Three
examples of things to be wary of in 2013!
EXAMPLE 1:
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’. 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 bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000! He called the 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 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 card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would
have to pay for the purchases.
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 card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added
up to big one!
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Example 2:
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his Mastercard. The bill for the meal came, he signed it and
the waitress folded the receipt and passed the card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it
in his wallet or pocket. Funnily enough, this time 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 all 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 their cards without even looking at them, assuming that they are theirs.
FOR
YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CARDS EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED
TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
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EXAMPLE 3:
A gentleman went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that he had
called in. He paid by using his Visa
Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to his checking account. The young clerk behind the counter took his
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 and started dialing. The customer noticed the phone because it is
the same model he had, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then he heard a
click that sounded like his phone sounds when he takes a picture.
He then gave the customer his card back but kept the phone in his hand as
if he was still pressing buttons.
Meanwhile the customer was thinking: “I wonder what he is taking a picture of” oblivious to what was really
going on.
It then dawned on him, the only thing there was his Visa card, so he
paid very close attention to what the clerk was doing. He set his phone on the counter, leaving it
open. About five seconds later, the
customer heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Now the customer is standing there struggling with the fact that the
young clerk just took a picture of his Visa card; he probably would never
have known what happened if they didn't have the same model of cellular phones. He immediately cancelled that card as he was
walking out of the pizza shop.
Verdict: Be aware of your surroundings at all
times. Whenever you are using a credit or
debit card, take caution and don't be careless.
Notice who is standing near you, and what they are doing when you use
your card and especially when you enter your PIN number. Be aware of cell phones, because most have a
camera these days. Some thieves have attached micro-cameras to ATM machines and record the PIN number of everyone who uses the machine; make a habit of covering the PIN pad while you are entering your PIN number even when there is no one around; we never know when we are being recorded today.
JUST BE AWARE. Never let your card out of your sight ....check, and check
again!
Scary isn't it..... New ways of STEALING seem to pop up every week with
all the new technology. Please share this with everyone you care about so we can try to put these sleazy fraudsters out of business. If you found this article helpful and would like to follow our monthly blog, CLICK HERE
