We just received word about a scam that is impacting business owners all across the country. Scammers are contacting businesses that have credit card processing (they look on your website, call you first to see if you accept cc’s, purchase a list, etc.) They pose an agent from your merchant service provider and state that your terminal is out of compliance and is in need of programming.
If you follow the directions that they provide over the phone, you switch your income to their account or switch to their service. Either way, you end up with a mess - missing money or paying higher fees.
ALWAYS contact the provider for these kinds of services about any kinds of changes at the number on your contact info/contract/machine from that provider. In today’s world, it is better to be safe than sorry! If you receive one of these calls, ask for their number, and then call your merchant service provider directly, on the correct number. A fake caller will not have information such as the your merchant account ID, your “doing business as” name or other details about your account.
Hopefully this alert will spare you from having to undo this sort of fiasco!
Be sure you are talking to the right person!
