Quebec police warn of rise in a specific type of credit card fraud

The Quebec Police Department (SPVQ) are warning merchants and individuals about an increase in credit card fraud through point of sale (POS) machines.

Almost any retail store or business that takes credit or debit payment will use one of these machines.

The scammers will deliberately enter insert a credit card partially. When the machine doesn’t properly recognize it, the suspect then manually inputs a fraudulent credit card number. Police explain that in these circumstances, the suspect will often have a cell phone or a nearby piece of paper where the information is written.

The transaction will accept at the time the sale is made, however, the merchant later receives a notification that the transaction is fraudulent.

The SPVQ recommend for all merchants to disable the ability to switch to manual mode and remind people that credit card pins usually don’t exceed five digits.

Anyone with information regarding this type of fraud is asked to notify the police. People wishing to remain anonymous can call 418-641-2447.

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