Plastic Pays for Thieves
Molouk Y. Ba-Isa, Arab News
http://arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=96918&d=1&m=6&y=2007
ALKHOBAR, 1 June 2007 As in other modern nations, Saudi Arabia is gradually
shifting from cash payments to card payments. This is leading to an increase in
credit card theft and fraud, and since the incidents of abuse arent being
publicized, consumers dont know that they should be on guard.
The first case that came to my attention on this subject involved an Eastern
Province-based expatriate, whose credit cards had been issued on a European
bank. One night the man noticed that two credit cards were missing from his
wallet. He reported the theft to his bank, but it was too late. The thief had
already spent SR10,000 on the credit cards.
According to the terms of the credit card agreement, the man was responsible
for paying most of that money, since the charges to the cards had been made
before they were reported stolen. The bank did oblige him by disclosing that
the largest purchase of SR7,000 had been at a jewelry shop in Alkhobar. When
the man went to investigate that purchase, he found that the jewelry store
clerk knew the name of the man, a Saudi, who had used the credit card. The
expat was shocked to learn that one of his colleagues had removed the two
credit cards from the wallet when it had been left on the desk during the
workday.
How could it be that an Arab used a credit card issued in a Westerners name?
I discovered that its so easy to do. For the last month, my husband Muhammad
and I switched credit cards. I went around town charging everything I bought.
From the supermarket to the shopping mall, no one stopped me when I used
Muhammads credit card to pay for my purchases. No clerk asked me for
identification. No salesman even inquired if Muhammad was a relative. With my
face covered, no one had a clue who I was except that I certainly wasnt
Muhammad!
Reports of credit card fraud are becoming commonplace. One father explained
how a supposed friend of his son had removed a credit card from his wallet and
then used it to purchase mobile phones, which can be easily resold for cash. A
woman forgot her credit card at a store after making a purchase. The card was
used by someone else at several shops in the mall, until the card limit was
reached.
In both of these cases the credit card holders were held liable for the
purchases because they did not comply with the Terms and Conditions laid out
by the respective card issuers. These terms and conditions vary widely. Many
credit cards issued in the Kingdom come with the following stipulation: The
cardholder will be responsible for any unauthorized card transactions affected
before written notice of the loss or theft has been received by the banks card
center. Some banks also demand police reports in cases of card theft.
I went back to the merchants who had accepted Muhammads credit card from
me and questioned them as to why they had not declined to take the card or
asked me for identification. Every one of them said that if the transaction is
accepted by the electronic approval system, then the purchase is good. Plus,
the clerks, all of whom were male, stated that they would never ask a woman for
identification.
Once I asked a Saudi man for ID, replied Muhammad Shaife, a clothing store
clerk. The man became angry and accused me of treating him like a criminal. I
quickly apologized but he just threw the goods at me and left the store. To
this day I dont know if I lost a sale or deterred a thief. When I discussed
the situation with my store manager, he told me not to ever ask for ID.
The clerks dont compare the signatures on the credit cards with the
signatures on the receipts either, although they do keep the signed receipts.
The paper receipts are only turned in to the banks if they are requested or if
a bank does not deposit cash for the purchase to the merchants account. In
this last case, the signed receipt allows the merchant to show that an approved
transaction was made.
Debit cards are much safer than credit cards because a PIN must be entered
before the transaction is authorized, said Babu Shetty, manager of a small
electronics shop. Another problem we see a lot these days is with void
transactions. These are transactions that are not approved and the system spits
out a transaction void receipt. In a void transaction often the bank
transfers the money to the merchants account anyway. The banks dont always
realize the error and the charge goes to the customers credit card bill. This
causes a lot of headaches and customers get really angry with us. Customers
should keep the void transaction receipts, if any, and check their credit card
statements before the pay by date each month to avoid problems.
In a statement, Ihab Ayoub, Saudi Arabia country manager, Visa International,
CEMEA region, advised that the contract for credit cards in Saudi Arabia is
between the card issuing banks and the cardholders and that cardholders must
deal with the banks directly to resolve issues in regards to theft or fraud.
