World

Are Card-Not-Present Transactions Safe? We asked Platinum Payment Systems

Published

3 years ago

September 1, 2020

Card-Not-Present (CNP) transactions are generally known to be riskier than Card-Present transactions, as they leave both the customer and the merchant open for fraud.

Online shopping is no longer the future, it’s the present.

In fact, 75% of people worldwide shop online at least once a month! This is according to Statistica, who has also reported that eCommerce sales are predicted to go as high as $4.2 trillion by the end of 2020 and over $6.5 trillion by 2023.

It’s no surprise then, that Card-Not-Present (CNP) transactions have become all the more prevalent. But, what exactly are card-not-present transactions? And, are they safe?

What Are Card-Not-Present Transactions?

First thing’s first, you’re probably already familiar with traditional Card-Present transactions.

Card-Present transactions are when a customer swipes a credit card through a terminal or mobile swiper, and the payment is processed by a merchant processor that facilitates the transfer of funds from the customer’s bank account and into the merchant’s business bank account.

In effect, a Card-Not-Present transaction is pretty much the same thing — funds are transferred from a customer’s bank account to the merchant’s bank account by a ‘middleman’.

The only difference is that, because the transaction is happening virtually, there is no way of physically swiping a card through a terminal. Which basically means, that the transaction has to happen with the card not present.

Evidently, this changes a lot of things. Including how the payment is settled.

Because, CNP transactions are initiated and authorized with the customer inputting their card credentials (their account number, card expiration date, card security code, etc.) through a payment gateway available on the merchant’s eCommerce store.

And, unfortunately, because it’s harder to prove card ownership with CNP transactions, it’s definitely riskier than traditional CP transactions. After all, with CP transactions, at the very least, the card’s physical presence allows for a more direct authentication process.

What Are the Risks of CNP Transactions?

As described above, because CNP transactions are virtually facilitated, there are more definite risks involved. And, the most common types of these risks are:

Credit Card Fraud: Credit card fraud is more likely to occur for CNP transactions because it’s much easier to steal relevant credit card information (the account number, expiration date, security code, etc.) than it is to physically steal a card. This type of fraud definitely affects the card owner — who may not even notice that their card is being used to purchase items without their consent. But it can affect merchants as well — as it could lead to chargebacks.
Chargeback Fraud: A chargeback fraud occurs when a customer purchases and then receives goods and services from a merchant and then has their payment returned to them by the bank because of an issue with the transaction. In this case, the merchant is at an obvious loss — as they lose out on both their product and the payment.

Either type of fraud is incredibly damaging for the merchant, and potentially damaging for the customer as well — which is why it is so important that you know how to protect your business, and secure your customers, from these types of risk.

The Bottom Line: How Can You Protect Your Business from The Risk of Card-Not-Present Transactions?

Fraud is an incredibly real danger. And, as mentioned, the risks of fraud are definitely higher for Card-Not-Present transactions. Fortunately, however, it’s not all bad. There are ways of mitigating these risks — whether you’re the buyer or a merchant.

For merchants, as an example, you can hire a merchant processor like Platinum Payment Systems, who offer both fraud and chargeback protection. And thus, can help support you with navigating through the risks involved.

In fact, in a recent interview, one of Platinum Payment Systems’ managing founders, Jed Morley, said: “Our goal with PlatPay, is to help others solve their payment processing problems and support them with whatever else they need to handle the risks and balance the different types of payments they receive.”

And so, again, while CNP transactions are not quite up to the same security standards as CP transactions are at present, there are ways of protecting yourself and your business from the risks. It’s just a matter of finding a solution that will work for you.

World

Violation of US election rules: Abrahim Tahir Javed under serious investigation

Published

3 days ago

December 5, 2023

Jenny Jackson

By Our Reporter

TEXAS: The Texas Ethics Commission has confirmed its investigation of Abrahim Tahir Javed for accepting unauthorised campaign contributions and for failing to file a campaign treasure appointment in violation of the election rules.

