Credit card scam?

[tjinks]

My wife & I were at a popular chain restaurant & when I attempted to pay the bill, the server came back after a rather long wait, saying machine don't like card cannot use. Give me a different card. I immediately smelled a scam, especially since during the wait I received notifications on my phone saying charges for the identical amount had been submitted 8 times. Chase immediately cancelled my card & froze my account. During a call to Chase I was told this is a fairly frequent occurrence in Thailand. They automatically do charge backs to the merchant & inform the processor (SCB) in my case that no further charges will be processed for that merchant until SCB replaces the POS terminal at the merchant in question. Major pita for me though.

Anyone else been thru this?

 

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[elgenon]

So what did you say to the server and manager? How did you leave it?

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, tjinks said:

submitted 8 times

 

1 hour ago, tjinks said:

replaces the POS

Sounds more like a technical issue than a scam?

Has anything been charged on your CC account?

"submit" sounds like they tried unsuccessfully giving up at some point.

A chain restaurant is not the typical place for a CC scam.

 

Edited July 2, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[thaikahuna]

I get the same notices not just with Chase but BofA too. I have gone back to merchants that tried to double dip and demand reversals of all but the original charge. If they refuse, I dispute all and they get nothing.

[sitti]

13 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

 

Sounds more like a technical issue than a scam?

Has anything been charged on your CC account?

"submit" sounds like they tried unsuccessfully giving up at some point.

A chain restaurant is not the typical place for a CC scam.

 

I agree, It is very unlikely that it was a scam, especially at chain restaurant. Clerk working there won't even get a single Baht from any credit card transaction. Just because you received  notifications, that doesn't charges are finalized. I'm guessing there were technical issue at restaurant's pos, and they couldn't complete the transaction. He/she probably tried several times and then gave up. Even if it was scam, I seriously doubt they would do it in such obvious way. They would just skim your credit card without charging anything and return the card to you, so you or bank wouldn't stop the card until scammers go on shopping spree.

[tjinks]

Submitted & charged to my account. Visa is doing a charge back against the merchant. And Visa will not accept charges from the Point of Sale device at that restaurant. 

What I said to the boy at the restaurant after I lost my temper with him due to his repeated "cannot use the card machine broken use another card" statements best not made a part of this  discussion. 

And a chain restaurant is not exempt from dishonesty. 

[sitti]

Those are the pending charges, which shows up immediately when merchant charges your card. But It is NOT yet finalized. No credit card transactions are instantly finalized the moment the card is charged. Usually takes couple to few days. If charges are not finalized within certain period, they will automatically drop off.

[lionsincity]

use this stuff in future

 

 

 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

3 hours ago, sitti said:

Those are the pending charges, which shows up immediately when merchant charges your card. But It is NOT yet finalized. No credit card transactions are instantly finalized the moment the card is charged. Usually takes couple to few days. If charges are not finalized within certain period, they will automatically drop off.

This is true, and while it is always worth being alert to the possibility of scams, the chances are that this was simply a case of an employee trying to process the charge several times, then the rejection and poor language and interpersonal skills on both sides exacerbating the situation.

[jimn]

Never ever give your card to a server to take away. Either go with them and observe or pay with your card on the way out. Just giving them the card is leaving yourself open to fraud.

[dabhand]

6 hours ago, sitti said:

Those are the pending charges, which shows up immediately when merchant charges your card. But It is NOT yet finalized. No credit card transactions are instantly finalized the moment the card is charged. Usually takes couple to few days. If charges are not finalized within certain period, they will automatically drop off.

Exactly this.

 

Have had this happen a few times with my UK credit card. Usually issues with online payments. All that happens is that the available balance is reduced, but not the actual card balance / transaction details (seen by checking the account online). After a few days the available balance reverts back to the correct value with no action needed.

[gaff]

8 hours ago, lionsincity said:

use this stuff in future

 

 

 

 

Exactly what I am doing since I am born and wondering why people keep using credit cards, especially abroad, then come to complain...

