Everyone has paid for something using their card or their phone. It’s a part of normal life that is taken for granted, unfortunately there are lots of scams associated with card payments. As a business owner, there are a few things you can do to minimise the risk of becoming a victim of any scams.

When dealing with customers in your store who are making payment using a physical card in your Card Machine the number one priority for you and your staff should be vigilance. If something seems odd or out of place it should be treated with suspicion if a customer is touching your till or Card Machine without reason it should be treated with suspicion. 

The main routes used by scammers are to either pay for goods with a card that is not theirs, or obtain goods for free by tricking your Pos system, or attempting to obtain a refund from you for a transaction that was either fraudulent or never existed. It is good practice to ensure your staff are trained to always be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, a large purchase, an odd looking card, any kind of refund request etc. With scams becoming more and more common vigilance is an essential tool in any retail environment. 

Taking a payment over the phone with the customer not present (CNP) is without a doubt the highest risk type of transaction for any merchant. All a scammer needs is someone’s card numbers and they can call up a business and pretend those details belong to themselves. The best advice is to not take any over the phone payment, unless you are certain Who you’re talking to and where the good purchased are going. Be particularly aware of anyone wanting to collect goods, this is a very common scam tactic,  someone will phone up make a payment and then either send a courier or a friend to collect the goods.

There are a few ways you can reduce the risk with CNP payments 

Implement address verification systems (AVS) to match the billing address with the cardholder’s information.

Look out for suspicious activity such as unusually large or frequent orders, multiple transactions with different shipping addresses, requests for urgent delivery, or inconsistencies in billing and shipping information

Use CVV verification to ensure that the person making the purchase has the physical card.

Adopt 3D Secure protocols, such as Verified by Visa or Mastercard SecureCode, to provide an additional layer of security. 

If you suspect a fraud please contact action fraud on 0300 123 2040