My colleague went shopping in a major and reputable appliance store in Makati (Clue: Starts with an A). When it was time to pay, she handed her credit card to the sales lady, who mysteriously disappeared for more than 15 minutes.
When the sales lady came back, my friend asked if there was anything wrong with the credit card. She said no, and quickly processed the payment.
The next day, my colleague got a call from her credit card issuer, and reported a number of unusual activities in her credit card. Thankfully, the transactions were reversed.
Lesson learned: Don’t let your credit card out of your sight.
Of course this is easier said than done when paying in restaurants, that’s why I usually use Smart Money to pay in restaurants because I am informed in real time when the card is head, and it needs to be unlocked with a code before it can be used for online purchases.
Hopefully we could also start implementing in the Philippines the practice of the waiters bringing the credit card swiper to your table so that your credit card is never out of your sight when paying.