Texarkana Texas Police Issue Latest Scam Alert for Area Businesses

As a business, have you received an out-of-town or out-of-state order, the "customer" then pays with a bogus credit card and you end up getting ripped off twice? It happens all the time, and today Texarkana Texas Police are sending out their latest Scam Alert on this very topic. 

A new report on the Texarkana Texas Police Department's Facebook Page tells us that they know of at least two local businesses that have fallen prey to this scam recently, and lost a significant sum of money in the process.

TTPD Describes the Scam like this:

A business receives a phone call from an out-of-state person/business wanting to make a large order of merchandise, which is immediately paid for with a credit card over the phone. The order is filled and later picked up by an "employee" of the original caller. Everything seems perfectly fine until a few days later when your business gets a call from their bank telling them that the credit card charge was fraudulent, and the money had to be returned to the card that was used. Now the business has neither the merchandise nor the money.

What Should You Watch Out For?

If your business receives an order from out-of-town or out-of-state, especially if it is a large order, do whatever you have to and make sure the order, the person, and/or, the business ordering your product or service is legitimate before you ship that product or let it be picked up. Verify everything you can before you ship.

TTPD says; 

Legitimate business and customers will understand why you are doing it. The criminals will likely decide that it's not worth the chance of getting caught and will move on. Either way, you don't get left holding the bag by one of these scammers.

If you think you have been scammed, or if you might be on the verge of being scammed, don't wait until it's too late, contact authorities now.

Texarkana Texas Police: (903)798-3116
Texarkana Arkansas Police:  (903)798-3154

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