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Old 02-23-2008, 06:29 AM   #1
Dustytuu
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credit card fraud

I don't know if this is true but sounds true. I think everyone should be careful when using a credit card. Many times have we left our credit card with the cashier while filling up when on the road... Now one of us will pump fuel while the other go inside with the credit card.

The Latest. be sure to read Scene 3.



Quite interesting.


SCENE 1.

This is a new one.

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.”

Hmm, He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order.

Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.

A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping 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, and
yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made.

An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet.

The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched 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 big one!



SCENE 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 place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny
enough though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the
expired card of another person.

He called the waitress 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.

FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD
EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!



SCENE 3:

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, then laid it on the
counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure.

While he waited, 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 is 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 known what happened.

Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the
pizza parlor.

All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Whenever you are using your credit card 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 phone these days.

When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and
receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the credit card number off.

Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are
still putting the whole thing on there.

Credit card fraud is not
fun. The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.
 
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Old 02-23-2008, 07:20 AM   #2
Emmel
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Dusty, it is very sad these days the way people can access your confidential information.
Since we've been hearing so much about these types of credit card frauds, we do NOT sign the back of any card. We write in " Please check for I.D." Also, when we are required to leave a credit card for gas purchases, I will only leave my drivers license, if they won't accept that, there is other stations that will!
Thanks for the great info on the other instances!
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Old 02-23-2008, 07:42 AM   #3
sreigle
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I'm always concerned about fraud and appreciate when the credit card company keeps an eye out for me, as well. I'm sure they do it to save themselves some grief, though.

We recently made a rather large purchase at Best Buy, using our Chase Visa card. The cashier told me he was instructed by the computer to call the CC company. He did and handed the phone to me. Chase asked questions to confirm my identify. They then told me they questioned the purchase because the amount is well outside our normal range of purchases. They then had me give the phone back to the cashier so they could give him the approval.

I appreciated them doing this even though it was a bit of a hassle. I'd rather they do that than to blindly allow questionable purchases on our card.

We also had a similar situation on both our Chase Visa and our Citibank Master Card where they said to call them. After verifying identify they asked if making purchases all over the country will be our normal practice. They then put notes on the file to keep it from being a problem in the future. Again, I appreciate their watchfulness.

Dusty, thanks for the headsup. There are several situations where fraud could occur and your posts lists some of them.
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Old 02-23-2008, 09:01 AM   #4
Dustytuu
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This is a good idea. We will look into this on our credit cards.
We do not sign any of our cards, I put on back of my visa debit card to please check ID and they never ask me. I ask them why, and they say they didn't see it. What can I do to make sure the clerks always ask?
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Old 02-23-2008, 04:38 PM   #5
Waynem
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I gave a 1 hour presentation on Identity Theft while working in Information Technology Security for NASA. It was eventually asked for by different organizations within NASA.

All that you reported Dusty can and does actually happen.

Another thing you need to be mindful of is the receipt that you get back to insure that your complete credit card number is not on it. What will be visible on some, is that one copy, the one you get, will have all the numbers xxxx'd out except for the last 4. The Merchant's copy will have all the numbers. I take the pen and scratch out all the numbers except for the last 4.

Reason: Anyone can take those numbers and using a "card writer," put them on any card that has a magnetic strip. A lot of times they will reprogram a hotel swipe card. They can then use that card in a store, and as you reported, small amounts are not noticed. Most stores have
a $300 limit, with some stores a $150 limit before the card gets automatically called in during the transaction for verification. It is easier for the store to do a batch process at the end of the business day for all the small amounts. Technology is changing and a lot of stores call on each transaction. The theifs know which stores to use.

As for the hotel swipe card, the thief just goes back to the hotel and tell them the card doesn't work and the hotel staff re-writes the strip, or gives them a new key swipe card.

For the LADIES: when you are at the register ready to swipe your credit card, do not lay your wallet down with you drivers license or any other information, including credit cards being visible. The person standing next to you can garnish all the information that they need to start an identity theft scam. You would be surprised at
what a memory they have. Ask me some times about some stories that I have actually done to people - in good faith.

IMPORTANT:
Report any loss or attempt at fraud to your local police department.
A police report can help you immensely in future negotiations

Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately and place a fraud alert on you name and SSN

Equifax: 800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW) 888-397-3742
Trans Union 800-680-7289
Social Security Administration (Fraud Line) 800-269-0271

The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for providing the public with identity theft information

They can be found HERE

I may have duplicated some of their information as it came off the otp of my head. Also, they may have made changes for the betterment of safety. Please visit the site and protect yourselves.

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Old 02-24-2008, 09:13 AM   #6
Dustytuu
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Thanks Wayne! Good information everyone can use.
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Old 02-24-2008, 11:48 AM   #7
tom41
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this is good but snopes says "possible but not common" but best to stay alert
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/cardscams.asp
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Old 02-24-2008, 01:31 PM   #8
Waynem
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I really like SNOPES and use them extensively in verifying myths and rumors. In this case I only agree with their summary of taking pictures of cards, although I would not rule it out. the first two scenarios that they expounded on are real. I think they are being realistic in their claim "Possible, but not common."

