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<b>Don't be a victim</b>
* If the customer is using a TTY Relay Operator, ask the customer for his/her full name, address and telephone number.
* Ask the customer to provide the name of the issuing bank and its toll-free customer service number as printed on the back of all credit cards.
* Ask the customer for the three or four digit Card Verification Code that is found near the account number on the back or front of a credit card.
* Tell the buyer that you will check with the bank and call them back. When you do that, keep good notes. Verify all information the buyer gives. If a buyer objects, explain that these procedures are for their protection as well.
* If the caller still objects to providing any of the above information, abandon the conversation and advise that you are not prepared to do business this way.
* If the buyer insists on paying with a certified check, wait until the funds are in your bank account, before shipping the merchandise.
source: Mountain States Better Business Bureau
FRISCO - The largest order High Country Custom Impressions owner Bruce Adams has ever taken was for 50 trophies, so when a potential customer called wanting 400 trophies, an immediate red flag went up.
The man was calling via a TTY relay operator - the technology used to facilitate phone calls for hearing-impaired folks -which also concerned Adams because he had recently received an e-mail warning him of scammers using the mostly-anonymous system.
In the scam, the customers usually finds the business online, makes the purchase with a stolen credit card and wants to have the merchandise shipped out-of-state or overseas, said Barbara Read, communications director for the Mountain States Better Business Bureau.
Another tip off is that they often say they have their own shipper who needs to be paid through Western Union.
"That's how the scammer gets his money," Adams said. "The Western Union goes right to him and you've already paid the cash."
Also, the credit card the scammer supplies generally checks out as legitimate, but by the time the business owner ships the goods and submits the actual charge, it's been listed as stolen and the charge is denied, Adams said.
The man who called Adams wanted to order about $4,000 in merchandise.
Since Adams was on alert, he instructed the customer to e-mail his order instead of navigating through the relay system and asked for his full name, address, phone number, a credit card number, a driver's license number or a social security number.
The man became irritated that he needed to supply so much documentation, and Adams canceled his order.
This type of scam is hitting all types of businesses nationwide, Read said.
Adams suggests other business owners be cautious if they receive a service call through the TTY system, particularly if the caller only wants to provide their first name and no other information.
<i>Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.</i>
* If the customer is using a TTY Relay Operator, ask the customer for his/her full name, address and telephone number.
* Ask the customer to provide the name of the issuing bank and its toll-free customer service number as printed on the back of all credit cards.
* Ask the customer for the three or four digit Card Verification Code that is found near the account number on the back or front of a credit card.
* Tell the buyer that you will check with the bank and call them back. When you do that, keep good notes. Verify all information the buyer gives. If a buyer objects, explain that these procedures are for their protection as well.
* If the caller still objects to providing any of the above information, abandon the conversation and advise that you are not prepared to do business this way.
* If the buyer insists on paying with a certified check, wait until the funds are in your bank account, before shipping the merchandise.
source: Mountain States Better Business Bureau
FRISCO - The largest order High Country Custom Impressions owner Bruce Adams has ever taken was for 50 trophies, so when a potential customer called wanting 400 trophies, an immediate red flag went up.
The man was calling via a TTY relay operator - the technology used to facilitate phone calls for hearing-impaired folks -which also concerned Adams because he had recently received an e-mail warning him of scammers using the mostly-anonymous system.
In the scam, the customers usually finds the business online, makes the purchase with a stolen credit card and wants to have the merchandise shipped out-of-state or overseas, said Barbara Read, communications director for the Mountain States Better Business Bureau.
Another tip off is that they often say they have their own shipper who needs to be paid through Western Union.
"That's how the scammer gets his money," Adams said. "The Western Union goes right to him and you've already paid the cash."
Also, the credit card the scammer supplies generally checks out as legitimate, but by the time the business owner ships the goods and submits the actual charge, it's been listed as stolen and the charge is denied, Adams said.
The man who called Adams wanted to order about $4,000 in merchandise.
Since Adams was on alert, he instructed the customer to e-mail his order instead of navigating through the relay system and asked for his full name, address, phone number, a credit card number, a driver's license number or a social security number.
The man became irritated that he needed to supply so much documentation, and Adams canceled his order.
This type of scam is hitting all types of businesses nationwide, Read said.
Adams suggests other business owners be cautious if they receive a service call through the TTY system, particularly if the caller only wants to provide their first name and no other information.
<i>Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.</i>
