Fraud Alert to Small Business Owners

The Tucson Police Department’s Financial Crime Unit is reporting a recent trend of fraudulent credit card transactions involving local businesses. The orders are taken over the phone or by email and the suspects provide credit card information to complete the transaction.

Business owners are cautioned to utilize current best practices when processing “card not present” transactions. Businesses should check with their financial institutions or merchant service providers for those recommended procedures.

Indicators of this type of fraud include shipping addresses different from billing addresses, initial card attempts being denied, unusually large order size or an inability to provide information related to the card holder.