SPALDING COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Authorities in Lamar and Upson counties want to warn businesses about a recent credit card scam.
They said a woman has been making large purchases, using a credit card that gets declined during the transaction.
Sheriff's officials said that in the scam, the woman asks the clerk to run the card after it is initially declined. The woman then calls her bank to have the banker walk the clerk through an "offline sale."
An offline sale bypasses the charge card approval process by giving the merchant an approval code, which allows the credit card machine to print a receipt.
In each case, the woman was able to leave the store with her purchases.
According to information the sheriff's offices received from local banks, the suspect has scammed stores out of about $10,000.
If merchants think they are being scammed, they should contact their local police department or the Spalding County Sheriff's office at (770) 467-4282.
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