Voucher reload by deception

Voucher reload by deception

From Warta Kota

Retailers are frequently becoming targets of a new scam where sham customers engage in hand phone voucher fraud.

Here is the customers' mode of operation. They visit retailers who reload their mobiles with a voucher worth Rp 100,000. Still in the shop they reload their phone and check their new credit on the phone's monitor.

Strangely, however, the phone's panel fails to display the new value. The "buyers" then ask for two more vouchers of the same price and repeat the reload procedure but still they get no response from the service provider.

With three vouchers worth Rp 300,000 already used, these fraudsters continue to complain about reload failure and refuse to pay. When the retailers later check with the mobile phone service provider -- which takes one to two days -- it turns out the value has actually been loaded on the phones.

Retailers should be vigilant and avoid being tricked by such complaints.

GUSTEJA M Jakarta