Did I accept a Stolen Credit Card? Or was it just a weird situtation?

[LuvianBlue]

So.. today at the book shop I had something weird happen, and I'd like your opinion on it. (please and thank you)

I had a customer come up to the counter to purchase just one book, not a big purchase, only about 5 bucks. English wasn't his first language, which made this slightly more difficult.

He looks through his wallet and pulls out a card, looks at it, then holds it out to me

HIM: "Is this Mastercard?"
ME: "no, that's American Express"

He asks if that's okay, I tell him sorry, no, we don't take American Express. He looks back at his wallet and pulls out another card and holds it out to me.

ME: "Um, yes, we can take Visa"
HIM: "It's okay?"
ME: "Yes, we can take Visa"

At this point I'm a little confused, shouldn't he know what his cards are? But I start to ring it through. I look on the back of the card, and there's no signature.

ME: "Sir, there's no signature on the card *I point to the empty signature space on the back of the card* do you have a piece of ID with you?"
HIM: *looks confused* "...I need a receipt."

I try again, rephrasing slightly, he answers again with "I need a receipt" still looking confused. After a couple more tries he realizes what I'm asking and goes through his wallet. He's looks at each card, before finally pulling one out.

It is an ID, but he's keeping his thumb over the picture. I tell him I need to see the picture, and he moves his thumb.

And it becomes very apparent that this is not his ID. I mean... it's a man's ID, but the guy is definitely not him. I don't recognize what type of ID it is. I guess he can tell from the expression on my face that I'm not going to accept it.

HIM: "It's not good?" *takes it away*
ME: "um..."

He pulls out another ID and holds it out. Okay, this one is his. At least, I'm pretty sure it's his. The picture looks like him, though it looks a bit old. The name on the ID does match the name on the Visa.

ME: *not sure what to do at this point*"Um.. okay"
HIM: "It's good?"
ME: "Yeah"

So I finish the transaction and he goes on his merry way. But I write down the name that was on the card and ID, and when my co worker arrives I explain what happened to him (he's the owners son). He agrees it sounds weird.

I'm not sure if the card was stolen or not. I mean... It was weird, but in the end he did have a piece of ID that matched the name on the card. He didn't really seem to know where things were in the wallet... but if he hadn't shown me ID that clearly wasn't his, I probably would've just overlooked that.

But I feel frustrated. I was sort of caught off guard, and I feel like I could've handled that much better. I didn't see what name was on the first ID he showed me (I didn't recognize the type of ID, I was looking for the name, but there was just a bunch of writing on it, and he also took it away after he took his thumb off of the picture) I didn't compare the signature he gave me with the signature on the ID he gave me (I only compared the names and checked the photo). I probably should've asked him to hand me the ID, rather than just accepting him holding it out.

My co-worker asked me if I asked the guy why he had somebody else's ID with him. Which I guess I could've... but maybe that wouldn't have been a good idea. It might've come across as accusatory. I also don't know if he would've understood what I was asking.

I've never had to deal with a stolen credit card before. And I've never actually been told what to do if I believe a credit card is stolen. I will probably ask my boss next time I see her, but do you have any advice?

[Sandiercy]

That is a hard call but I would say that you were fine to do what you did. The ID that had his pic on it had a matching name to the card so that will be good.

[Sapphire Silk]

If it sounds off, it probably is. I agree this doesn't sound right; being foreign shouldn't mean you don't know the difference between AmEx and Visa. I think the cards were probably stolen or ID theft was involved.

In a similar situation, check with a supervisor before accepting the sale. But don't beat yourself up about it. You're inexperienced, and you weren't given good training. If it was a stolen card, Visa will refund the real owner of the card.

[Aethian]

Sounds like ID theft to me. On the first ID was it the same name?

[LuvianBlue]

I would've asked a supervisor if I had one to ask. However, the book store I work at right now is very small, only one person works at a time

I've worked at one other book store before this one, and I wasn't told what to do if I believe a credit card is stolen when I worked there either... I probably would've just went and grabbed my manager if that had ever happened.

I didn't get to see the name on the first ID, He took it away shortly after I asked him to move his thumb off of the picture. It also wasn't an ID I'm familiar with; there was a bunch of writing on it, but I didn't find the name before he took it away. It didn't look like a government issued ID.

[csquared]

Personally, it does not sound like a stolen card. Sounds like a diversion. Were there any other customers in the store at the time?

[Argus]

being foreign shouldn't mean you don't know the difference between AmEx and Visa.

Although .... was the book he bought large-print by any chance?

[LuvianBlue]

There were other customers in the store, but it didn't come across as a diversion... though I suppose that is always a possibility, good diversions shouldn't seem like diversions after all.

No, the book he bought wasn't large print, it was a children's book though, so probably not for him. It didn't seem like he had bad eyesight, he wasn't squinting at things, or holding things close to his face, he didn't appear to be straining to see.

[wolfie]

In a similar situation, check with a supervisor before accepting the sale. But don't beat yourself up about it. You're inexperienced, and you weren't given good training. If it was a stolen card, Visa will refund the real owner of the card.

Not only will they refund the real owner of the card, they'll charge it back to the merchant. This is why you need to check any "iffy" cards with your supervisor - the store, not the credit card company, will be out the money. This issue has come up before - let's keep this thread limited to "how to avoid accepting stolen cards", and take the merits of the card companies' practices to Fratching.

[emax4]

Keep in mind that it was one book = $5. Not multiple books which are $10 and higher. Does that mean this was his last small purchase? probable, but unlikely. If I knew I could use a stolen card, I'd be hitting Best Buy instead of Five Below. Does that make sense?

[Gravekeeper]

Sounds like something weird was going on, though exactly what is kind of hard to say. Personally, I tend to stonewall customers when credit card oddities occur until they can successfully jump through all of my nefarious hoops.

But yeah, when in doubt, pass the buck up the chain of command.

[dbuzman]

It's also possible nothing is shady, he may just have some sort of mental condition.

[Gravekeeper]

It's also possible nothing is shady, he may just have some sort of mental condition.

Possible its something technically bad but not harmful like a relative sent him out to get it or something. That happens with my callers now and then. Gotta remind them they can't just use someone else's credit card even if they are family or friends. -.-

[Opalin]

At our store we'll have people come in with multiple cards, and if even one comes up odd we can't accept any others, since it's a frequent scam in the area.

it may have been a smaller purchase to see if a card he found was even working.

[Seshat]

My recommendation: contact the bank the bookstore does business at, on their business-customer-support line.

Tell them what happened, and ask what they recommend doing next time. Write those recommendations down. Ask if they have a website or some booklets on the issue they can send you.

Then take those recommendations and check with your boss.


Use the recommendations as your default 'if I'm not told what to do' stuff, in future.