The Halton Police are saying ‘watch out for credit card fraud’.
They are reporting that ‘card not present’ scams are on the rise.
This is most common with online and over-the-phone shopping.
Scammers are stealing credit card information and using it to purchase items.
The Halton Police say that while there is some security provided by credit card companies, there is still the potential for the cardholder to be responsible for the financial loss.
A list of tips has been provided.
What can consumers do to protect themselves?
-Only make purchases from online retailers that you know and trust.
-When entering credit card information on a webpage, ensure that the webpage is encrypted. An image of a lock will appear next the website address on the web browser.
-Do not provide credit card information over an email as this is not a secure form of transmission.
-Do not provide credit card information over a telephone call that you yourself have not initiated.
-Keep your credit cards in your wallet or secure location where unauthorized persons cannot obtain the information.
-If your credit card is lost or stolen, report it to your credit card issuer immediately. Many credit card companies will allow customers to suspend their credit cards by logging into their customer webpage.
-Consider the use of a reputable third party payment provider for internet based transactions (i.e. PayPal).
-Regularly review account statements to ensure there are no unauthorized charges on your account.
What can merchants do to protect themselves?
-Ensure ordering pages on the merchant website are utilizing encryption technology.
-Consider the use of third party payment providers instead of accepting online credit card information directly (i.e. PayPal).
-If a retailer chooses to accept credit card payment over the phone, ask for the card holders billing address and verify this with the card issuer.
-Delay shipping of telephone based orders until the charge can be verified by the credit card company.
-Be skeptical when the shipping address differs from the customer credit card billing address.
-Be cautious when customers wish to have merchandise shipped to a Post Office box.
-Question orders that are to be shipped out of province. If the same product is available for a similar cost by a local vender in the area where the product is to be shipped, this is a red flag.
-Educate employees on common merchant scams found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
Anyone seeking advice or with information regarding suspected fraudulent transactions can contact the Halton Regional Police – Fraud Intake office at 905-465-8741.?
