A Port Moody business that specializes in vintage collectibles from a bygone era faced a rude awakening to the digital age when a fraud artist stole merchandise by manipulating the credit card reader.
Now, Heather Wallace and her husband, Johnny, are raising the alarm so other small businesses don't suffer the same fate.
"There are things they can do to protect themselves," said Wallace, whose Pinball Alley Vintage has made a niche for itself on St. Johns Street with its extensive collection of vintage clothes, kitchenware, vinyl records and toys.
In three years of business, Wallace has never faced the kind of theft that occurred when a woman purchased clothes and other collectible items with a stolen credit card by bypassing the pin using a manual override.
"She said she was working in film and was dressing other actors; we believed she had a pin."
The ruse was identified several weeks later when Wallace was about to pay rent but found the company bank account was short $1,400.
After failing to get answers from the credit card and card processing companies, Wallace's own research led to the discovery that the theft occurred in August during a large transaction. Instead of putting in a pin, the customer punched in the card's numbers and used a default password (the original installed with the card reader) to bypass the pin requirement.
Wallace was flabbergasted at how easily the theft occurred.
"Losing almost $1,400 almost crippled us," said Wallace. "The lesson is, don't turn away [when the pin is input] because you're not in control."
And she recommends that business owners make sure they update their card reader passwords, read the manual and ask questions if they don't understand something, saying, "You have to do your own homework."
Concerned she wouldn't be able pay the rent, the mother of two small boys started a GoFundMe page recently and quickly surpassed her $1,000 goal.
An emotional Wallace is both amazed at and grateful for the community support.
"Fresh tears would come every time I saw a donation coming in."
The couple plans a fundraiser for one of their special causes once they get back on their feet and though they will continue to accept credit cards, they hope in future more customers will pay with good, old-fashioned cash.
