What Not To Do In Punta Cana While Using Your Credit Card

The cloning of credit cards in the Dominican Republic and around the world is a fairly common practice, we must be aware of the risk that all users of this mean of payment run because the tentacles of crime are also touching the commerce industry local electronic.

In this topic I will present some arguments where the local reality of this scourge is evident, we must educate ourselves on how criminals execute this practice so that we can be alert and very careful when using the credit card to pay in points of sale, restaurants, fuel stations, etc.

How can my credit card be cloned in Punca Cana?

Credit Card Cloning cards in the Dominican Republic can be cloned or copied using a small magnetic stripe reader called a skimmer or “mouse” that can be stored in your pocket or attached to a charging device, such for example, a “Verifone.”

The magnetic strip information is stored on this device and the pin can be viewed or recorded by the offender at the time we make a payment. With this captured information, the offender can go to a website to make purchases or can make a fake credit card that will be used to make purchases in your name.

Unfortunately, this practice invites us to distrust, anyone who manipulates our credit card, however friendly or helpful it may seem.

Where can my credit card be cloned in Punca Cana?

Anywhere, The most common cloning sites are restaurants and fuel pumps, however, this scourge is also happening in beauty salons, ATMs and supermarkets. For obvious reasons, tourist areas are also being widely affected by this scourge.

How can I prevent my credit card from being cloned in Punca Cana?

• The first and most important recommendation is never to lose sight of your credit card.

• Always watch the person to whom you gave the plastic to pay. If you are in a restaurant or a fuel station, ask the waiter or the clerk to bring the “Verifone” to your table or your vehicle.

• Leave laziness! and scroll directly to the cashier of the establishment to make the payment. It is for your safety.

• At an ATM, Carefully check the screen, keyboard and card and receipt slots, and try to identify abnormalities. Verify that there are no fake or overlapping keyboards, fake slots or glue marks. Also, check that there are no cameras on the keyboard or located in abnormal areas of the cashier.

• Always protect your hands when typing the security key. If a stranger offers your help, avoid it. If you have problems, get a bank employee (if the cashier is in a bank office) or a security person to assist you.

• If there is no security near and you distrust the cashier, you better avoid making the withdrawal and look for another cashier.

• Periodically check your bank statement to identify purchases or payments at unknown sites.

What do I do if my credit card is cloned in Punca Cana?

If your credit card is cloned and the criminals make consumption, your bank may realize this and call you to notify you of the situation as the bank has detailed control of your purchases and your consumption patterns, and If any purchase goes out of this pattern, they will realize on time.

If the bank does not notify you and you realize the fraud through your statement, you must immediately contact the bank and inform them that you have unidentified consumption, so that the bank immediately proceed to block your card number and request refunds of consumption to your account.

Unfortunately, the business that accepts a cloned card must reimburse and lose the money received for such transactions. If you managed to identify the place where the card was cloned or the person who did it in the Dominican Republic, you can make a complaint to the Department of High Technology Crimes and Crime Investigations (DICAT), who have demonstrated very high effectiveness in the investigation and prosecution of this type of crimes.

Some tips about payments online

• Always buy on known pages, ask friends or acquaintances about the reputation of the store before buying.

• Read the comments or reviews of other comparators to learn about their experience. If your credit card has a PIN, never enter the PIN when shopping online. This is only for transactions at ATH ATMs and for purchases at points of sale where there are “verifone” devices.

• Keep track of all your purchases online. Save all emails sent to you from the virtual store, in case you have to make a claim.

• Before buying, read the Return Policy in detail. In case you need to request a refund, check the policy if the money is returned to you in cash or if they make you a credit note for a future purchase.

• The website must contain all the information of the store in its Terms and Conditions. Find out about taxes to be paid and possible shipping costs, also, the type of currency in which you are being charged to the credit card. Search the contact details of the website.

• Verify that they have a telephone number and email for customer service. If you still have doubts, I recommend you call and verify the existence of the site before completing the payment.

• Make sure your credit card details will be transmitted to the bank securely. This can be verified by searching your web browser, the address of the page, the security card (SSL) and the letters https. You can click on the lock and you will see a window that will allow you to verify the authenticity and validity of the SSL security certificate.

• Use the latest version of your web browser and check that your operating system is up-to-date, just like your antivirus. On shared or public computers, use a “private” navigation window and close all windows after you make your purchase.

• Try not to make online payments in Internet centers, where there are public computers.