Avoid Credit Card Fraud

• Be aware of the customer who makes several small purchases by check or credit card that are under the amount for manager approval.
• Be skeptical of a customer with only one credit card and one piece of identification.
• Check to see if the signature on the card compares favorably with the signature on the sales slip.
• Examine the signature strip on the credit card. A criminal may cover the real card owner's signature with "White-Out" and sign it on the new strip.
• If you are suspicious of the purchaser, make a note of appearance, companions, any vehicle used, and identification presented. Call the police department at (417) 623-3131.
• Is the item being purchased one that could be easily fenced for cash? (Examples include televisions, stereos, cameras, and other portable items.)
• Look for "ghost" numbers or letters. Many times criminals will change the numbers and/or name on a stolen card. To do this they either melt the original name and numbers off or file them off. Both of these processes can leave faint imprints of the original characters.
• Train employees to follow each credit card company's authorization procedures.

Source: Credit Card and Computer Fraud, published by the Department of the Treasury, United States Secret Service.