Protect Your Identity at the Restaurant

If you have ever dined out you certainly know to protect your identity at the restaurant. Right?  Well, I hope that’s right. When you are done eating that delicious steak or scrumptious garden salad: with no tomatoes and dressing on the side, split for two, of course, you have to pay.

Cash or Credit
If you take out cash you may be deliberating if some sort of miles or points would rack up on your credit card for your fifty dollar meal.  You know you deserve it!  You proceed to give the waiter your credit card not knowing it can lead to identity theft.  The waiter writes down your name, credit card number, expiration date, and the security code that’s usually located on the back.  Then, they can buy themselves the world and your no hassle miles just became a huge hassle.

Well, that’s not entirely true.  You did have tomatoes in your salad.
Identity thieves need only a fraction of a second to write down important information needed to commit fraud.  Next time you send your waiter with a credit card I don’t want you to get a panic attack.  I just want to inform you that if any derogatory charges were made within proximity to your dining experience I want you to remember that blue eyed person that may have scammed you.

My take on it
I used to worked in the restaurant industry and I know that most of the people working at restaurants are there because of the money. For criminals opportunities for gain are enormous with the level of naivety most of us posses.  Yes, you have off days, too. It is those little moments where your credit card’s future is most vulnerable; those moments when you leave it alone with someone else.  If at all possible, at restaurants or not, try to keep an eye on your card.  What I do sometimes is go to the service station with my check and credit card in hand. I praise the waiter for the good service, while making small talk, he swipes the card through the credit card processing machine and off I go with the customer copy, the check, and my sweet plastic rewards card. Bon appétit.