Watch your Credit card Please
SCENE 1. This is a new one.
> 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.
> Hmmmmm." 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
> is 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 h! ad 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
> 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 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 number off. Some
> restaurants are using only the last four digits, but
> a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on
> there. I have already been a victim of credit card
> fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is
> that they can get you even when you are careful, but
> don't make it easy for them.
>
>
