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Hampshire police claim fraudsters have netted more than £30,000 on their patch alone from a credit card scam which targets retailers of easily resold goods such as designer sunglasses.

The Association for Independent Optometry has warned its members to be aware of the scam (see Letters 19.06.09) after it discovered members as far afield as Yorkshire and Hampshire had been victims.

The AIO has since used its email group to make its members aware. The scam is unusual in that it targets the retailer who is tricked into making a 'customer not present' transaction. The bank is then entitled to take the money from the retailer's account and the retailer may not find out for four months that they have been scammed.

Card details are given over the telephone, cleared by the card terminal security questions and then the goods are collected from the shop, without sight of the card.

All goods sold by a 'customer not present transaction' should be sent to the card holder's registered address by recorded/registered delivery and not collected. The AIO warned all practitioners that if a sale is too easy it probably is too good to be true.

As well as opticians, florists, jewellers and fast food takeaways have been victims of the scam, which is believed to be one of the first of its kind to directly affect the retailer instead of the card holder.

The AIO asserts that banks have made little action to stop the fraud or warn retailers.

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