All I see in the top of my wallet is the edge of the credit card and if I did not check the name when it was returned, I would not notice it was not mine until the next time that I used it. That could be days, and until recently on some credit cards, weeks.

The Federal Trade Commission is a reliable place to learn about identity theft.
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Old 02-25-2008, 02:08 AM   #9
Joe-n-Doe
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The red flag in the accounts posted that caught my attention was the claim the CC company held the card owner liable for $9,000 in bogus purchases.

The main point, and a good one, is the need to both maintain control as much as possible of your CC and to track your purchases.

You can track your CC activity on-line and challenge suspicious or unauthorized purchases long before you get your monthly statement.

As Waynem pointed out some scamsters use electronic card reading devises to copy and store your CC numbers. They then sell or use the numbers to make fraudulent purchases.

As Sreigle illustrates, CC companies do track your card use profile and will flag an out of character purchase at point of purchase. While I know they have my best interest (and theirs) at heart when they do this, the practices has been a real PITA for me more than once. I live on the Fl/GA state line and often do business in GA. I have bought gas and a meal in GA and groceries in FL only to have the transaction in FL challenged by the CC company. Not just once, but many times. Pre-Monty we lived overseas and performed a lot of foreign travel. Same thing happened, we would find ourselves out in the middle of no-where and our CC purchased would be disapproved and there was no phone from which to call the CC company. SOLUTION: Communicate with the CC Company's security department. Inform them we live on the FL/GA state line and frequently do business in the same day in both states. Call them before departing on any extended trip, provide them with an itinerary and return date, and give them a phone number where they can reach you (TRAC-Phone type service is available almost everywhere that has cell phone service worldwide).

Last July when returning from a road trip to the keys, several pumps at different gas stations would read my card, but not dispense any fuel. Thinking I had been scammed, I called the Card's Security Department while still at the station. The were able to track the card being read at the station, told me the sale had been canceled, and that my account had not been debited.

One final note. If you don't receive a new/replacement card after a reasonable amount of time after receiving written notification that a new card is in the mail contact the company. Fraudsters know when card mailings are made and what the envelopes look like. They target complexes and neighborhoods to harvest these new cards. The crooks then FEDEX a bulk number of stolen cards overseas where they are used to make thousands of dollars in purchases in a very short time (1 or 2 days).

Depending on the culture or level of collusion of store owners in the country they are sent, the stolen cards are good for 7 or more days. In Japan, where it is considered offensive to for a sales clerk to ask for ID or to call the CC Company to confirm the quality of the card, scamsters using stolen cards would run up tens of thousands of dollars in purchases per card in only one or two days. After a couple of days, they would sell the card to other countrymen lower on the local criminal ladder. This cycle would be repeated for as long as 30 days.
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Old 02-25-2008, 03:53 AM   #10
richfaa
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When you move around a lot as many of us do it is a good idea to let whatever is monitoring your CC's know that you do move around as we also have had the problem as it looks like you are "on the run" when you move around so much We have CC protection that we would only be responsible for 50.00 of bogus charges, if that, It is part of our home owners insurance and is not expensive.It is good to review these issues from time to time.
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Old 02-25-2008, 08:47 AM   #11
tom41
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Well fellows (and gals) I travel all over, and been fulltiming since oct 1998. If any one rather fulltimimg or not doesnt put a "limit" on their CC, or doesnt look at it after being returned, then yep you asking for trouble sooner or later. I can look in my wallet and see the top of my CC , but I can bet you I know if its got my name on it or not, And I have never given a talk on identity theft. LOL, gotta get back out here and catch a crappie, sitting right here on the banks of lake Chickamuaga sunny and 68 degrees!!
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Old 02-25-2008, 09:39 AM   #12
bigmurf
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Tom: Wait until GA steals that water.g
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Old 02-25-2008, 11:05 AM   #13
mail2us
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This thread deserves alot of attention by everyone. Working in another life on credit card fraud, I can say that as we become more senior we tend to be less guarded, trusting more, and downright honest. The credit card fraudster is in stores,and restaurants, and other places many seniors visit. The photo telephone you use to take pix of grandkids is used to do illegal things as well. Don't be paranoid but be aware and careful. There are some great tips here. I know victims of identity fraud and have watched their lives temporarily destroyed. It can happen to all of us today.
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Old 02-25-2008, 11:42 AM   #14
tom41
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hey BigMurf, ain't that the beauty of fulltiming? I can go where the water is! HA, dang crappie wasnt hitting much this evening only caught 5, welllll...
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Old 02-25-2008, 03:12 PM   #15
Wiarton William
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I also have seen the victims of some forms of fraud....the fraudster is as skilled at what he does as most people are at their profession.....they earn their living off honest trusting people..
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