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("Security Advisory")
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Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA Listmaster
NRT-0011 Credit Card Scams:
There are crooks everywhere. This isn't a case where P.T. Barnum allegedly said "There's a sucker born every minute..." This is where people are DELIBERATELY stealing your card and illegally using it causing YOU the nightmare of recovering your identity and credit rating.
EXAMPLE 1: This is a fairly new scam. People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don't they? A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, "Funny, I thought I locked the locker. Hmmm." He dressed and just flipped open his wallet to make sure everything was in order. Everything LOOKED okay, all his cards were where they should be. A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whopping bill of $14,000 !!! He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen. "No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card being used, and YEP - YOU GUESSED IT - a switch had been made. An expired SIMILAR credit card from the same bank was in its place in his wallet. The theif broke into his locker at the gym and switched the cards.
VERDICT: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000 ! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a "warning bell" with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to one big one!
EXAMPLE 2: A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and put it in his wallet or pocket. Funnily enough though, he actually LOOKED at the card, and - lo, and behold - it was the expired card of another person. He called the waitress back and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No exchange of words, nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.
VERDICT: Make SURE the credit cards in your wallet are yours. Check the name on the card EVERY TIME YOU SIGN FOR SOMETHING and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, "assuming" that it HAS to be theirs. WRONG! FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!!
EXAMPLE 3: (story provided, not a "my" experience) Yesterday, I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card, which of course is linked directly to my checking account. The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, and then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is a pretty standard procedure. While he watied, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing. I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm thinking, I wonder what he's taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me, the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing. He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved. Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have noticed or known what was happening. Needless to say, I immediately cancelled the card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.
What I'm saying here is BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS at all times. (We all got used to petty crimes overseas - but never figured to have to deal with this kind of activity in our own back yards.) Whenever you use your credit cards, take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera in them these days - in fact, it's getting harder and harder to get a cell phone without a camera. When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but some of them are still putting the whole number on the receipt. Being the victim of credit card fraud is not fun. The truth is, they can get you even when you are careful, just don't make it any easier for them than it has to be.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 23-Jan-2007 23:45:54 EST