How the scam works:
This scam usually happens in bars, but any merchant that takes credit cards for payments could very well pull it. Say you are having a great time in a bar and at the end of the night, you pay by credit card. What happens is that on the signed receipt, scammers will add an extra number after or before the tip.
For example, if your tab was $68 and you added $9 as a tip, the bartender or waitress will add a “1” before the “9”, so the tip deducted from your card will be $19, for a total of $87 instead $77. Imagine this being pulled on you when the receipt is a few hundred dollars, and you don’t remember much from that night.
It could also happen to you when travelling. Some shady places don’t even have credit card machines, and they use the old-fashion way, the handwritten invoice. They could pull the scam on the full amount too, not only the tip.
How to avoid the Altered Receipt scam:
The best way is to draw a short horizontal line before and after the amount, similar to the ones you do on your cheques. Also, make sure you ask for and keep your receipt, so you can match the amount with the one on your credit card statement.
How to report the Altered Receipt scam:
Make your family and friends aware of this scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
How to protect yourself more:
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You’ll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
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I see former Iron Maiden singer Paul DiAnnio has been jailed for benefit fraud good job he only got jail, in times gone by he might have got the, er, Iron Maiden