Credit card fraud?

[Oh yes...]

There is no crime anywhere else in the world except the U.S...     ****wit.

[NoPoint]

There is no point in taking a picture of the credit card.  The story is either a lie, or the guy was just paranoid, or the pizza worker was just an idiot.  If the guy was paying with his credit card they would have all his information right after they scan the card.  They wouldn't need to take a picture to use it, especially considering a cameraphone picture of a credit card probably couldn't be read.  Since they have all your info (card number, expiration, name) after they scan the card all he would need to do is look at the security number.  It is only 3 or 4 digits so easy to remember in one second.
 
Throughout high school and college I worked in various retail jobs.  I can assure you that it is EASY to get as many credit card numbers as you want.  And mind you I mostly worked in large retail stores like the GAP, Staples, etc.  There are a million ways to do it.  You can simply pull it up on the computer (or printout from the credit card machine) - it will have the name, card number, and expiration date.  The stores keep hard copies of each receipt as well and after a month they "file" them which essentially means dumping all the receipts into a box and putting the box in a back room.  You can open up any box and take as many credit card numbers as you want.  But since nowadays most online retailers ask you for a security code it isn't as easy as just having the card number.  But getting the security code is a 1 second job if you are the cashier.

To tell you the truth it is amazing how LITTLE credit card fraud occurs given how easy it is to do.  I wouldn't be surprised if it happens even less often in Singapore.  First of all if you are caught here they will probably give you the death sentence or prison for a long time.  Second there is so little online shopping here.  It's not like the States where everyone does a ton of shopping online and all the retailers are also online, along with tons of online only stores.  Singapore is still more than a decade behind the west in terms of e-commerce.

[by phone]

my goodness i was just trying to give you all a friendly warning i had no idea "paranoid" would have such an issue with it?? jeez louise!!!

so last night i wrote my friend about it. he said it was a mass email he sent to everyone from the snopes crime website. so i misunderstood the fact that it happened to him personally but the possibility is their. so again if you have a problem with the details of the story, just ignore it. for others always be aware as you never know what the next new identity thief scam will be.

also on oprah i saw a lady who was a victim of identiy thieft for paying online. she was in usa but her thief was in australia. these things are worldwide guys. take it as a friendly warning i was trying to pass on or just do nothing your choice.

[Who Knows]

Two years ago my 75 year old wheelchair bound mother purchased two snow *** and a holiday in Val D'Isere on her Barclaycard!
 
It certainly does happen!

[SG CC]

Credit card fraud happens here in SG, just like anywhere else.

Under most SG CC terms and conditions (Amex being an exception, I believe) it's at the bank's discretion whether or not they remove unexplained line items from your bill.  I mean things from the internet, no signature charges.  They usually do though.

If your card is physically stolen, you will have to pay 100% of whatever the thieves charged prior to you discovering the theft and reporting it stolen.

Ask me how I know...

[Com Club & Pump Girl]

I had 2 separate incidents happen to me at Clarke Quay.

First one - near the place the OP was at - right next door - they "lost" my card too.  Kept calling the next day but the bar manager never returned my calls and the idiots I spoke to on the phone kept lying about when the mythical bar manager was coming in.  At 11am it was 1pm then 1pm it was 3pm, then 5pm.  No idea where it ended up but the good news was I didn't get charged for any drinks at all.  So it was a case of losing my card - and I got free drinks all night.   

Next one - place where funny people visit.  Asked for my card back and they gave me some other girl's Amex.  By the time I got home and realised it was to late.  Rather than go back to the idiot staff I just cut it up and threw it out - too much hassle to go back to the bank or whatever. 

[Fraud happens]

We recently cancelled our Australian Visa due to suspected fraud.  We were on holiday and received an email from the bank asking us to contact them asap.  Did we have knowledge of several small transactions being made in the US (we were in Germany at the time) then credited back to our Aus Visa account?  No, we didn't charge anything so the company suggested it was best to cancel the card.

They said that it was common for the con artists to charge some small amounts, credit them back, then if no questions had been asked after a few weeks to make a big purchase in the hope that it wouldn't be noticed either. 

Moral of the story is to be vigilant, check your CC statement every month, and query anything out of place.  It's a real pain trying to sort the new card out  if you live in another country and especially if you happen to be travelling.   Thank goodness for more than one card!

And to the OP's original comment about the bar taking the card - DO NOT let your card out of your hand.  Be prepared to pay cash or to go with the bar staff to the till. 

[Happens all the time]

My card "disappeared" many times at night spots and never anything strange was ever charged to me. If I had to cancel it every time it went missing, I would have to reapply for a new card every month.

Lots of drinks also go missing from the bills on a regular basis. Some bars / night clubs have such a lousy management and service staff, it's unbelievable how they get mixed up. I used to work at a local bar on Friday and Saturday nights myself, and I can ensure you it was a total mess at the cashier most of the time.

[ex-highlander]

"Some bars / night clubs have such a lousy management and service staff, it's unbelievable how they get mixed up"

Yet they would charge uber-expensive prices for this service...  

[Cool...]

To Who Knows...

I think it's wonderful that your disabled mum is interested in winter sports, but I'm intrigued to know how she manages to use a snowboard when she's in a wheelchair.

[Who Knows]

To Who Knows...

I think it's wonderful that your disabled mum is interested in winter sports, but I'm intrigued to know how she manages to use a snowboard when she's in a wheelchair.

That was how she managed to convince Barclaycard that maybe she hadn't bought the snow*** and booked the holiday! 

She has been known to try out some "tricks" in her wheelchair in the Singapore Zoo car park (resulting in a broken leg)  but I think her snowboarding days are over!

[Wary]

Wow , what experiences you all shared here.. I am certainly not visiting these doggy places in Clarke Quay!

[it happens]

The problem with places like this is they only have one person authorised to operate the cash register. The rest of the staff are 18-year-olds and they wouldn't trust them with the register. That's why there are credit cards lining in everywhere and getting mixed up or disappearing. It's just very poor service like some people already mentioned before.

Yes, you should keep your eye on your card, but be prepared to wait for a looong time....

[Happens Here]

I distinctly recall reading about several high profile incidents of credit card fraud here in SG. One involved a restaurant in the East Coast, and another a waiter at one of the new places at Rochester Park shortly after they first opened.

I have had several instances of thieving from my UK Visa after business trips around Asia. All sorted out by the UK bank, not a penny from me, I am happy to say. I check our local card accounts daily online, however. Local banks make life difficult for you if there are any fraudulent charges and mostly make you pay.

[ADELE]

I've lived here 10 odd years and that is just the way it is here...they always take ages in bars to return the card but I have never had any prob with fraud at all.