Many of us shop at convenient stores or those little gas station stores. Some clerks in those stores have found a way to shop on line using YOUR credit card!
Here's how they do it. When you hand them your credit card, they swipe it and then put it on the counter beside the cash register, just out of your view. During this process, they pretend to be on their cell phone. While the card is out of your view and they are waiting for your transaction to be "approved," they set their cell phone beside it and take a picture. With this picture, they now have your name, credit card number, expiration date, and what kind of credit card it is, you know, master card, visa, and so on. This is really bad news.
Now they can go online and buy items with your credit card, or sell your information to other on-line thieves.
Your thinking, "But they don't have the 3 digit verification number from the back of your card?".
Well it may surprise you to know that many online websites do not require that verification number. There are thousands of on-line stores that will gladly charge your credit card with only the information from the front of your card.
So what do you do? This scam is very hard to safeguard against. So try to be aware of it. When you hand someone your credit card, try not to let it out of your sight, and be conscious of the fact that virtually every cell phone these days has a camera built into it.
Try to find stores where you scan the card yourself. And be sure the employee is giving you their full attention and not "talking" on their cell phone.
While identity theft continues to be a huge problem, I will do everything I can to help protect you against this invasion of your privacy.
This would be a great tip to forward to your friends. They will sure thank you for it. And here's another good tip for you. When you get those financing offers in the mail with the fake checks or unbelievable offers,scan and email them to me, or simply call me on the phone and we can go over them together.
About 99% of them try to look like they are from your bank and well, they are not. Anyone can buy leads from a list company. These list companies provide your full name, address, amount of your mortgage, when you got your mortgage, and the name of your mortgage company.
This is all public information available on-line from your county courthouse.
The people who buy these "leads" then try to trick you into thinking the letter is from someone you can trust. Unless it's from me and has my return address, it's very likely from someone you CANNOT trust.
Please let me save you from a lot of confusion and headaches. Send me the offer; we'll go over it and see if it's a real deal or a rip off. If it's real and I can't beat it, I'll send you 3 crisp $100 bills after you've closed with them. How's that for a no-brainer? Someone you can trust and provides honest information; it just doesn't get any better than that!
Thanks for letting me give you helpful tips today; I'll see you right here next week with another great tip!
Jayne Combs
Mortgage Consultant
NMLS#222444
jcombs@lhfinancial.com
Land Home Financial Service, Inc.
1355 Willow Way #250
Concord, CA 94598
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