Our member banks are pro-actively working to increase security measures,
said Ayoub. Current initiatives include the migration to chip cards and in the
virtual world by adopting the Verified by Visa (VbV) e-security program for
secure online shopping. Additionally, many banks have introduced
technologically-advanced cardholder tracking and monitoring systems designed to
identify untypical spending patterns, which help identify potential fraud cases
at an early stage.
If a credit card is lost or stolen, it is of course essential to call the
issuing bank immediately. In such a situation most consumers are quite frantic,
which is why preparing for the worst is wise. Consumers should create a list of
all their credit card numbers along with the issuing bank and the banks
customer service telephone number which can be dialed internationally not a
toll free number. One copy of the list should be kept in safe place at home but
also send the list to a personal e-mail account at a major e-mail service such
as Yahoo. With this method, if the card is lost or stolen at the mall or while
on vacation, then it will be easy to immediately access the list using any
Internet connection and quickly begin the process of canceling and replacing
the lost or stolen credit cards.
What Makes Some Women Steal Their Husbands Money
Arab News
http://arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=96919&d=1&m=6&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
ABHA, 1 June 2007 Many women have admitted that they do benefit a great
deal from the change they find in their husbands pockets. Many said that they
use this money for their children and other family needs. Others said that
saving change is of great benefit when their families have financial problems.
Some believe that there is nothing wrong in taking the money, especially if the
husband is stingy and the wife uses the money for the needs of family and
children. Others however, maintain that regardless of the intention, these acts
are simple robbery.
I fear the future so I need some savings, Fatima told Al-Watan newspaper.
I take money from my husbands pocket, and I make sure that he doesnt know
it. I learned this lesson after I was divorced and found myself with no money.
At present, I am saving from the pockets of my second husband.
Nisreen said that her husband was a waster. My husband spends whatever he
finds and he never saves anything. I have, therefore, begun collecting the
change from his pocket without telling him. After three years, I managed to
give my husband SR8,000 which was useful in paying his debts.
Alia said that she was against taking any money from her husband. However,
she said that she finds herself forced to take some because her husband is very
stingy and does not buy the family things except for real necessities. He does
not give me money even to buy winter clothes for our children. He does not buy
school supplies for them as he considers that wasteful. I have never thought of
saving anything. I only take money to buy necessities for the children. I do
not want my children to go astray or to become thieves, said Alia.
Wafa Saeed said that a wife must tell her husband that she is taking money
from his pocket; the wife, she said, must make it plain to her husband that her
intention is to save money for the family. Some wives take the money for their
own benefit.
Al-Bandary said that one woman she knew had saved SR80,000 by telling her
husband that she was spending money because of increasing demands on both the
family and children. In fact, she would spend very little on the family or
children but would keep most of the money for herself.
Nura said that she saves money from her salary which her husband normally
takes from her and uses for himself. I should have put restrictions on his use
of my money from the beginning. Now I do not tell him about any increase in my
salary or any extra and additional money I get from my job, she explained.
Hala Zuaitar, a sociologist, said: This act is of great benefit to the whole
family, especially if the husband is a waster or if he is stingy. Some wives
might take money from their husbands in order to control them, thinking that by
this means, their husbands will have less of a chance to look for other women.
Manal agreed that taking the husbands money was all right as long as the aim
was to support the family. She added, however, that if the intention were to
prevent the husband from remarrying, the wife in this case could be described
as lacking confidence, not only in her husband but also in herself. The
husband in this case must comfort his wife and explain to her that money is not
the only means to a happy marriage.
AB [EMAIL PROTECTED]
First They Came for the EXTREMIST, FUNDAMENTALIST & MODERATE Muslims. And I
DIDNT Speak Out Because I Wasn't An Extremist, Fundamentalist or a Moderate
Muslim. Then FINALLY They Came for Me the NON-PRACTICING Muslim And NO Muslims
Were Left to Speak Out for ME.
---------------------------------
Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.
Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
