Government warns of credit card fraud

[Gutter Meat]

Government representatives are warning citizens of the increasing crime rate concerning credit cards. Apparently the incidents are increasing rapidly, where people pay with their credit card in a shop or restaurant, and the personnel take the card away and copy the data from it. Also using your card to get money from an ATM machine is a risk - there have been a number of incidents where an extra card reader has been fitted so that the card data and pin code can be extracted. Once tourists get home after their holiday they see that their credit balance has disappeared from the bank account. The police advise people not to let their credit card out of their sight, even when paying in a restaurant or shop, and (when using an ATM) to make sure that the machine is in its original condition. The ATM should not contain any strange fittings or an extra card reader. So-called reliable bystanders sometimes advise you to swipe your card first through a separate card reader. NEVER DO THIS!
In Sosúa, credit card criminals have been active with separate card readers fixed alongside the normal card entry slot, and tourists have had their bank balance emptied! If this happens to you, go to the police station to make an official complaint, and take a Spanish-speaking staff member with you from your hotel.

Credit cards
We know from experience of various victims that the bank will reimburse you for the money stolen. Unfortunately the credit card fraud that we're all so used to in Europe and the USA, has now also reached the Dominican Republic.


How very true!!!!

[Gutter Meat]

They place the skimmers on top of the ATM slots.

[Gutter Meat]

THEY WILL LOOK SOMTHING LIKE THIS


http://www.geminicomputersinc.com/crcaswmtr1.html

[Gutter Meat]

They put one on the Banco Santa Cruz one time and I pulled it off. It was placed on with velcro. Next thing you know I had some dominican trying to get it outa my hand. I dropped it , he picked it up and ran.

[eldorob]

Thanks, good info to know....

[weyland]

Nothing new here, but occasional reminders can't hurt, so thanks, Gutter Meat.

As a further safeguard, I use a separate current account with little money in it to feed my cards (and top it up as necessary from my main current account using online transfers). That way, if the worst happened, I would only lose a limited amount.

[Jester420]

Watch out in Duty Free at Las Americas in Santo Domingo. I was heading home and stopped to buy my usual 5 cartons of smokes, as I was walking to the middle register with the long line, one of the employees approached me and asked if that was all I was purchasing and when I said yes he walked me to another register where his accomplice, another employee ran my credit card twice and told me it had been denied. He continued to pack my smokes expecting me to pay cash. I asked him in spanish if I had the face of a stupid tourist and proceeded to call my CC company just to confirm what I had suspected, my CC had been debited twice. I then proceeded to the manager and explained what had happened, he asked me to file a police report, which he knew I didn't have time to since I was flying out in 30 mins. I got all three of their names and cedula # and called my Dominican Step-dad. Him and his family are the top Lawyers on the Island and his brother is Leonel's third. He placed a call and Airport Security promptly arrested all three. And I was able to witness this all before my flight. I have since filed a police report via fax and they are all being charged with credit card fraud and a investigation into previous acts has also been started. The scam is simple they claim your card is denied, you pay with cash, they pocket the cash and have you sign the receipt so when you file fraud with you card company they have a signature on file. Making off with you cash. They picked the wrong traveler this time....Lol Swift Dominican justice... extremely rare but fun to witness, the Jester got the last laugh!!! :clap2:

[El Capitan]

Ca$h in a money belt, it's accepted everywhere, untraceable and highly negotiable.....

[elsucio]

Once at the bank next to Super Super i went use ATM early one Saturday morning, card did not feel right going in but by that time it was too late, card had been eaten up, noticed a Dominican standing close by acting like he needed to use machine,i tried to get my card back. they actually had a sign velcroed on ATM that if card gets stuck enter PIN 3 times and card will be ejected. I am not that stupid, there was a security card sleeping in chair off to side and i asked if bank opened on Saturdays because my card was stuck. He walked over and looked at ATM and ran his finger across slot and there was a tiny piece of tape with a fine thread attached to it, as soon as he saw it he began chasing the Dominican down the street (he got away on moto). he then returned and gently pulled on thread and outcame my card. I gave him 100 pesos and went to Banco Popular. But thats another story.......

[Corrado]

For security purposes only use a prepaid credit card. Use cash when ever possible, and carry it in a secure carrier, around your neck inside your shirt, or attached to your belt inside your waist band. Never take it out in public. Go to the shitter and put just enough in your pocket to pay the tab and tip. Lock the valuables up in your own secure lock boxes, slash proof bags, or secure device. Never trust someone elses safe, employees, or good reputation. Use combination locks and devices to back up key locks.

[elsucio]

Now in the DR i just bring cash and 2 debits cards for emergency all of which stays locked up. No CC's and i don't trust the friggin banks, went to Banco popular and tried to withdraw funds, got message that it could not be processed so i tried other ATM and got same message finally went in bank and girl came out and i asked for $RD 4000 instead of $RD5000 and it worked, when i returned the next day i got message i had insufficent funds(apparently those transactions were processed) Banco Poplar was of no assitance. Called Bank of America and they were able to replace funds in my account within 2 days, so for me its just cash in DR