Be Aware of Credit and Debit card thieves

SCENE 1.

A man 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. He was convinced he had locked the locker.

He checked the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all his cards were in place.

A few weeks later his credit card bill came - showing a charge of almost £8,000 made up of a number of transactions! He called the credit card company and sayed that he did not make the transactions. However, Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.

He said it hadn't but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit cardto discover it had been switched. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The
thief had broken 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. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? Nearly £4600!

Normally credit card companies are wary of one off large amounts being paid on a credit card and will query the charge so why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Because the thief had used small amounts which 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. 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. But this time by chance he actually took a look at the card and discovered 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.

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

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 a lot of them are
still putting the whole thing on there.

SCENE 3.

A lady went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order and paid by Visa Debit card which, of course, is linked directly to her account.

The young man behind the counter swiped the card and then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval. While he waited, he picked up his mobile phone and started dialling.

The lady happened to notice the mobile phone because it is the same model she had. However, nothing seemed out of order until she heard a click that sounded like a mobile uses when a picture is taken.

The cashier then returned the card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Fortunately the lady was concerned and wondered what he had taken a picture of. She realised that the only thing there was her card. The cashier then left his mobile on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, the lady heard the chime that indicates that the picture has been saved.

She realised that the cashier had taken a picture of her card. Fortunately she was able to cancel the card immediately

Verdict: Always be aware of your surroundings at all times. Whenever you
are using your card take caution. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing.
Be aware of mobile phones, because most have a cameras these days.

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