Orillia businesses blindsided by phone/credit card fraud

Merchants in Orillia have been warned of a new credit card scam.

A caller orders high-priced items using a credit card and says a friend will drop by to pick it up. Someone does, but it isn’t until days later the credit card comes back as stolen or fraudulent.

Just because you can’t see the cardholder doesn’t mean you can’t suspect fraud. It is important to be aware even for online or over the phone purchases.

Orillia OPP offers these signs of fraud and tips to prevent fraud:

• If someone makes a purchase over the phone with a credit card ask to see the credit card and identification at the time of pick up
• Check the credit card for the name, numbers and expiry date
• If someone is purchasing an unusual amount of expensive items
• If someone is purchasing “big ticket” items with high resale value

There are many other indications of fraudulent behaviour when it comes to credit cards. Contact your bank, credit card provider or go online for more information.