Two new ways to detect Credit card - ATM scams....

[hollydolly]

Yesterday I had reason to call my CC provider. They'd stopped my card when i tried to make a payment.. because the payment was unusually high for me... so I had to speak to the fraud dept today to get it unblocked. The fraud inspector was telling me that every day, the fraudsters have found a new way of fooling the account holder.... and he told me 2 new ways to watch out for...


1. When you make an online payment to a company you've never paid before... and you have a Verification code sent to your phone or email..particularly your phone... then read the whole email to ensure it's from the compny you're dealing with
Fraudsters rely on most people just seeing the numbers and typing them in to instigate payment.. and so it's easy for a fraudelent transaction to take place..



Second one is... when at an ATM... we all know to keep our number shielded, and to watch out for anyone getting too close behind..we all know that the fraudsters attach fake card slots, so we watch out for any that look suspicious, and as he told me, give them a little shake, card slots should not be loose at all...

.... however mr detective said to me today.. that the keypads are often fake too.. and to determine if they are is to take the edge of your card and run it around the keypad edge before a transaction... .. if the keypad has had a fake cover on it, the card edge will lift it because it's only temporary and has to be easily removed by the fraudsters at the end of every day

 

[That Lady in PA]

We certainly have to stay on our toes, don't we?


I will say I am glad I don't have a debit or ATM card.

 

[fatboy]

thanks for the info. I have a profound hatred for scammers

 

[hollydolly]

We certainly have to stay on our toes, don't we?


I will say I am glad I don't have a debit or ATM card.

we absolutely do. The guy and I yesterday had quite a long chat about this... and I said to him as a fraud investigator he must feel like he's living in a ring of crime the whole time. he said they're kept on their toes, because there's never a day goes by when they've not got some other genius scam to deal with.

he reiterated things I already know, and probably most of us know.. and that is for example when at an ATM.. keep your hand or an item right over the number pad...blocking your PIN from view of others
Also if you have a friend with you..who would normally stand to the side waiting for you, at an ATM have them instead stand next to you but facing the queue, to prevent anyone making a snatch for your money as it's dispensed...( I've always done this )

Another was... when paying at a card machine particularly in a supermarket where card machine are back to back ..or 2 on the one checkout.. you have the legal right to ask someone to give you space as you key in your card number... and also be very aware as you use your card of anyone standing near you or behind you, who maybe taking pictures with their phone...

 

[StarSong]

Some of these I never would have considered as being worrisome. So many thieves are among us.

I can't tell you how often I caution women to attend to their purses in grocery stores. They leave them in the front of the cart, then turn their attention to something on a shelf. It only takes a few seconds for someone to distract them while a partner snatches their their wallets or cellphones. Sometimes the women thank me, but plenty just shrug at me, as if I'm overly mistrustful.

I swear, some people insist on learning the hard way.