beware strangers bearing gifts!

>
> What would Wednesday be without another scam…or any other day...
>
>
>
> DO NOT ACCEPT FREE GIFTS FROM DELIVERY PEOPLE
>
> BEWARE OF THIS SCAM!!!
> Very Clever Credit Card Scam!
>
>
>
>
> Give this wide distribution.
>
>
> This scam is actually very clever.
>
>
> Just when you thought you'd heard it all.
>
>
> Be very careful out there!
>
>
> Beware of people bearing gifts.
>
>
> The following is a recounting of the incident from the victim:
>
>
> Wednesday a week ago, I had a phone call from someone saying
>
>
> that he was from some outfit called: "Express Couriers,"(The name
>
>
> could be any courier company) He asked if I was going to be home
>
>
> because there was a package for me that required a signature .
>
>
> The caller said that the delivery would arrive at my home in roughly
>
>
> an hour. Sure enough, about an hour later, a uniformed delivery man
>
>
> turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and a bottle of wine. I
>
>
> was very surprised since there was no special occasion or holiday,
>
>
> and I certainly didn't expect anything like it. Intrigued, I inquired as
>
>
> to who the sender was.
>
>
>
>
> The courier replied, "I don't know, I'm only delivering the package."
>
>
> Apparently, a card was being sent separately... (the card has never
>
>
> arrived!) There was also a consignment note with the gift.
>
>
> He then went on to explain that because the gift contained alcohol,
>
>
> there was a $3.50 "delivery/ verification charge," providing proof
>
>
> that he had actually delivered the package to an adult (of legal
>
>
> drinking age), and not just left it on the doorstep where it could
>
>
> be stolen or taken by anyone, especially a minor.
>
>
> This sounded logical and I offered to pay him cash. He then said
>
>
> that the delivery company required payment to be by credit or
>
>
> debit card only, so that everything is properly accounted for, and
>
>
> this would help in keeping a legal record of the transaction.
>
>
> He added couriers don't carry cash to avoid loss or likely targets
>
>
> for robbery.
>
>
> My husband, who by this time was standing beside me, pulled out
>
>
> his credit card, and 'John,' the "delivery man," asked him to swipe
>
>
> the card on a small mobile card machine with a small screen and
>
>
> keypad. Frank, my husband, was asked to enter his PIN number
>
>
> and a receipt was printed out. He was given a copy of the transaction.
>
>
> The guy said everything was in order, and wished us good day.
>
>
> To our horrible surprise, between Thursday and the following
>
>
> Monday,  $4,000 had been charged/withdrawn from our credit/debit
>
>
> account at various ATM machines.
>
>
> Apparently the "mobile credit card machine," which the deliveryman
>
>
> carried now had all the info necessary to create a "dummy"  card
>
>
> with all our card details including the PIN number.
>
>
> Upon finding out about the illegal transactions on our card, we
>
>
> immediately notified the bank which issued us a new card, and our
>
>
> credit/debit  account was closed.
>
>
> We also personally went to the Police, where it was confirmed that
>
>
> it is definitely a scam because several households had been similarly
>
>
> hit.
>
>
> WARNING: Be wary of accepting any "surprise gift or
>
>
> package," which you neither expected nor personally ordered,
>
>
> especially if it involves any  kind of payment as a condition of
>
>
> receiving the gift or package. Also, never accept anything
>
>
> if you do not personally know or there is no proper identification
>
>
> of who the sender is.
>
>
>
>
> Above all, the only time you should give out any personal
>
>
> credit/debit  card information is when you yourself initiated
>
>
> the purchase or transaction!
>
>
> PLEASE   Pass this on, it may just prevent someone else
>
>
> from being swindled.
>
>