Here are tips to prevent your business from stolen cards fraud

The Ontario Provincial Police is urging businesses to verify with whom they are dealing before conducting remote or online sales.

Officers have responded to numerous calls from businesses, including automotive and recreational vehicle dealerships, that have fallen victim to Card-Not-Present (CNP) frauds. 

The fraudsters contact a business to place an order for a product by phone, email or website, with plans to make the payment using a stolen payment card and counterfeit driver's licences, police said in a news release.

The business, believing it to be a legitimate purchase, requests a driver's licence, then processes the payment on a stolen payment card. The business provides the products through a shipping company or to an individual picking up the product using a rented van or trailer, typically rented with a stolen payment card.

Eventually, the real cardholder identifies and disputes the unauthorized charge. As a result, the business receives a chargeback and is responsible for paying back the amount charged to the stolen card.

Tips to protect your business:

- Watch for orders made using different names, addresses and card numbers but are from a single IP (Internet Protocol) address;

 - Prior to shipping merchandise, take steps to verify the information provided by the customer (telephone number, email address, shipping address etc.);

- Be sensitive to priority shipments for fraud‐prone merchandise, which may indicate a fraudulent transaction;

- Be aware of orders that occur with a request for urgent shipment, especially if the shipping address does not match the billing address on the credit card provided;

- Be aware of orders from repeat customers that differ from regular spending patterns; and

- Contact your processor and ensure security measures are established to prevent victimization and reduce unwanted chargebacks.

Businesses that accept CNP orders can better avoid fraud by using the automated verification tools supported by their acquirer and payment associations.

If your business has become a victim of Card-Not-Present Fraud, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 (toll-free) or report online at on this website. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or report the incident online here.