New scams to look out for.

[Sol Tee Nutz]

Very clever credit card scam! This is a new one!


This is very clever. `I would probably fall for it if not warned Very Clever Credit Card Scam!

Give this wide distribution.

This scam is actually very clever.

Just when you thought you'd heard it all.

Be very careful out there!

Beware of people bearing gifts.

The following is a recounting of the incident from the victim:

Wednesday a week ago, I had a phone call from someone saying that he was from some outfit called: "Express Couriers,"(The name could be any courier company) He asked if I was going to be home because there was a package for me that required a signature.

The caller said that the delivery would arrive at my home in roughly an hour. Sure enough, about an hour later, a uniformed delivery man turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and a bottle of wine. I was very surprised since there was no special occasion or holiday, and I certainly didn't expect anything like it. Intrigued, I inquired as to who the sender was.

The courier replied, "I don't know, I'm only delivering the package."

Apparently, a card was being sent separately... (the card has never arrived!) There was also a consignment note with the gift.

He then went on to explain that because the gift contained alcohol, there was a $3.50 "delivery/ verification charge," providing proof that he had actually delivered the package to an adult (of legal drinking age), and not just left it on the doorstep where it could be stolen or taken by anyone, especially a minor.

This sounded logical and I offered to pay him cash. He then said that the delivery company required payment to be by credit or debit card only, so that everything is properly accounted for, and this would help in keeping a legal record of the transaction.

He added couriers don't carry cash to avoid loss or likely targets for robbery.

My husband, who by this time was standing beside me, pulled out his credit card, and 'John,' the "delivery man," asked him to swipe the card on a small mobile card machine with a small screen and keypad. Frank, my husband, was asked to enter his PIN number and a receipt was printed out. He was given a copy of the transaction.

The guy said everything was in order, and wished us good day.

To our horrible surprise, between Thursday and the following Monday, $4,000 had been charged/withdrawn from our credit/debit account at various ATM machines.

Apparently the "mobile credit card machine," which the deliveryman carried now had all the info necessary to create a "dummy" card with all our card details including the PIN number.

Upon finding out about the illegal transactions on our card, we immediately notified the bank which issued us a new card, and our credit/debit account was closed.

We also personally went to the Police, where it was confirmed that it is definitely a scam because several households had been similarly hit.

WARNING: Be wary of accepting any "surprise gift or package," which you neither expected nor personally ordered, especially if it involves any kind of payment as a condition of receiving the gift or package. Also, never accept anything
if you do not personally know or there is no proper identification of who the sender is.

Above all, the only time you should give out any personal credit/debit card information is when you yourself initiated the purchase or transaction!

 

[ShyMan]

Thank you for the warning, STN. Indeed, it was a very clever fraud scheme!

 

[neverbored]

Ya, credit card skimmers are all over the place. A handy trick to test any device, is to enter a false PIN on your first try. This isn't foolproof as the more advanced skimmers found on ATM machines, actually relay the PIN to ATM. But this will deter the handheld skimmers found in cabs and other such devices in circulation.

I did this in a Montreal taxi once and couldn't believe it when the transaction succeeded. Managed to snap a picture of the taxi permit, filed a police report an hour later and immediately called my bank.
I have no idea what happened after, never heard back from the police.

 

[Halloween Mike]

Clever? Not that much.... Maybe i am just too used to all types of scams and such but i would had never fall for that.

First of all receiving a package you don't wait for is the first clue. Secondly giving your credit card information to anybody is something you should never do. Only use a card with a well known compagny that you know is secured and is in some "tangible place" like a store or an office etc.

Even on the internet now i use PAYPAL, wich i think is the best method of payment possible. Sure there is fees for the seller but hey if they ask me to pay them i would just to have a peacefull mind. Thing is with paypal, they never see any of your infos. So you can purchase stuff without sharing your infos with anybody but paypal wich have been secure and great for me for 12+ years...

The key is to be smart when you use your cards.

 

[freedom3]

OP: Thanks.

 

[Springsteen]

I have been stopped at shopping center parking lots by people asking for money to support Dans la rue. This charity has made it known that they do not do door to door or shopping center solicitations for donations. They also do not take drop ins anymore at their shelter for teens. They found out they were attracting all the teen run aways from outside the city that know if they come with just the clothes on their backs they would get food and shelter.

 

[Halloween Mike]

I have been stoped near a metro station once by peoples saying they represented "Medecin Sans Frontiere" , there cards and papers looked legit but i passed. I would not commit to any monthly pre set donation anyway but also no way i was giving any infos to a random person in the street.

I offered them the change i had in my pockets (roughly 2.50$) and they refused...

I am like super anti monthly pre-autorised payments. Im probably the only person in my internet compagny that still call on the phone to pay his bill. lol

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

If someone comes to my door for a donation I ask to see their ID plus some form declaring that they do the work for the said organization. I have also seen the groups that HM was talking about wanting monthly payments, fuck that.

 

[Julia Sky]

I have also seen Medecins Sans Frontières quite a few times, they are legit. I don't deal with them because I'm not into the whole ''pre set monthly donation'' thing, I don't even pre-set my bills payments LOL because I rarely deposit in my bank account so I pay my bills when I go to bank, (so no HM you're not alone hahha) but I know a few people who do business with MSF. They have been in business since like 30-40yrs if I recall ! Videotron is just a few years older than them and lots of people trust Videotron after all... hahah !!

Now, the thing is : some people will pretend to be part of MSF to scam people. That's why you shouldn't give any info in the streets and if you want to be part of it, use the website, or even better go to the actual office in Toronto lol

 

[Aryaan]

Usually businesses accept cash. And I have seen businesses that don't accept any kind of card payment. Never have I seen businesses refuse cash and only accept cards unless its on a plane or airports.
My rule of thumb is if a shady/unknown/out of the blue- kind of business accepts only cards just say "no".