 

Ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nemises]

8 hours ago, gaff said:

 

Exactly what I am doing since I am born and wondering why people keep using credit cards, especially abroad, then come to complain...

 

Ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

 

Agree, I don’t have a CC for this reason. However I understand that using payWave is safe. Do they even have payWave in Thailand?

[jimn]

Cash use is on the wane better get used to it. In the UK over half of all transactions are now electronic. ATMs are closing the chip and pin card will be replaced by a biometrics card. Agreed in Thailand it wont happen for years but in the main civilised world thats the way forward. 

[Pib]

Doubt it was a scan....just a technical/communications glitch.   As these were pending charges they would fall off you account in a few business days if the merchant did not follow through with the final processing.  

 

Heck, the wife and I have used our U.S. credit cards here in Thailand (Bangkok Metro area) for almost a decade now on a nearly a daily basis at all kinds of merchants to include restaurants.  The cards are from several different banks/companies.   Only once in almost 10 years has a credit card buy been declined by my credit card issuers and that was around 3 months ago when buying approx Bt21K in new auto tires....for some reason the card keep rejecting...this was a Capital One credit card which I use very frequently.   The buy was at a PTT FIT Service Station....a station I use all the time to buy fuel and I always pay with my credit cards.

 

The wife was with me...pulled out her card and it was accepted.  A few minutes later I noticed I had got an email from the card issuer asking if it was me trying to do this transaction...if so, press Yes...if not press No.  I pressed Yes and got immediately confirmation my card could now be used as normal again.  I had never got one of those email before. If I had noticed that email and reacted to it sooner/during the payment I could have completed the transaction.  Later that day I called the card issuer to confirm I was still go to go and the answer was yes.  The card rep said sometimes transactions are just challenged...or there can be some glitch that causes the challenge.

 

 

[gaff]

2 hours ago, jimn said:

Cash use is on the wane better get used to it. In the UK over half of all transactions are now electronic. ATMs are closing the chip and pin card will be replaced by a biometrics card. Agreed in Thailand it wont happen for years but in the main civilised world thats the way forward. 

 

Yes, it's the way for people who are used to follow what they are told to do. Not me.

 

 

[JimGant]

Quote

Exactly what I am doing since I am born and wondering why people keep using credit cards, especially abroad, then come to complain...

Ridiculous.

Never had any trouble with my US issued credit cards -- and if I had, all false or disputed charges would have been fully reimbursed. Besides, I get a slightly better fx rate than the buying TT rate (the rate I get for the cash I do have in Thailand), plus no foreign transaction fee, plus 2.5% cash back. Sure, cash is great for songtaews and noodles. But not for extensive purchases at Rimping or Home Pro -- or Bangkok Hospital, where I need a credit card receipt in order to get my Tricare insurance reimbursement. Nope, wearing a money belt just ain't fashionable.

 

Quote

They would just skim your credit card without charging anything and return the card to you, so you or bank wouldn't stop the card until scammers go on shopping spree.

Today's chipped cards have yet to be physically cloned. So, having your card disappear with the waiter now has just one drawback: Your account number, name, expiration date, and CVV number can be copied then subsequently used for card-not-present sales (like online or phone purchases). Solution: Scrape off that CVV number on the back of the card. It's not needed for POS insertions -- as it's not even readable by the machine. (Just make a note of the 3-digit number, however, should you like to make an online purchase in the future :)).

[gaff]

14 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Today's chipped cards have yet to be physically cloned.

 

You people from US are very funny.

This is 30 years that people use cards with chips in some EU countries and maybe 29 years that they are cloned...

 

 

[Mark1066]

On 7/2/2018 at 11:48 PM, gaff said:

 

Exactly what I am doing since I am born and wondering why people keep using credit cards, especially abroad, then come to complain...

 

Ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

 

People in the 21st century wandering around with wads of paper money in their pockets is what I find ridiculous.

