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Don’t let this drive-thru card scam happen to you

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Picture this: You pull up to a drive-thru window to order your favorite coffee, hand over your credit card and then the cashier steals your card numbers to make a fraudulent $212 purchase later that day. What would you do?

One California woman returned to the drive-thru to confront her card thief. She caught it all on video using her cellphone, and then she posted it on YouTube. (Be warned, there is some profanity.)

While it’s better to leave face-to-face criminal accusations to authorities for safety reasons, the media attention this story has received may deter the next clerk or cashier who tries to pull such a stunt. But that’s not the most important lesson to be taken from this story.

 

Here are four ways to protect your credit information at the drive-thru, or really any time you hand over your card for a purchase:

1. Use credit, not debit. In this case, the fraudster used the customer’s credit card number to make a purchase topping $200 at a supermarket. If that had been her debit card, that amount could be tied up while the bank investigates. And your liability with a debit card increases if it’s not reported within a few days. Credit card companies, on the other hand, can hold you responsible only for a maximum of $50 (although most issuers have zero liability), even if the false charge is not reported in a timely manner.

2. Consider other ways to pay. Many drive-thrus, such as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, now have loyalty programs that allow you to pay from the company’s smartphone app. This way, there is a third-party buffer between you and your payment method. The same applies if you’re using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay. Or, you can just go old school and keep a few small bills in your car to cover impromptu drive-thru stops — especially for times when the card reader is not directly in your line of vision.

3. Monitor your accounts. As the woman in this scenario illustrated, it’s important to regularly keep tabs on your credit statements — especially if you have a gut feeling that someone was up to no good with your information. The sooner you spot a phony charge, the quicker you can report it so your card issuer can investigate and remove it. Better yet, automate these spot-checks by setting up alerts. This allows you to receive notifications (text, email, etc.) every time your account is used in ways that you specify. You can choose to be alerted for purchases over $100, for instance. If you do spy something shady, report it to the financial institution right away, and consider whether other steps need to be taken (such as filing a police report, putting a fraud alert on your credit reports, etc.).

4. Don’t let your card leave your sight (if possible). Sometimes you don’t have a choice, such as when you hand the bill to a restaurant server and you’re not sitting near the checkout terminal. But, in general, keeping your eyes on your card can help protect your information. If you’re a thief, who would you rather target: The person who’s watching you carefully, or the person playing on his cellphone or who’s distracted by the people she’s with during a transaction? Don’t make yourself an easier target for someone trying to steal your information by not paying attention.

As convenient as using plastic can be, relying on it for those quick lattes can end up burning you later on if you’re not careful. In this case, at least, it’s the thief who ended up in hot water.


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