The better Business Bureau offers advice to help protect businesses from scammers using IP Relay or TTY services to order products with stolen credit cards.

Some factors common to these types of fraud include:

¢ A buyer orders multiple quantities of high-end products.

¢ Shipping destinations are out-of-state or out-of-country.

¢ Overnight or expedited shipping is requested to what appears to be a residential address, but also might be misrepresented as a business address.

¢ The initial credit card number is declined by the bank and the customer offers an alternative number.

¢ The caller does not question the purchase price and makes no effort to negotiate a deal.

Businesses should always exercise due diligence to ensure that an order is legitimate or that a buyer actually possesses the credit card he or she is using. The bureau suggests businesses take the following steps:

¢ If the customer is using a TTY Relay operator, ask the customer for his/her full name, address and telephone number.

¢ Ask the customer to provide the name of the issuing bank and its toll-free customer service number as printed on the back of all credit cards.

¢ Ask the customer for the three- or four-digit Card Verification Code that is found near the account number on the back or front of a credit card.

¢ Tell the buyer that you will check with the bank and call them back. When you do that, keep good notes. Verify all information the buyer gives. If a buyer objects, explain that these procedures are for their protection, as well.

¢ If the caller still objects to providing any of the above information, abandon the conversation and advise that you are not prepared to do business this way.

¢ If the buyer insists on paying with a certified check, wait until the funds are in your bank account before shipping merchandise.