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Gillf
30-07-2009, 12:14
Hi,

Our fraud level is very low I am pleased to say. But this morning there was an interesting event which I thought I would share.... instinct tells me it was an attempted fraud, but I might be being biased by certain factors.... see what you think:

Telephone call from someone with strong African accent. They said they were trying to place an order but the card kept being declined. I explained that we don't decline it - it is the card issuer. I checked the Worldpay system and there were two declines on a debit card with shopper IP: Germany. Card holder: IP Nigeria. Address: Nigeria. Order value £265. There was a "warning" but no fraud alert simply the refusal.

Now I consider the Worldpay alert system to be not much better than a chocolate teapot... it regulary gives warnings on customers I know to be perfectly sound... something as simple as the card IP address being different to the shopper address will trigger that warning (which was the case in this situation).

I asked the shopper where they were and they confirmed Germany and said they worked for a Nigerian Airline and mentioned that they would be in Manchester soon and would like to have the goods sent there. They offered to pay by bank transfer.

Knowing that the Worldpay alert gives warnings when customers are sound meant I was thrown back on my own instinct. Although it is possible I was talking to an airline employee, all my alarms bells rang and I referred them back to the card issuing bank to find out why they were being declined.

Was I wrong? Was I influenced by the fact that this person was Nigerian? We all know about Nigerian scams etc. What would you have done?

Bye for now

Gill

mikeyred
30-07-2009, 12:34
Go with your instincts Gill, I would like to be politically correct but hell, I will just be me - it stinks, as an expat, I would shy away from those details big time, sorry that is as PC as I can get.

From our ICUK company we get people all the time, trying this sort of thing and as head of Credit Control :cool:, we get probably 1-2 a week trying it on.... the old gut instinct can save you a lot of money for you and your company.

Remember, it will always have a reasonably and perhaps logical explanation but if you are having to think of one, its the wrong transaction.....

Dave
30-07-2009, 13:11
Hi Gill,

I agree with Mike and would go with your instincts. I have not done this in the past and it has come back to haunt me on a couple of occasions.

Take it you have not got 3D secure enabled?

Gillf
30-07-2009, 13:31
Hi Dave

3D Secure is on my to do list along with whole pile of other things... I am probably going to need to pick a brain or two when I get to this one - so look out!;)

Gill

mikeyred
30-07-2009, 13:35
ok.... thats me out of the equation :confused:

petad
30-07-2009, 13:54
As another ex-pat with a healthy regard for the entreprenurial spirit of the Nigerians, I think you did exactly the right thing Gill. Many is the scam I have read about which have the hallmarks of this one you describe, particularly the bit about "just visiting the UK", and asking for the products to be sent somewhere other than their home address.

Good call.