 |
COSTA RICA |
| |
Credit Card Fraudsters Target Costa Rican
Businesses
Costa Rican businesses are the target of
credit card fraudsters, preying on the
unsuspecting with a merchant account, the
ability to process credit cards in Costa
Rica.
The transaction begins with an email that is
for all purposes appears legitimate. Such
was the case of the email received this past
week by Avanti Limousine Services* in San
José.
The client, a Felix Smith, with a UK email
address, requests limousine services for his
family and guests coming to Costa Rica. The
request is for an entire week - seven days -
of limo service.
Once the price is agreed upon, Mr. Smith
says he is ready to pay. "I'm ready to
pay the bills. Also want you to help me
Charge another $2,500 to a travel agent who
has issued my guests air flight ticket
fare", says the reply email.
The email explains, " the $2,500 that will
be sent to the agent is for the ticket fare
for my guests which will be deduct from my
credit card. Also, I'm compensating you with
the sum of $300.00 for the transfer fee and
for your efforts.
Please note that I should have given the
travel agency my credit card for him to
deduct the ticket funds but he told me that
he doesn't have the facilities to charge or
debit credit card , so that's why I bring my
vote of confidence in you and I don't want
you to betray the vote of confidence i put
in you so I want you to transfer the funds
to him after the money charge from my credit
card has reflect in your account you can now
make the transfer to the agent via western
union. So, the charges you'll make on my
credit card will be".
Mr. Smith, asks for approval of the
condition before handing over his credit
card, which he subsequently does in the
following email, but claims that his scanner
is not working and has no fax machine to the
request for a copy of the credit card and
ID.
In total, the the Avanti case, 10 separate
credit numbers (3 Mastercard) and (7 Visas)
are submitted, with specific instruction for
the amount of each card to be charged,
claiming credit limits.
Pablo Alvarado of ATH credit card processing
in San José tells Inside Costa Rica that
they have been waiting for Mr. Smith to
surface again this year.
Mr. Alvarado informs that this the fifth
report of this type of scam this year,
saying that there may be others that have
not been reported and that, in disbelief,
some have fallen to this type of scam.
The key to detect the scam is the request to
overcharge the account and remit to a third
party, according to Alvarado.
But, the story does not end there.
Mr. Smith has personally called on four
separate occasions, anxious to know if the
cards have been processed, but never once
concerned about the reservation confirmation
for his family. The last time he called, he
abruptly hung up when the word scam was
first used.
ATH is investigating this latest attempt.
According to Mr Alvarado, the first step is
block the cards and check to see if there
are any outstanding transactions by other
businesses falling prey to the scam and the
following up with the card issuing bank and
the origin of the emails.
*Avanti Costa Rica is operated by Enrico
Cacciatore, editor of Inside Costa Rica. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
