Getting Scammed at Restaurants
Time for a scam update. Police recently busted a credit card scam that bilked millions of dollars from restaurant diners. Experts warn that even though they arrested the perps, the crime is such a huge and easy moneymaker, it could be copied at restaurants everywhere.
Here’s what happened. Waiters at fancy New York restaurants used small skimming devices to copy diners’ credit cards. Then, they created knock-off copies of the cards and went on massive shopping sprees. Typically racking up $3,000 dollars per card before ditching it, then starting all over again with another stolen credit card.
Experts say the crooked waiters got away with the crime for months because they targeted no-limit card holders and since they were already used to high credit card bills, they didn’t notice all the extra charges.
You may think you’re in the clear because you don’t dine at fancy steakhouses or sushi bars. but experts believe that scamming waiters everywhere from small diners to chain restaurants will try the trick, since anyone can buy a tiny credit card skimmer for a few bucks online. So, how can you make sure you won't become a restaurant credit card scam victim? Experts say the number one thing you can do is to treat your credit card statement like your email and check it every day for any unusual activity. If you see something suspicious, call your credit card company’s fraud department immediately.
Experts say the crooked waiters got away with the crime for months because they targeted no-limit card holders and since they were already used to high credit card bills, they didn’t notice all the extra charges.
You may think you’re in the clear because you don’t dine at fancy steakhouses or sushi bars. but experts believe that scamming waiters everywhere from small diners to chain restaurants will try the trick, since anyone can buy a tiny credit card skimmer for a few bucks online. So, how can you make sure you won't become a restaurant credit card scam victim? Experts say the number one thing you can do is to treat your credit card statement like your email and check it every day for any unusual activity. If you see something suspicious, call your credit card company’s fraud department immediately.
