I don't know if this is a common scam?

[Juggler]

Years ago I got caught by the following scam: Someone calls and tells you that the CC machine billed them twice. It was for a small amount, something like $15.00, and I couldn't think of an easy way to check their claim, so I took them at their word and refunded their card.

A couple of days later I realized that I could compare the register report to the CC machine report, yeah, I know I'm retarded for not thinking of that. When I did so they matched. I was scammed.

I've had several calls since this with people making this claim. I now ask them to come in with a statement. No one has. When I check the register and CC reports for the day they claim the over charge happened and they match.

Is this a common scam or did I wind up on some kind of sucker list?

[Teskeria]

If it had really double charged them, they would contact their CC company, who would be able to see the duplicate charge and open a dispute. Or they would bring you a copy of the statement.
Some people will always try it on.

[Rainman]

Honestly nothing SCs try to do surprises me anymore, although some of the stories on this site have featured some very creative SCs, still stupid, but creative.

[JarethsPet]

Thankfully our machine doesn't let you double charge. They try to claim it if I have to rescan the card but nothing goes through to their bank til I hit OK

[LillFilly]

Actually, that DID happen to me once.

Employee swiped my credit/debit card. Machine read "could not read card." He swiped it again. "Could not read card." Third swipe, card accepted, I did it as credit, and signed the receipt.

Cue next store my card being declined. Calling the bank and finding that the machine at the previous store had actually charged me ALL THREE TIMES ($300 a pop!), though it wasn't reading it completely, and the store really only got paid once because I only signed one receipt. The Store did call the card machine techs who said since the swipes didn't really go through that the charges should be reversed in a few days. They were, and the employee (who was also the store owner) was embarrassed and had promised that if the bank wouldn't give me the $ that he would from his own pocket.

That's the ONLY time this has ever happened to me in my life, so it has to be some really special alignment of technological evil or something.

[brucetiki]

We always make people bring in proof of any double (or more) charging before we refund. You'd be amazed how many kick up about it.

[brucetiki]

Actually, that DID happen to me once.

Employee swiped my credit/debit card. Machine read "could not read card." He swiped it again. "Could not read card." Third swipe, card accepted, I did it as credit, and signed the receipt.

Cue next store my card being declined. Calling the bank and finding that the machine at the previous store had actually charged me ALL THREE TIMES ($300 a pop!), though it wasn't reading it completely, and the store really only got paid once because I only signed one receipt. The Store did call the card machine techs who said since the swipes didn't really go through that the charges should be reversed in a few days. They were, and the employee (who was also the store owner) was embarrassed and had promised that if the bank wouldn't give me the $ that he would from his own pocket.

That's the ONLY time this has ever happened to me in my life, so it has to be some really special alignment of technological evil or something.

This is why if my card declines due to a technical fault, I'll always check my statements straight away to make sure that only the one debit (if one ended up going through in the end) has gone out. Thankfully (touch wood), it's all be good so far but I'm always nervous whenever an EFT machine plays up.

[Kristev]

I was double-charged once, while ordering pizza. But their computer showed they were over by almost the exact amount I said I'd been charged twice. (I mean, I ordered sixteen dollars worth of pizza and wound up paying thirty-two, and they discovered after I called to complain that they were over by fifteen dollars and change. Since I called for delivery, I couldn't have known that. So they reversed one of the charges and I got my money (sixteen dollars, not thirty-two) back in a few days.

[taxguykarl]

Happened to me once. I just disputed that charge, got credited for it and never heard anything it since.

That's what a non-scammer would do.

[earl colby pottinger]

Like you

Actually, that DID happen to me once.

Employee swiped my credit/debit card. Machine read "could not read card." He swiped it again. "Could not read card." Third swipe, card accepted, I did it as credit, and signed the receipt.

Cue next store my card being declined. Calling the bank and finding that the machine at the previous store had actually charged me ALL THREE TIMES ($300 a pop!), though it wasn't reading it completely, and the store really only got paid once because I only signed one receipt.

Taking money from a Airport ATM, the machine said it paid me (printed a receipt) but no money came out.

Called the number on the machine and about two weeks later the money appeared back in my account. My guess why it took so long is that lots of people got hit and it took so long to manually backtrack them all.

[NateTheChops]

Yeah, I know I'm retarded for not thinking of that.

No you're not. You're an honest person for not spending time thinking of ways to scam other people. And while you are in a way responsible for protecting the assets for your company you are also not the loss prevention department, so there's only so much you can do.

Is this a common scam or did I wind up on some kind of sucker list?

The biggest scam I ever personally fell for was during my first week at Brooks Pharmacy, before they got bought out by the larger drugstore.

The scammer gets a phone card. Scratches the number off before he reaches the desk and writes it down. Then, I, or the unwitting cashier, swipe the card to activate it. When he went to pay for it with his credit card something suddenly went wrong with it and he didn't have anything else to pay with.

Unfortunately the card was all ready activated regardless.

Although I should have checked the card to see if the number was all ready scratched off, the actual scam wasn't my fault for a couple of reasons. I hadn't been told to look for it when I was being trained. Also the technology at the time allowed this to happen. Now a phone card absolutely will not activate until the payment has been accepted.

And lastly, it wasn't mine or your fault because this is what scammers do. They spend time thinking of ways to get money and free products. The best ones can do this for years without ever getting caught at it because they're careful not to go back to the same place twice. If it hadn't worked with you they would have moved onto someone else, but trust me, eventually they will slip up.

Now you know better.

[PepperElf]

where i work, afaik the swipes don't go through until the customer hits the "do you accept this charge" button. if it doesn't get to that stage then you can still cancel the payment to restart without any penalty to the customer.

[RealUnimportant]

We get lots of people worrying about double-charges but in the 3 years I've worked here, with hundreds of customers per day, I've only even heard of one transaction that failed to fail, as it were.

[blas]

I've been double charged before, it's best to start with the bank instead of the store/restaurant first.

[taxguykarl]

Taking money from a Airport ATM, the machine said it paid me (printed a receipt) but no money came out.

Called the number on the machine and about two weeks later the money appeared back in my account.

That happened to me once in the '90's. I solved that the same way.