I was talking with a co-worker the other day, and she told me a story about how her credit card was stolen by a cabbie. The same thing happened to her roommate 2 weeks later. I wanted to share the story to prevent it from happening to other Chicagoans.
The scenario is one that many of us have been in. We go to pay our cab fare, and the driver tells you that he doesn’t have change. So he suggests that you pay with credit card instead. You give him your card, he processes the transaction, and hands you a card back. The thing is, it’s not your card he’s giving you. Since it looks similar, you don’t think of it until you look at your credit card statement. You didn’t spend $200 at Jewel, but that’s what shows up on your statement.
Apparently, he knowingly gives you the card back and goes right to Jewel. First, he makes a small purchase to make sure the card is still active. Then he goes to town and racks up a huge bill. Most of the time, your bank will give the money back because of the fraudulent activity. But there’s still that chance that you’re footed with the bill.
Don’t let the cabbie take you for a ride. Always make sure the card you get back is the same card you gave for payment–and not one that just looks like yours.
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