"PIRG CONSUMER WATCHDOG FACT SHEET #6 APRIL 1997, REVISED AUG 1997 " hopefully it's been updated in the last 13 years
FWIW- Had a friend who was at a restaurant having dinner with another couple and handed his debit card to the waiter. A few minutes later when the waiter came back with the check my friend heard what he thought was his cell phone alerting him to an e-mail. He checked his blackberry and then realized it was the waiters phone that had gone off. Turned out the waiter had taken a photo of his card and the security code on the back and e-mailed to himself. After an investigation it turned out that he (the waiter) had done it to dozens of patrons and was selling the info online for 20 bucks per card.
It's a big business. And even if you try to stop them, they would always have other ways to scam people. Only thing we can do is be careful when dealing with financial matters online.
Yep...once you've been ripped off once while a patron of a restaurant, you get up every time and walk to the cashiers desk to pay via credit card or learn to get cash prior to going to the restaurant. Recently I was at a Baby GAP store with my spouse and at the counter to pay for some cloths for the kids when the cashier with our credit card in her hand then said "wait a few minutes...I need to go back and check on a client"... I asked her to give us our credit card before she goes to the back with it and she then asked why?...I replied it's our card...not yours. Also, I said that there's other employees in the store that can check on that client or you can complete our transaction before going to do other things that has nothing to do with us. Man...the woman gave me the evil eye. Mark
As they say there is always a good side in every dark hour. I feel the good side here is: "It will help reduce unnecessary spending which leads to debts and increasing interest costs. Besides, people will learn to respect the value of money more." These ATM card frauds has definitely scared a few people around me and their family earning members are the ones smiling more!
what happened to the wait who took a picture of the credit card? was he terminated? how did you learned about this?
The waiter was probably promoted to Operations Manager. Seriously, the waiter should have been tortured and then executed King Henry the VIII style...
You do realize you are wasting your time because once you use the card the number can be pulled off of the credit card machine after the sale is approved.
I also realize anyone can break into my house and steal my credit cards. The issue is to not make it easy for them via leaving my front door open when I'm not home. Mark