We run an online shop and we were victims of scammers who steal credit cards data and use it to purchase various goods online. Scammres are everywhere even in Sweden. The gang in Sweden used their real shipping address and with the help of the Swedish police we were able to put them in jail.
Scammers from Indonesia also use their real address but there is a little chance that the local police will do anything.
Sophisticated scammers use fright companies addresses in order to get the stolen goods. According to our experience scammers from Indonesia use shipping companies located in Singapore and Scammers from South America use fright agents located in Miami.
Credit Card companies like Visa and MasterCard do almost nothing in order to fight Credit Card thieves. I guess that they benefit in some way from the millions or maybe billions of $$$ that move back and forth through their systems. At the end it is always the seller who pays the bill.
Here are some tips that might help you not to become a victim :
1. If not many of your clients came from there, just block your site to buyers from Indonesia and Singapore.
2. However, we have found a scammer who gave an Indonesian address but used Australia as country of shipping.
3. Not always but usually credit card scammers order large quantities of the same item.
4. Some scammers use a good Credit card for the first small purchase only to test the water. When you think its a reliable client they hit you with a second large order using a stolen CC.
5. Scammers always ask and pay for fast shipping.
6. When you suspect the address try to locate it in Google earth. If the building is a warehouse or located close to an airport, it might be a scam.
7. When we suspect an order, we ask for scans of the card and a scan of a photo id. Be aware that sophisticated scammers forge them too. If the card looks shiny and new, no scratches, no stains than it might be a scam.
8. Call them. A simple phone call with the buyer can help. If the phone number is a fake, or nobody picks up the phone, do not ship. Check if the area and country code match with the shipping address.
9. Delay shipping as long as you can . Usually it takes at least 4 weeks until the credit card company notifies you that the card holder denies using the card.
10. Anothe warning sign : Multiple purchases from same client in a few days, using different credit cards.
11. Various names located in the same address. (in our case, a gang from Venezuela used a fright company located in Miami.)
12. Use PayPal. I am not a great fan of PayPal, but their system filters scammers better than any other billing system. PayPal is more expensive, especially to sellers who are not located in the USA. Another problem is that many clients do not like PayPal and might not make a purchase if you do not offer anther billing option.
I hope that some of the above tips will help you to avoid being a victim to online scammers. However, the higher you build your wall the longer will be the ladder that the next scammer will use.
Scammers from Indonesia also use their real address but there is a little chance that the local police will do anything.
Sophisticated scammers use fright companies addresses in order to get the stolen goods. According to our experience scammers from Indonesia use shipping companies located in Singapore and Scammers from South America use fright agents located in Miami.
Credit Card companies like Visa and MasterCard do almost nothing in order to fight Credit Card thieves. I guess that they benefit in some way from the millions or maybe billions of $$$ that move back and forth through their systems. At the end it is always the seller who pays the bill.
Here are some tips that might help you not to become a victim :
1. If not many of your clients came from there, just block your site to buyers from Indonesia and Singapore.
2. However, we have found a scammer who gave an Indonesian address but used Australia as country of shipping.
3. Not always but usually credit card scammers order large quantities of the same item.
4. Some scammers use a good Credit card for the first small purchase only to test the water. When you think its a reliable client they hit you with a second large order using a stolen CC.
5. Scammers always ask and pay for fast shipping.
6. When you suspect the address try to locate it in Google earth. If the building is a warehouse or located close to an airport, it might be a scam.
7. When we suspect an order, we ask for scans of the card and a scan of a photo id. Be aware that sophisticated scammers forge them too. If the card looks shiny and new, no scratches, no stains than it might be a scam.
8. Call them. A simple phone call with the buyer can help. If the phone number is a fake, or nobody picks up the phone, do not ship. Check if the area and country code match with the shipping address.
9. Delay shipping as long as you can . Usually it takes at least 4 weeks until the credit card company notifies you that the card holder denies using the card.
10. Anothe warning sign : Multiple purchases from same client in a few days, using different credit cards.
11. Various names located in the same address. (in our case, a gang from Venezuela used a fright company located in Miami.)
12. Use PayPal. I am not a great fan of PayPal, but their system filters scammers better than any other billing system. PayPal is more expensive, especially to sellers who are not located in the USA. Another problem is that many clients do not like PayPal and might not make a purchase if you do not offer anther billing option.
I hope that some of the above tips will help you to avoid being a victim to online scammers. However, the higher you build your wall the longer will be the ladder that the next scammer will use.