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ABC7 Chicago

South Elgin Police Search for Two Men After Reported $2,000 Tap-to-Pay Scam

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A South Elgin customer told ABC7 Chicago that he meant to donate $10 outside a Jewel-Osco but later found a $2,000 debit on his account. In its October 1, 2026 report, ABC7 said South Elgin police were actively investigating and seeking information about two people shown in surveillance photos. The reported transaction and alleged scam have not been established as proven facts.

What the customer says happened

Chris Louangrath told ABC7 Chicago that people approached him outside a Jewel-Osco in South Elgin, Illinois, asking for donations to help a young relative who had been a victim of gun violence. He said he wanted to give $10, had no cash, and was offered a contactless payment option. Louangrath said he tapped his debit card against a phone. Later, he saw a $2,000 debit from his account instead of the intended $10 donation.

“I was shocked. I called the bank right away,” he told ABC7. The report describes the incident as an alleged tap-to-pay scam; it does not establish exactly how the amount was entered or authorized.

What is known about the investigation

South Elgin police told ABC7 they were actively investigating. The station reported that police asked anyone with information about two people shown in surveillance photos to contact the department. The October 1 report did not say the people had been identified or arrested. Because the matter may have developed since that report, check with South Elgin police for current status before relying on it.

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Deputy Chief Brett Czechowski told ABC7: “Frauds like this are felonies, which by themselves are very serious.” That statement describes the seriousness of fraud; it does not determine whether any particular person committed a crime in this case.

How Louangrath’s bank dispute was resolved

Louangrath said he contacted his bank, Associated Bank, immediately and initially received temporary credit. He later said the bank told him he would be responsible because he had physically tapped his card. After he contacted ABC7’s I-Team, he learned the bank had approved his fraud claim. ABC7 did not explain the bank’s reasoning, so this outcome does not predict how another customer’s claim will be decided.

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Associated Bank declined to comment, saying it could not disclose customer-account information. Square said it has policies and systems intended to protect merchants and customers, monitors activity on its platform, and may take steps such as deactivation under its policies. Those general statements do not confirm how the alleged transaction was processed or what happened in Louangrath’s case.

How to handle an unfamiliar tap-to-pay request

Officials’ advice reported by ABC7 was not to hand phones to strangers and not to tap a card or phone to complete a transaction with someone you do not know. In practical terms, keep control of your device and do not authorize an amount unless you can verify the recipient and the amount before approving it. If a request makes those details unclear, decline and use a payment method you can independently verify.

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The ABC7 report does not establish a particular wallet, app, sleeve, card holder, or other product as a technical fix for this alleged scheme. It also supplies no independently sourced statistic about how often contactless-payment fraud occurs. The reported $10 intention and $2,000 debit are one customer’s account, not evidence of a typical loss or broader trend.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Sources

Incident details, the customer’s account, and the investigation status come from ABC7 Chicago (WLS), Samantha Chatman, “Police searching for 2 men accused of stealing $2K outside Jewel through alleged tap-to-pay scam,” published October 1, 2026. ABC7 also reported the consumer advice and company responses described above.

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