Beware of Credit Card Fraud

UNBELIEVABLE WHAT PEOPLE DO – THIS IS A MUST READ

New way of  STEALING...These examples are all actual !!!!!!!!

ESPECIALLY  LOOK AT SCENE THREE...

Be sure to  read Scene 3. Quite interesting. This is a new  one.

People sure stay busy  trying to  cheat us don't they?

SCENE 1.

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...

Hmm, '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 R14,000!

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? R9,000! Why were there  no calls made to v Erify 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!

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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 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 CREDIT CARD  EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A  TRANSACTION!

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SCENE 3:

This one took me by  surprise. I would never thought to check on this

Yesterday 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 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 cancelled 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 card 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.

FORWARD THIS  TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN  THINK OF. LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! JUST BE AWARE

Never let  your card out of your sight.....check and check  again!