The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Police Department arrested seven suspects as part of an ongoing investigation into the fraudulent sales of Breeze fare cards.  

Computer hackers had bypassed Breeze card security features to make counterfeit cards. The personal information of legitimate Breeze fare card holders was not compromised.

MARTA is advising its customers to only purchase Breeze fare cards at vending machines in MARTA rail stations, at MARTA RideStores or online.

MARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham said the investigation has identified suspects who have since been charged with theft, fraud and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. The suspects, all of whom reside in the metro Atlanta area, were booked at the DeKalb County Jail.

“We take these crimes very seriously and will continue to investigate each and every case thoroughly,” Chief Dunham said. “We are working closely with the DeKalb District Attorney’s office and will seek to ensure that those involved are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”