Originally published April 7 2005
Businesses as well as individuals suffer from identity theft
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Businesses now need to be as careful as individuals about credit card fraud and identity theft, as demonstrated by an incident at A&E Sportswear, where a phone order was taken for two dozen shoes paid for by a credit card. A month later the owner of the store, Evamarie Mraz, found that the credit card charge had been revoked on the grounds that the credit card the customer had used was stolen. No arrests were made, and the company was not compensated for their merchandise, which had been shipped to a vacant house.
When it comes to credit card fraud and identity theft, it's not only consumers that have to worry, but businesses as well.
Over a year ago, the owner of A&E Sportswear, Evamarie Mraz, took a phone order from a youth group in New York City for nearly two dozen shoes paid for by a credit card.
The credit card was approved, and the shoes were shipped.
"About a month later our bank called us and said we were overdrawn.
I said we can't be overdrawn,'" said Mraz.
The sneaker sale which totaled over $5,300 had been voided.
Evamarie Mraz said the bank told her she had a chargeback from the credit card company.
Evamarie said the credit card company returned the money to the credit card owner who said he did not purchase any sneakers.
Their credit card number had been stolen.
That meant they would receive no money back, and no arrests would be made.
For this reason, Mraz had some simple advice for any small business that takes people's credit cards.
"There's a three digit number on the back of the credit card.
There was little Mraz and A&E Sportswear could do about the predicament they fell into.
Joseph Cardamone, President of the United States Federation of Small Businesses said he had heard of such situations before but said "We don't know of any specific ways to avoid this situation.
This is the downside of technology and the Internet.
It is a dilemma, a glaring problem."
Mraz said, "I'm upset and I don't want anyone else to be upset."
In the end, Evamarie Mraz had to foot the bill, something she says was not easy for a small, family-owned business.
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