Better Business Bureau serving Canton Region and Greater West Virginia offers tips and advice for consumers to avoid fraudulent practices.
With so many purchases during the holiday season, it can be easy to miss a fraudulent credit card charge or two – especially if it appears to be from a charity. But watch out! Strange donation charges are a sign that scammers have your credit card number.
How the scam works
You review your credit card statement and notice a charitable donation that you do not remember making. No, it is not a memory lapse; you were a victim of credit card fraud.
These phony charity charges are part of a bigger con. It all started when scammers got your credit card information, which may have been shared in a scam or as part of a data breach. After getting your credit card details, scammers now need to check whether they are valid. To do this, scammers often use charity websites. Charities often do not have sophisticated fraud protection, so it is easy for scammers to make a lot of small donations. When the charges go through, the scammer knows that your card details are still valid. Then, they will use your card for bigger purchases.One person reported to BBB.org/ScamTracker that after making a purchase from a questionable discount website, their debit card “was pinged for fraudulent charges ranging from $2 to $29 then finally $67 for a charity. I have had to cancel my debit card, order a new and block my account.”If you notice strange…
