It is almost a rite of passage for a college student to get their very first credit card. This is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Now a student can purchase bigger ticket items, learn money management and build credit. But the dark side of credit cards is the theft that goes on every day at stores and malls young adults are constantly shopping in.
The King of Prussia mall is the second largest mall in the United States and handles credit card theft everyday. With approximately 400 stores, shoppers are subjected to the potential threat of credit card theft.
American Eagle Outfitters in the King of Prussia mall is an easy target for this issue. Manager Ashley Cook must be on high alert for suspicious shoppers.
“We constantly deal with customers stealing credit cards and trying to use them to buy hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise,” Cook said. “But then when you ask for their ID, they become belligerent and run out the door. That’s when it’s time to call mall security.”
Credit card theft is a crime that many times can go undetected until it’s too late. But some Cabrini students use credit cards interchangeably with money in order to reduce the chance of theft.
“I use cash more often and I only use my debit card if I absolutely need to,” sophomore business administration major, Ryan Ianovale said.
But being able to swipe a piece of plastic instead of having to make change is more convenient. “I use my debit card when I go out to eat, it makes it a lot quicker and easier than cash,” freshman psychology major Annie Gorski said.
hop didn’t check my balance until a month later and I saw these suspicious purchases ranging from 30-150 dollars,” Sophia Root said.
Some credit card thieves have technology that can scan a credit card for it’s number while it is in someone’s wallet. An article by click2houston.com, investigated the new credit card scanner and after testing it in a mall they captured credit card numbers from 39 people in less than 15 minutes.
“These thieves can walk by you at a shopping mall and steal your credit card information right out of your purse or wallet from up to 25 feet away, and you won’t even know it,” said Chris Gilpin, with the National Crime Stop Program, stated in the article.
“The best thing to do is to always be alert. Know where your purse is and wallet is at all times. Don’t leave it out in the open and check your account information daily,” Cook said.
