Credit card fraud affects millions of Americans every year.
One creator may have nearly been one of those statistics. She suspects a fast-food worker of taking a picture of her credit card.
Earlier this week, @Stylelike16th posted a TikTok about the unsettling experience. As of this writing, her post has 1.1 million views.
Credit card fraud in the U.S.
Having your credit card stolen is at best an inconvenience—and at worst, a life-changing event.
It’s also disturbingly common. Last year alone, some 62 million, or 63% of the credit card holders, were victims of fraud, per Security.org.
Although credit card companies generally reimburse fraud victims, that isn’t always the case. Even if it is, it can sometimes take weeks or months to get your money back after someone steals your credit information.
Fraud can also have negative ramifications for your credit score. For example, if you don’t notice the fraudulent charges, you may not realize that a payment is due. Or you may miss payments on bills that are automatically charged to that card after you deactivate it.
That’s why it’s important to take measures to prevent thieves from accessing your card, such as only using it with reputable online merchants and taking care not to misplace the physical card.
What went down at Wendy’s?
In her post, @Stylelike16th accuses a Wendy’s drive-thru worker of taking a picture of her credit card right in front of her.
“She smiled right in my face with her phone next to my card,” the creator says, adding that she’s “pretty sure” that the worker took a photo of her card.
It’s hard to imagine any legitimate reason someone would take a photo of a stranger’s credit card.
That’s why the “weird” experience led @Stylelike16th to immediately cancel the card. Canceling the card may add some annoying tasks to her week, such as if she has bills automatically charged to the card. But it may have also saved her from becoming a victim of credit card fraud.
One commenter said the same thing happened to her at a Wendy’s. She claims that the worker managed to use the card in the time it took her to drive across the street and cancel it.
“I got my money back too. I filed charges and she went to jail,” she wrote.
Others urged @Stylelike16th to report the worker to management or Wendy’s corporate.
Wendy’s didn’t respond to an email sent Friday morning.
What to do if you’re a victim of credit card fraud
If you suspect that someone has stolen your credit information, you should immediately cancel the card.
If you’re uncertain that your credit card was stolen, you can also temporarily suspend it if the company allows it. That way, no one can charge anything to it while you figure out whether it was temporarily misplaced or stolen.
If your card or information was in fact stolen, you need to immediately notify your bank so the thieves can’t make any additional charges. You’ll also need to thoroughly check your transaction history so you can flag each fraudulent charge and hopefully get reimbursed.
You may also want to file a police report.
@stylelike16th Did she just do what I think she did??! I cancelled the card. #wendys #fastfoodworkers #scam #foryoupage #foryourpage #fyp ♬ original sound – Stylelike16th
@Styleby16th didn’t respond to an inquiry sent via TikTok comment. Her account doesn’t accept messages from people she doesn’t follow.
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