Shopkeepers are being urged to be more vigilant when processing eftpos transactions during the holiday season.
Over the last three weeks there have been at least five separate complaints to Christchurch police regarding individuals approaching shopkeepers and receiving goods and cash even though the transactions have been declined.
The method used is quite simple, says Constable Lance Banks of the Christchurch CIB.
"The person purchases some goods and then requests some cash. The shopkeeper then hands the cash and card back to the person without checking to see if the transaction has been completed," he says.
In some cases the transaction has been clearly declined on the eftpos machine however the shopkeeper has failed to notice this.
"There are also those offenders who are noticing lost eftpos cards being displayed in the shops either under the shop counter glass or on the wall," says Constable Banks. "The offenders claim the cards as their own and try to conduct transactions with them."
Shopkeepers are also encouraged to keep lost eftpos and credit cards out of sight and to request identification before returning them. Any unclaimed cards should be returned to the bank straight away as the owner may not remember where they lost their card.
Shopkeepers and staff need to familiarise themselves with the message readouts on eftpos machines. They must not hand over cash and goods until the transaction has been accepted and an accepted receipt printed out. They should also never allow customers to use the eftpos machines themselves as they could manipulate the receipt.
If a card is declined or the transaction is not completed easily on the first or second time, care should be taken and all details carefully checked.
This time of year is extremely hectic for all us, says Constable Banks and shop staff should ensure that that their transactions are not rushed.