SUMMER FESTIVALS (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) –– I personally look forward to friends, fun, frolic and the chance to see new wares from artists, some of which are also my clients. Unfortunately criminals do too. There are those that would take advantage of our good spirits and attempt to enjoy your merchandise without having to pay for it. They seem to get smarter each year, always looking for new ways to steal from businesses by using fake, skimmed or stolen credit cards and targeting merchants they think will be easy prey. Internet, retail, on the road, mail order, etc… no one is immune, but everyone can take precautions.
It's time to trade in your winter boots for dancing shoes and enjoy outdoor festival and concert season! But…
Follow these tips for a more secure festival season:
1. If the sale seems too good to be true, it should be suspect. (No one really needs 12 t-shirts or a dozen cds)
2. Get a live authorization whenever you can. If you have a wireless terminal at a festival you’re a step ahead. Most true criminals won't even bother with you. If you don't have a wireless terminal, pay the phone authorization fee and find out if the card is good. All services have a number you can call into to get an authorization, use it when you suspect a transaction or when a purchase reaches a dollar amount that makes sense.
3. Don’t take shortcuts with your payments. Get all the required information from the card holder. If your terminal prompts to enter the last 4 digits on the card, do it. This is a precaution FDIS has taken to avoid credit card skimming. (Skimming occurs when the magnetic strip on the card has been fraudulently reprogrammed with another’s information) If you are not swiping the card, make sure you have the billing address, phone number and security code from the back of the card. Most importantly legibly imprint every sale and have the cardholder sign the imprint.
4. Use common sense. My mom would never have given me her card and told me to buy anything I wanted. If the signature does not match ask for ID. If you are suspicious for ANY reason ask for ID.
I hope these Tips help you have a more secure and prosperous festival and concert season!
Should you have any questions or would like to look into wireless creditcard terminal options, internet or small business finance options available to you, please contact me personally at 630-657-1852. – By Tina Trowbridge
