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Below are examples of actual recent Credit Card Scams and at the bottom of this page some Phone Scams. Everyone should be aware of them.
SCAM #1 :
A person 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 whopping bill of $14,000.00! 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? $9,000.00! 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 a big one!
SCAM # 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, thinking that it has to be their own.
FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER EACH TRANSACTION!
SCAM # 3: (Note: This is not my story).
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 flat 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.
SCAM # 4: (Note: This is not my story).
My parents who are in their seventies, retired, and on Social Security stopped at Wal-Mart on US Hwy 80 in Mesquite, TX to get gas. After paying at the pump with a Wal-Mart Gift Card and retrieving the receipt, the woman in the booth comes over the speaker and asks him how he intends to pay.
My Dad tells her he has already paid and shows her the receipt through the window. They argue a bit, then she asks him to see the $500 Wal-Mart Gift Card. Instead of telling her to buzz off, he hands her the card. She tells him the card isn't any good and she isn't returning it. He shows her the balance of $414.18 printed on the receipt and demands the return of the receipt. Another customer sees what is going on and calls the police. The police come, run his license to see if they can arrest him for anything, takes the woman's side. The woman volunteered to return it while the police were there and gave him the wrong card at which point the police told my Dad the situation is resolved and to leave Wal-Mart property.
My parents leave. After driving about a mile, my mother says to go back and complain to the manager at Wal-Mart. The manager at Wal-Mart looks at the card and checks it. It shows a zero balance. It also is a much older card than the card my Dad had recently purchase. It had a creation date of October. It dawns on my Dad that the woman switched the card. Although, the manager agrees with my Dad, he says there is nothing he can do. He suggests he calls the police for the woman's theft.
The police come back and do nothing. They say it's a matter for Small Claims Court and refuse to file a report. My Dad wants a report filed because he realizes this woman has a great scam going. Switch cards, keep the one with the money. The customer will not notice the money is gone until the next time he goes to Wal-Mart to make a purchase with the card. By that time, the person will not even remember handing the card to the employee. My parents, being retired and on social security, could not afford to lose $400 at Christmas time.
With the gift cards they get the numbers off their register journals and then either hand key the number themselves and cash out the cards, or go to a friend and make purchases using your gift card number. they know it is unlikely that it will be discovered until after the 25th and they no longer work there.
Also, another scam they like to pull is after Christmas when you are making returns. Make sure you check your refund receipt carefully because they will refund to their own credit card numbers or will get a gift card themselves and fill it up with your refund.
NEW... ... VARIOUS PHONE CALL SCAMS:
David Baker reports from The Herald Journal:
The con artist in a heavy Latin accent leaves a message that says he wants to send you something and needs your address. More disturbingly they are targeting families of the enlisted in Iraq to spark a return call. When the caller responds they are hit with a multi thousand dollar phone bill. They keep you on the line and try to run up a bill that be between ...$200 AND UP TO $2500 A MINUTE.
"The scammers use two different methods to coax people into calling back, he said. One strategy involves a target receiving repeated calls - sometimes up to nine in one day. Seeing the number on their caller ID so many times sparks people's curiosity, prompting them to call the number to find out what the calls were about."
Worse is the newest scam as recounted by a Luis Espinoza, a spokesman for the Latino community in Logan, Utah:
"The targets will get a message on their phones saying a person in their family has been injured or is in the hospital. The message goes on to give a number the person needs to call to get more information. News of an injured family member can be stirring and likely will draw a call, especially when the message includes a name and information about said family member. ''For $300 or $400 a minute, of course these people are doing some research,'' Espinoza said. Sometimes it can be scary the details some of the messages go into, he said. Espinoza said one woman in the valley received a message saying her son, who was a soldier in Iraq, was in an Iraqi hospital and she needed to call a number to get more information. Luckily, the woman got in contact with her son's Commanding Officer instead, and found out he was OK "
BEWARE… IF YOU GET A CALL FROM THESE AND OTHER AREA CODES AND COUNTRY CODES... 503, 284 and 876 ...PLUS OTHERS.
Check things out before returning such a call.
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