[Mark1066]

On 7/3/2018 at 1:03 PM, gaff said:

 

Yes, it's the way for people who are used to follow what they are told to do. Not me.

 

 

You think using government issued money to pay for goods and services is an act of rebellion? ?

[gaff]

41 minutes ago, Mark1066 said:

You think using government issued money to pay for goods and services is an act of rebellion? ?

 

Not being a tracked rat who cannot live without his credit cards is.

 

People follow what governments tell them to do, then later complain that they are tracked.

 

The only thing that they can track is my cash withdrawals. But fuxx them to know what I am doing with my money and where I am or what I am doing everyday.

 

Enjoy your lack of privacy if you like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tjinks]

To all the posters giving me a tutorial in how the credit card system works, I am well aware of how things normally work. However in my case Chase was proactive in preventing fraud by immediately notifying me of the events & immediately canceling the card & initiating charge backs to the merchant. When I was able to call Chase later I was told that they are aggressively stepping up their fraud response. And yes my available balance was temporarily reduced by the amount of the charges but shortly increased back to the original balance.
Any other idiotic posts from others are less than useful so to those I say f you & don't let the door hit you on the way out


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[scubascuba3]

 
You people from US are very funny.
This is 30 years that people use cards with chips in some EU countries and maybe 29 years that they are cloned...
 
 

Aren't you referring to the magnetic strip, chips are relatively new and much safer

[tropo]

On 7/4/2018 at 9:20 PM, JimGant said:

Never had any trouble with my US issued credit cards -- and if I had, all false or disputed charges would have been fully reimbursed. Besides, I get a slightly better fx rate than the buying TT rate (the rate I get for the cash I do have in Thailand), plus no foreign transaction fee, plus 2.5% cash back. Sure, cash is great for songtaews and noodles. But not for extensive purchases at Rimping or Home Pro -- or Bangkok Hospital, where I need a credit card receipt in order to get my Tricare insurance reimbursement. Nope, wearing a money belt just ain't fashionable.

 

Today's chipped cards have yet to be physically cloned. So, having your card disappear with the waiter now has just one drawback: Your account number, name, expiration date, and CVV number can be copied then subsequently used for card-not-present sales (like online or phone purchases). Solution: Scrape off that CVV number on the back of the card. It's not needed for POS insertions -- as it's not even readable by the machine. (Just make a note of the 3-digit number, however, should you like to make an online purchase in the future :)).

That's a very good idea, except for the possibility of misplacing the CVV number if you use a lot of different cards. Even better yet, best to always be present when they put the card through the POS terminal rather than hand it to the waiter. I noticed recently they are always asking for PIN numbers if you used chipped cards, so I need to go to the terminal anyway.

[tropo]

22 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

On 7/4/2018 at 9:35 PM, gaff said:

 
You people from US are very funny.
This is 30 years that people use cards with chips in some EU countries and maybe 29 years that they are cloned...
 
 

Aren't you referring to the magnetic strip, chips are relatively new and much safer

I thought chipped cards are at least a decade old.

[scubascuba3]

I thought chipped cards are at least a decade old.

Maybe but not 30, only the last few years in the UK most banks have switched from magnetic strips to chip and pin. In Thailand they still except a signature in many places incl some banks which is surprising

[digbeth]

sometimes it's as simple as that the paper ran out on the machine, and the idiot cashier, not knowing would repeatedly keep trying the card again.

[tropo]

15 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

20 minutes ago, tropo said:

I thought chipped cards are at least a decade old.

Maybe but not 30, only the last few years in the UK most banks have switched from magnetic strips to chip and pin. In Thailand they still except a signature in many places incl some banks which is surprising

The UK banks are very slow on the uptake then. It was a long time ago (possibly a decade) since my Australian cards were switched to chip cards.

[stuandjulie]

On ‎7‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 6:03 AM, gaff said:

 

Yes, it's the way for people who are used to follow what they are told to do. Not me.

 

 

Guess you will be in the s++t in a few years then !