Don’t let thieves cash in on your credit cards

It was a spending spree beyond the credit card load of the most conspicuously committed Christmas consumer.

In just a couple of days, three suspects used a stolen credit card to run up nearly $11,500 in purchases at Columbus Wal-Marts, at Kohl’s and other businesses.

It was a testament to how far thieves can get with a card that’s not canceled as soon as it’s lost.

In this case, the card happened to be in a car, which was left with the motor running outside Lee’s Package Store at 1435 Double Churches Road, a police officer testified in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Within 40 minutes of the 7:40 p.m. theft on Nov. 22, the thief in the stolen 2013 Kia Optima was using the USAA credit card at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 6475 Gateway Road.

Later the suspects used it again at the Columbus Park Crossing Kohl’s, 5550 Whittlesey Blvd., the officer said. The next day they added charges at the 2801 Airport Thruway Wal-Mart.

They also ran up charges at the 5448 Whittlesey Blvd. Wal-Mart, and at a Shell service station, a Circle K and a Bojangles restaurant.

In some cases businesses had security cameras that recorded the two men and a woman police later charged.

By the time their free ride on the credit train ground to a halt, the charges totaled $11,449.

What the heck did they buy to run up so expansive a bill in so tight a window of opportunity?

TVs and drones and other pricey electronic devices, and clothes and food and pretty much anything, police said.

What’s in your wallet?

The case of the missing credit card in the stolen car left running outside a liquor store illustrates some obvious crime safety tips, such as never leave an unattended car running where someone can just jump in and drive off.

Another tip is notify the credit card company immediately if a card’s missing and likely stolen.

Whether the cardholder cancels the account is a matter of choice: Sometimes a card isn’t missing because it was stolen. Sometimes it’s just misplaced and soon to be rediscovered. Some consumers don’t want to cancel and reopen accounts every time they forget they left their credit card in a jacket pocket.

Tipping the credit card company to look out for unusual charges still is a good idea, if it’s possible the card fell out of the jacket pocket in a place where criminals are likely to find and use it.

Some credit card fraud employs only account information acquired through computer hacking or other data theft and used for online purchases. That’s a lot different from a thief’s having an actual card with its magnetic strip or computer chip, which offers so much more convenience in making fraudulent transactions.

Police say criminals who get cards often use them immediately, expecting the owner to cancel the account as soon as possible. Sometimes that means driving to the nearest store and loading the card with as much as possible. For example, the thieves may call friends to drive to meet them at a service station where they gas up each other’s cars.

Experts encourage customers to use online account access regularly to monitor purchases charged, so they’ll notice any that are fraudulent.

The Federal Trade Commission advises customers to carry credit cards separately from a purse or wallet that’s likely to attract theft, and to take only the cards necessary for an outing, so they’re not all stolen or lost at the same time.

Other tips the FTC offers are:

• Keep your eyes on the card during a transaction to ensure it’s not misused and to make sure it’s returned.
• Never sign a blank receipt, and draw a line through any blank spaces above the total.
• Save receipts to compare with account statements.
• Notify the card issuer of any address change or upcoming travel.

The Wells Fargo bank advises customers to set up online account alerts so they’re notified of withdrawals, deposits and any suspicious activity.

The FBI suggests customers find a secure spot to keep a record of all their credit cards and account information along with the card issuer’s contact information.

Another way to reduce the risk of getting scammed is to open fewer credit accounts. People who have multiple accounts with different companies may find it difficult to keep track of their purchases, and may not notice if just one card out of a dozen is missing. Keeping fewer credit cards requires maintaining less account information, and contacting fewer card companies if all the cards are lost or stolen at once.

This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Don’t let thieves cash in on your credit cards."