New Ways of STEALING...

Credit Cards are supposed to keep our lives safer, more efficient & better value!
But it looks like we may ultimately go back to payments by cash.
Stay Alert! Stay Safe!
 
New Ways of  STEALING...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 $14,000!
    
      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?  
$9,000!  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  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: 
     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  dialling.
 
      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 parlour. 
    
      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!  
    
      Scary isn't  it.....