CREDIT CARD 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. Hmmmmm." 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!

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 at 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, thinking 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!

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 flat 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 dialing. 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 canceled that card as I was walking out
of the pizza parlor. All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings
at all times. Whenever you are using your credit cards, 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 

When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card
and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some
restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are
still putting the whole thing on there. I have already been a victim of
credit card fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they
can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.

--Author Unknown--