Here’s an odd cautionary tale.
The other day I got a call. The usual fraud robot caller saying somthing about a $600 dollar charge. I hang up on it as is normal.
However, I’m a bit paranoid when it comes to money. I’ve had money taken from me more times then I’d like to admit. So I check anyway.
Obviously there’s no random $600 charges on there and the robo caller was just a scammer. But I do see something weird. A charge for $1 to a Vietnamese eatery up in North York (I’m not sure if I am allowed to name it).
I live downtown and hardly ever go to North York. Even more weird is that is was for $1. Nothing in any restaurant cost $1 not even the delivery fees. Again I am paranoid so I report and lock down the card. A massive inconvenience these days.
However, the bank has confirmed it was fraud, and they are changing up my card numbers.
Has this happened to anyone else? I have no idea how they got me.
One theory I have is that this was a probe. Simular to when you set up a PayPal account and they charge you $1 to verify your credit information is correct. But why whould an eatery do that?
Either that or scammers got a giant list of numbers and charged them $1 each hoping no one whould bother reporting it.
Yes $1 holds/charges are typical to ensure a payment actually goes through. Even legit charges like gas stations will do such a thing just to ensure the card is actually open before dispensing fuel, but before the final payment value is known.
It’s most likely just a shotgun number check for any card that’s valid using a virus-compromised PoS at that restaurant (so the scammers have some access to the payment processor that won’t hurt them when it’s inevitably shut down for running too many cards)
There’s also some scam calls that will run you through voice prompts to try and get you to say the word “yes”. They can then use that word “yes” to count as agreement to whatever they want, whether it’s signing up for spam, or allowing a fradulent charge- even if the menus preceeding it are unrelated, it makes it a little harder legally to go after them because “ohhh well you said yes to it…”
If you care to, could honestly be worth calling the restaurant manager and telling them about the unusual charge (if the restaurant even exists). They may not know their PoS computer has been turned into a zombie bot for card checking- and it might be skimming their customer’s cards too.
You comment on “assuming it exist” made me double check. And it’s gone. It no longer seems to exist on Maps. However I am seeing it on doordash and uberests at several differnt location running as a series of ghost kitchens.
The expense description had a number which, when I Google only had a bunch hits about “why is this calling me?” And other stuff related to fraudulent calls. So that whould give some evendence to your voice prompt theory. I did fall for one of those awhile back as reception in my office is terrible I can never tell if I’m getting one or if it’s a genuine call.
Ahh yeah. Ghost businesses not really existing are another big one, it’s how they get payment processors to allow them a PoS terminal if they don’t have the ability to remote control someone else’s.
The rabbit hole of how scammers operate is a fun one to go down.
Usually it’s the scammer probing to see if the charge will go through before hitting it with ever increasing amounts until someone or something flags it. Sometimes it’s made out to be some common subscription service, hidden fee, or included tip. Good that you caught it early.
This is what I assumed as well. Losing access to your card for a few day may deter some people from reporting the issue. But I figured if I didn’t stomp it out now it could easily be $10, or $100 next time.
I hope the banks actually bother to do somthjng about it.
