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No credit card fraud reported at Aussie airports: authorities

Xinhua, August 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australian airports have received no reports of credit card fraudsters targeting tourists, Australian authorities told Xinhua.

A 44-year-old Chinese tourist was reportedly arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on July 28 for allegedly "patting" a duty free store clerk on the head for hiding her card.

The tourist had left her card on the countertop when she went to find more goods to meet a sales threshold to qualify for a discount, only to realize it was then missing.

A Chinese online media claimed Chinese tourists were becoming increasingly nervous about travel into the United States and Australia due to credit card fraud at airports.

Employees targeting tourists may use the extended flight time to commit fraudulent shopping from stolen cards, but reports of this kind have never been received, UnionPay International's South Pacific chief Yang Jianmin told Xinhua.

"This crimes are generally present in small restaurants, small bistro or small business," Yang said.

"Employees from high-end business such as large duty-free shops are very stable, this case happens less."

Representatives from Sydney Airport, operator of Australia's airport tax-free stores, Germany-based Gebr. Heinemann and Australian police too denied reports of credit card fraud at Australian airports.

"Credit card fraud at airports, it's really not an issue," New South Wales (NSW) police Fraud and Cybercrime Squad commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Matt Craft, told Xinhua.

"The offenders that we've arrested that have committed credit card fraud haven't gone anywhere near the airports because they know as soon as they step into the terminals, there's always (surveillance video) and (police) in the area. There's a greater chance of detection."

The incidence of credit card fraud in Australia however has risen from 3.7 percent of the population in 2010-11 to 5.9 percent in 2014-15, for an estimated total financial loss of 2.1 billion Australian dollars (1.61 billion U.S. dollars), Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show.

But an analysis of fraud trends in conjunction with Australia's banking institutions show tourists themselves aren't targeted, Craft said.

"Those people that are involved in credit card fraud don't discern between their victims, they're just after their cards and PINs (personal identification number)," Craft said.

"If that (victim) is a tourist or a resident of Australia, it really doesn't matter to them, because it's about getting the details (the offender) needs in order to commit fraud."

Banking and law enforcement consistently advise the public to treat credit cards like cash money, never leave it out of your sight and ensure PIN numbers are protected at all times.

The rapid change in technology is also making credit card transactions more secure through the advent of contactless payment systems and smartphone "wallet" apps such as ApplePay, QuickPass, SamsungPay and HCE.

"Such payments are safest because the customer hold their bank cards, or directly pay by phone during the payment process, so frauds cannot happen," Yang said.

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