Internet Fora Warn Credit Card Holders To Be Wary Of Small Charge From New York Firm

January 12, 2009 11:14 a.m. EST

Boston, MA (AHN) - Credit card holders have noticed small charges on their bills which prompted a number of them to post their observations on several Internet fora. The 25 cents charges are traced to a non-existent Adele Service with a Melville, New York address.

One theory being advanced is that a group is trying to check if an illegally secured credit card number will work by using a small charge. Another theory is that small amounts are being charged to thousands of credit card holders, which will amount to millions.

Because of the minute amount involved, former Massachusetts assistant attorney general Edgar Dworsky said most card holders will tend not to notice or brush aside the charge, which makes it a perfect scam if the victim fails to notice something has been charged to the card.

Dworsky advised credit card holders who have been debited for the 25 cents charge by Adele Services to report the incident to their card company and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The economic crisis has lead to a rise in credit card fraud, including the offer of service to card holders who have maxed out on their credit lines, only to end up with higher debts because the fraudulent firms usually advice embattled card holders to stop paying their debts, disclosed Stephen Cox, spokesman of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.