Question follow up on Credit Card fraud??

At those places like a resteraunt that take your card and go to the desk or out back etc. HOW MUCH COMMOTION WOULD IT CAUSE TO GO WITH THE EMPLOYEE AND WATCH THE CARD???????? What about a few seperate cards with a low limit like one for resturants one for gas one for mail order etc?? Last a friend of mine has something on his that any purchace over $500 they have to call him likewise if it is used over so many miles from his home. Not sure the exact details on all that but that's the nutshell.

We NEVER use a credit card at a restaurant. Just too risky. Go to the bank/ATM and get the cash before you go to a restaurant.

Those who steal your account numbers often don't use the numbers themselves - they sell the numbers online to people around the world where it is next to impossible to have them arrested.

We pretty much use cash just about everywhere except for on-line purchases. We got a call from the Fraud Unit at our bank a couple of months ago and they had denied two transactions for around $150 from a retail store in Spain. Had to cancel that account and get a new one, new cards and notify all the on line account that we use it for. One of my bosses had his number stolen and used after he had used his card for a round of drinks at a local establishment on one of our work social outings.

I was short on cash one day and used the card. I followed the waitress to this computer with a touch sensitive monitor and had a built in card reader in the side of it. It looked legit.

I paid her for 2 burgers (on sale no less....nooner special), fries, and teas on the card and had tipped her $5 in cash. A couple of days later I look at my bank account and find out that my card was charged about $50 for that.

I contacted the manager and gave him enough info to find my guest check. The waitress had added a very large tip for herself after I left. The mgr. was amazed. He said that she was one of his most trusted employees. Needless to say we haven't been back.

I rented a UHaul from a rental agency in a small town. The card reader the guy had was under the counter where I couldn't see it. It is primarily a debit card but will do credit for a day or two cycle time. He had no pin reader on the counter for me to enter my pin. He said credit was ok.

Some time later, my account is charged with a vacuum cleaner from a business in a town in E. Texas. I went to the bank who issued the card and filed a complaint. They immediately took the charge off my account and later I got a confirmation that the account had been settled.

No doubt in my mind the guy operating the rental agency was a crook. No doubt as I didn't like the looks/mannerisms of him anyway.

So, now I keep cash in my wallet and haven't rented a truck. If I do again, it will be from a metropolitan dealer even though that would be more trouble. Have to present a card when renting.

Mark

On the news the other day they showed where somebody would slip a card reader in the pumps at gas stations. They would come back later and retrieve them and all the card numbers that used it. They claimed that it was so easy for anyone to open the door on the pump where the readers are. A couple years ago 3 of the family members had their cards hit within a couple of months. Mine started when I got a package from a company in CA. It had a charge of $96 on it that was placed on my card from an email address that I knew nothing about. I complained to the card company and they stopped payment. After further checking they found a couple charges for I-Tunes and one to a kids magazine. The card company claims thats how they start out, with small charges to see if they work and then hit you for something bigger. I got a new card and then 4 months later the charge for the original $96 came back on again. Apparently if the company that has the payment to them denied, they can come back and appeal the charge. The place that sent the package didn't do anything illegal but were used by whoever had my card number. The card company was going to make me pay the charge because I still had the product that I never ordered. The place that sent it said they would refund the charge if I sent it back but they wanted me to pay for the return shipping. I refused to pay to send it back and they finally dropped the charges. What they sent cost them less than what it would have cost to have it sent back.

I have Lifelock and have never had a problem since. Also wells Fargo calls if your card is used twice at the same store. You can get Lifelock for free if you use AOL for you Internet service and email. It really pays for itself.
Walt

Years ago, heard the story from the friend of a friend, that she would add just a dollar or two to everyones bill when she took it up to the credit card machine. She figured by the time the customer got the bill a month later, they wouldnt question a dollar. She was making $30-40 a night extra.
Finally someone complained, she was fired on the spot. When the waitress runs your card, the transaction is not closed until after you have put your tip on there. You leave, then the waitress adds your tip in. Real easy to scam.

Rick