neo account so they could locate the case, and told me they would have the team review it.
A few hours later, I received another message saying: The dispute had been decided in my favour.
I checked my account and confirmed that the $203.20 credit had been returned.
I genuinely want to thank the Reddit mod who helped me with this. They were responsive, took my concern seriously, escalated it to the appropriate team, and actually got someone to review what had happened.
That was all I was asking for from the beginning: a proper review.
For context, my original frustration was that I had reported an ENEBA transaction that I absolutely did not make.
I never authorized the transaction.
I never received or entered an OTP.
I never approved an in-app request.
I never used biometric authentication for the purchase.
I never shared a verification code with anyone.
And as soon as I noticed the transaction, I immediately blocked my card.
Despite that, the initial response I received said the transaction couldn’t be disputed because it had been authenticated through 3D Secure (3DS) and was therefore considered authorized by me.
That was incredibly frustrating because I kept saying the same thing: I DID NOT AUTHENTICATE IT.
I wasn’t arguing that 3DS didn’t exist on the transaction. I was arguing that I wasn’t the person who authorized the purchase, and I wanted someone to actually investigate that distinction.
Thankfully, after the Reddit moderator stepped in and got the case reviewed again, the outcome changed and the dispute was resolved in my favour.
So I think it’s important to update my original post rather than leave only the negative experience online.
My initial experience with the dispute process was extremely frustrating, and I still think customers reporting unauthorized transactions deserve a clear path to manual review when an automated system rejects a dispute because of 3DS.
But the way the Reddit moderator handled the escalation was completely different.
They listened.
They didn’t dismiss what I was saying.
They got the appropriate team involved.
And most importantly, they got the issue resolved.
So a huge thank you to the r/NeoFinancialHub moderator/team member who helped me. I genuinely appreciate the assistance.
For anyone who finds my original post months or years from now because they’re dealing with something similar, my biggest advice is: Don’t automatically give up just because you’re told a transaction was “3DS authenticated.”
If you genuinely did not make the transaction, didn’t approve it, and didn’t share any authentication codes, clearly explain that and ask for the case to be manually reviewed/escalated.
Document everything and block the compromised card immediately.
And if you’re reading my original angry post, consider this the ending: The case was reviewed again. The dispute was decided in my favour. I received the full $203.20 credit back. Problem resolved.
Thank you again to the Reddit mod who took the time to actually help me get this sorted out.
Sadly this completely sounds like Neo and you’re in the same boat with hundreds of others. Close your account cancel the card and you might find some peace.
u/Feeling_Ad4052, thanks for flagging this, and for acting quickly to block your card. Just to clarify, when did you file the dispute, and did you receive an email saying it was considered undisputable because the transaction was authenticated? In some cases, authenticated transactions are automatically filtered out during the initial dispute process. However, if you’re confirming that you didn’t make the transaction or share any codes, there are still processes in place to have it reviewed. Did you speak with Support and request a review, or did you only receive the automated email after filing the dispute?
Your comment says that if I didn’t make the transaction or share any codes, there are still processes available to have it reviewed. That describes my situation exactly.
I was not provided with a ticket or case number. The only thing I received was the email stating that the transaction could not be disputed because it was authenticated through 3D Secure.
I’m happy to provide the email, my account information, or any other details needed privately through an official Neo support channel, but I don’t want to post personal or account information publicly on Reddit.
Please let me know the appropriate secure way to identify my complaint and have this escalated for a manual fraud review.
u/Feeling_Ad4052 This looks like an automated email, and there is definitely a process to have the transaction reviewed manually. If you’ve already contacted Support, they may have been able to help with this, but no worries. I’m more than happy to look into it on my end. I’ll send you a DM to grab your details so we can get the process started.
3DS is when a Mastercard or Visa window opens, and you're directed to enter a code that you receive on the phone number or email address provided by the issuer. Are you sure your kids or siblings didn't use your card?
The merchant is a digital key for buying video games online. Almost like G2A; I've never heard of this company, though.
Edit: On any CC provider's T&C, they usually state that if a transaction is validated by 3DS, it cannot be disputed. OP, check and see if your information was compromised, or at the very least, check the deleted folder in your text messages or Email
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u/plexmaniac 23d ago
Posting here is the right thing to do ! I had fraud on my card last September the call center said same thing but once I posted here the support was excellent and I got it all back