Watch your credit card when eating out
Cape Town. 07122011 Press conference at SAPS offices in Green Point briefing the press to make public aware of credit card fraud and some skimming devices that the criminals use. Kalyani Pillay(CEO of SABRIC) addresses media. Picture Courtney Africa. Reporter Esther Lewis Cape Town. 07122011 Press conference at SAPS offices in Green Point briefing the press to make public aware of credit card fraud and some skimming devices that the criminals use. Kalyani Pillay(CEO of SABRIC) addresses media. Picture Courtney Africa. Reporter Esther Lewis
The Hawks have called on the hospitality sector to implement better vetting processes when hiring staff.
Commercial crimes unit head Lieutenant-Colonel Jerome Hardenberg said at a press conference in Green Point that many waiters who had been fired for credit card fraud could often easily walk into new jobs.
SA Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) chief executive Kalyani Pillay said yesterday the banking sector lost R19.9 million from October 2010 to September 2011 to “card not present” category crimes – those in which criminals had only the card details, no physical card.
Hardenberg said waiters were frequently arrested for card skimming
.
Michael Bagraim, Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said
employers were often scared to give bad references for fear of being sued under labour laws.
In an attempt to curb skimming, most establishments had introduced portable card machines, said Bagraim.
But Hardenberg warned people to be vigilant.
He said the card would be swiped through the device that captured the magnetic strip data. It was then swiped a second time to make actual payment.
He urged people to “always follow their card”.
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