Some new ideas in Credit Card Fraud!

@barehugs (8973)
Canada
April 28, 2008 12:35pm CST
You can't be too careful with your credit Cards. 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. 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 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. 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! 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. 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 CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION! Scary isn't it? Is nothing sacred anymore?
5 people like this
11 responses
@elemental69 (1561)
• Ireland
28 Apr 08
something similar happened in our local town, only the cards were not replaced. A cashier memorized peoples credit card numbers and their pin nos and went on a spending spree with them. The only reason she got caught was because she used the stolen details to make a purchase where she worked!!! Their are some that will try anything.... :-)
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
28 Apr 08
well she had a good memory but her mind was deficient! Most crooks are not as smart as they think they are! Thank goodness! I don't use my credit card at a restaurent or anyplace where I can't watch what they do with it. I don't use my debit card ever!
4 people like this
@whittby (3072)
• United States
28 Apr 08
I'm beginning to feel like paying cash again. I've lived with carrying little cash and using debit and credit cards mainly. I keep hearing cash will be phased out in the future.
4 people like this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
I'm a Johny Cash person too! I don't mind sitting on a roll of bills. But a credit card is so quick and easy, and when you pay by credit card it seems to be a better deal. I'd sure miss my Visa card!
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
29 Apr 08
OMG a mistake like that could ruin me..I live on a fixed income and i could not afford a mistake like that..I just do not understand the mind of a thief....wow thats a shame..Poor guy!Thank you for the warning ..I will start checking for my name...
2 people like this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
Yes, it pays to be Careful!Glad I could give you a head's up. (Now if I could only remember my name?)
• Indonesia
29 Apr 08
It's so scary how danger using our credit card in some places. But I'm always watch out for my card when they sweeps it. I never give and leave it to anybody, sometimes I follows them just to make sure they doesn't make any mistakes.
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
They are very good at making their slight of hand look like a simple mistake! This is their way of life! You are wise to keep them in sight at all times. Have a nice day!
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
28 Apr 08
I didn't know that was one of the ways some crooks do that. Interesting. I always thought it was just a matter of them having the numbers only, and then making new cards. I know you have to be careful anywhere you use your credit cards, even when you get your own card back. Quite often your number AND the expiry date are automatically printed on the receipt. So you need to keep an eye out for that too... and if the receipt isn't needed to be kept for warranty or return purposes, they should be shredded. Of course I SAY that, but never DO that. ;)
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
MY wife does our books, and when she bought a shredder I thought she was crazy! Now I'm not so sure!Unless you can burn your old bills, letters and invoices, you Should be shredding them.
• United States
29 Apr 08
WOW - i'm so naive - this is something i never would have thought of people doing! but, here i sit, reading about it - and it makes perfect sense. people have done this sort of thing for years and years with driver's licenses and passports and so-forth. you have to have a good quality original in order to make a good quality facimile, i'm sure. even if it had ben switched with a previously stolen card from someone else's wallet - it may be days before the duped person uses this card - then when caught, guess who looks like the thief? THE VICTIM!
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
Yes, this is the thing! Honest people would never dream of anyone stealing in this way! so when it happens we are often taken by surprise. Sad isn't it? Who can you trust anyway?
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
29 Apr 08
That is quite alarming. Luckily, I don't use credit cards. Well, thanks for the warnings. I will email this on to my friends so they too will be aware of this new credit cards fraud.
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
I don't use my cards a lot either, but I like to have them with me. I usually pay for diesel fuel with my Mastercard. Its a business expense and my wife appreciates having it on a separate bill. However I know the people who sell the diesel fuel and They can be trusted.
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
29 Apr 08
I would not take my credit cards in the gym with me that is looking for trouble. I like the machines that you swipe you own credit card the cashier never has your card in hand. My credit cards don't have that high of limits on them to really worry about though.
2 people like this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
I can do Yoga at home, so I don't need to go to a gym, but I like your idea of swiping your own card, and also having a low limit on your cards. My cards all have much higher limits than I'll ever need.
@BYOLA2871 (4371)
• South Africa
1 May 08
what a good piece of information this was,i always thought that these guys only work with card information grabbers but now i know better thanks for these in fact i will not use my card at restaaurants again.these cashiers the till can be very funny
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
29 Apr 08
I had that happen to me once at my bank when I went to give my atm card and handed the clerk my sons somehow he had borrowed mine earliet and accidentally gave me back the wrong card. so I had to go back to my apartment wake himk up and exchange cards again.lolIalsohad that happen with my vons card when I went to key in my code it would not takeit then I looked at my vons card and it belonged o someone else. so this time I had to revert to cash. I left the other guys card with the clerk. later that week a man came to my door and told me he had found myh vons card and was returning it.I was really thrilled as I had thought I would haveto apply for a new one which takes forever. now I always check
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
Well you're a Lucky Lady, Hat! I lost my billfold in Mississippi, and drove around all winter with no Driver's License. I was lucky enough not to get stopped as my wife couldn't drive the RV.
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
29 Apr 08
Wow, that's crazy. In a lot of stores around here, you can go to a self checkout line, so that you do all of your own transactions with the help of the computer. I like it better that way, because than I don't have to be so paranoid everytime I use my cards.
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
That self service checkout hasn't come to Canada yet, but when it does I'll be at the head of the line! Sopunds like a Great Idea!