"Card-declined" Scam Alert

Be Aware of the "Card-declined" Scam! The Better Business Bureau has received many recent reports from consumers whose credit cards are declined when shopping online. Typically, they try to use another credit card, but that one fails, too.

Scammers are using fake shopping sites to entice customers to use their credit cards. When the card is declined, scammers are actually taking your credit card and using it to make fraudulent purchases. The AAA (American Automobile Association) recently warned consumers that there was a scam offering a free AAA car emergency repair kit if people took a survey. The catch: You had to pay for shipping. So, people entered their credit card information and then received the card-declined message. One victim told AAA that he found several fraudulent charges on his two credit cards.

Always use a credit card rather than a debit card, because credit cards offer stronger fraud protection. If you are shopping online and unfamiliar with the company, research it before making a purchase.