I just spoke to a woman that recently returned from Zim. They paid for a meal with a credit card in the airport. When they got home several thousand dollars had been charged on their credit card.

Just an FYI. I would be careful.

Before I go to Africa, as well as some other places, I let the CC company know where I asm going and what expenditures I expect to make (e.g. food, lodging, curios, etc.) and ask them to put a fraud alert for unusual expenses. Believe it or not I was called while in Africa and ask about expenses in Scotland! Nope, I was not there! Larry provdes a good caution.

There is always that risk when you pull that plastic out. My wife and I have been cloned four times I think in the 13 years we've lived overseas; all of them in Venezuela. Thankfully the accounts can be closed and the card companies never charge for bogus charges, but it is a hassle. What bothered me is that the companies don't really care (or can't) to pursue the people doing this, they just factor the cost into their interest rates and other costs of doing business and we all pay for it in the end.

I "turn on and off" international charging capabilities as needed. Not a big deal to get done, just call the Credit Union and it's done.

Just returned and used the card in RSA and when I returned I got a call from card security checking charges and found one fraudlent charge, they declined the charge, issued new card the next day. The only problem is contacting the companies that make monthly charges to the account.

I make a deal with anyone I am hunting with, regardless of what country it is.

They pay for EVERYTHING! And I mean EVERYTHING. Hotel, if required, food and even gifts! And I make one payment to them.

No probems have ever been encountered.

I have done this in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Tanzania.

Of course, this means both client and PH have to have absolute trust in each other.

This has to be born in mind, as we have a number of threads where crooks, from both sides of the fence, have been doing their bad deeds!

Travelling to other countries, I have an arrangement with my credt card company that I get an SMS message with details of all transactions. This normally comes within minutes of the transaction. They also give you a toll free number to call if the transaction is fraudulant, and they cancell it on the spot.

Sooooooooo ----- does this mean that when you are hunting with Walter-----------he pays?

Not trying to be smart here but what happened to carrying enough cash to buy small things like meals etc.?

I had fraudulent charges reported on my credit card from Paris, France, on our last trip to Africa. We had stayed at the airport Sheraton and had only used it there. Go figure. Crooks are everywhere. I would never use a credit card in Africa, period. I like Saeed's advice.

That is hard to accomplish when you have to transit an airport in a country other than your final destination. For example, how do you get your safari company in Tanzania to pay for your breakfast in Amsterdam?

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
That is hard to accomplish when you have to transit an airport in a country other than your final destination. For example, how do you get your safari company in Tanzania to pay for your breakfast in Amsterdam?

Come on Larry, one would assume anyone travelling is going to carry a few dollars in cash just for this eventuality.

Another way is to pay a few dollars for one of the airport lounges. Food is normally offered in there without charge.

I used mine all over the place in Africa. No problems until I got to the airport and had lunch. POW I had stuff stacked up at my door by the time I got home. Still can't figure out what good it did for them to buy stuff and have it shipped to me. What did the idiots gain? I had a Verizon phone with service, skin cream, pills for days, etc. Called VISA security and told them. They said to keep the stuff or trash it and they would take everything off my bill. And they did. I trashed all the crap.

Trophyman

We ate at the sandwich place across the hall from the Delta checkin area on 8-27 and tried to pay with our card. Their machine would not work. I think that is when they got our number. I don't know how they got our address. Had three fraudulent charges show up on our card before we got i canceled, all for merchandise sent to us by US companies. Nothing over $30.00. Luckily we got everything straightened out without any problems.

They really tried to get to us when we tried to pay with US dollars. They tried to say the exchange rate was 5 Rand to a Dollar. I argued with them and a Gentleman at a nearby table paid our bill and took our dollars at the going rate.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I just spoke to a woman that recently returned from Zim. They paid for a meal with a credit card in the airport. When they got home several thousand dollars had been charged on their credit card.

Just an FYI. I would be careful.

Zim dollars?

The first time I got my card cloned they used it in Hong Kong. I think it was 2001.

There was a raft of fraudulent transactions totalling about 5,000 sterling but the last one was a dinner at the "Foo Kin" restaurant. The guys at work had a great time saying how the theives had had a Foo Kin good time with my card!! All money was refunded and no harm done but I need to find that place if I ever go to Hong Kong!!

FB