SCAM ALERT ... be careful with refunds!

SCAM ALERT SCAM ALERT SCAM ALERT! Please read as it could save you a lot of money.

A credit/debit card scam is doing the rounds here and abroad with a lot of florists saying they have been targeted. In a retail environment the perpetrator makes a purchase using a stolen card and somehow manages to enter the wrong amount into the device.

By distracting the retailer the transaction often goes through. The perpetrator, having got the card back, claims to have 'noticed' the mistake and requests a refund - this time using a card of their own.

More often than not the retailer will be apologetic, not check and makes the refund. However because the original purchase was made with a stolen card and refunds are not covered the retailer will potentially have lost the money.

In the case of retailers the difference can be hundreds, for online charity donation there have been refund claims of thousands!

You should do your own research and check with your own provider but we did find this on a fraud website:

Please note that ALL refunds, whether it's a donation, an event registration or a purchase through your online store, should follow the recommendation to refund ONLY to the original method of payment. Any refund requests that involve issuing a refund to a separate card or by a different payment method should be regarded as highly suspicious. This is standard practice in the retail industry where many stores have a refund policy that states that refunds will only be made in the same method of payment as used in the original transaction.

Please be careful .... there are too many bar stew ards out there happy to try and take your hard earned dosh. Don't make it easy for them. Re-check how you handle credit cards as nothing is safe.