The Texas Ethics Commission says it’s investigating Abrahim Tahir Javed under case number SC-32309260 where the candidate was alleged to have failed filing a treasurer appointment in violation of Section 252.001 of the Election Code; and knowingly accepted campaign contributions of authorized campaign expenditures at a time when campaign treasurer appointment was not in effect in violation of Section 253.031.

Abrahim Tahir Javed, born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, is running to become the Commissioner for Fort Bend County, Sugar Land, Texas. He is the son of Muhammad Tahir Javed, the Texas businessman who was recently sacked by Pakistan’s prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar from the position of Overseas Investment Advisor after Javed’s previous fraud convictions in the United States came to the surface.

Investigation by the Texas Ethics Commission is not the only issue Abrahim Javed faces.

Abrahim Javed, a 24 year old recent college graduate, moved to Fort Bend County from his longtime home of Beaumont, Jefferson County in October, according to public records, a few weeks before the filing deadline for running for public office in the upcoming primary elections. Public records show Mr. Javed was issued a new driver’s license on October 1, 2023 with a conflicting Fort Bend address – just a few weeks before one could file for running for office.

The law is clear. Texas Election Code Section 141.001 explains that for someone eligible to run for office in Texas must (1) “have resided continuously in the state for 12 months” and (2) in the territory from which the office is elected for six months immediately preceding the filing deadline for the upcoming primary election. The filing deadline is December 11, 2024. To meet the six-month residency deadline, a candidate must be a resident of that precinct by June 11, 2024.

According to Public Records and Sources, Mr. Javed filed an “Appointment of Treasurer” form on September 25, 2023. On this government document, Mr. Javed listed “14415 Castlemaine Court, Sugar Land, TX 77498.” From a simple search, the address that Mr. Javed listed actually belongs to that of a local political operative Haroon Mougal who has been the subject of numerous Texas Ethics Commission investigations already.

Public records from Mr. Javed’s actual home in Jefferson County indicate that he was still registered to vote there as late as in September 2023. Another glaring discrepancy on governmental forms and documents now relates to Mr. Javed’s voter registration forms. After his recent move to Fort Bend County, his voter registration is now listed at 11826 Matagorda Ln, Sugar Land, Texas. There are multiple discrepancies on legal documents that Mr. Javed has filed with the government claiming various parts of his new residency status in Fort Bend County, but ALL of them well after the June 11th residency deadline. According to sources, Mr. Javed is also telling residents that he has been a long-time resident of Fort Bend County when that is clearly false and evidenced in his voter registration, social media accounts, and more that he has always lived in Beaumont of Jefferson County, Texas until he decided to move to Fort Bend County a few weeks ago to run for office.

The story of felonies and fraud begins much earlier with the father of Abrahim Javed, a formerly convicted felon Muhammad Tahir Javed. According to the court records of Texas, Tahir Javed was sentenced to five years of deferred probation for felony theft. He was then sentenced for five years but only served half of that term. Authorities in Texas had prosecuted him for theft and a minimum sentence for felony starts from a year. After his theft sentence in 1994, Tahir Javed focussed on business and with help from his brother he progressed and went on to set up several companies. Texas Jefferson County’s District Criminal Court data records Muhammad Tahir Javed’s felony theft as Cause: 56447; offence date: 25 September 1990, Beaumont Tx; filing date: 5 November 1990; offence description, theft by receiving; probation amount: 5; and description: P/G Judge; and Deferred Completed: 28th of March 1994.”

Again, in July 2017, Javed was warned of criminal prosecution, seizure or injunction by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The warning was issued over his Royal Smoke LL, an online purveyor of tobacco and tobacco related products. At the same time, Royal Smoke was subjected to government intervention.

“FDA has determined that Royal Smoke products are misbranded…because you sold these products to persons under 18 years of age,” an FDA warning letter to Javed said. Javed Tahir was additionally cautioned against labelling and advertising outside the scope of the law and barring corrective measures could face criminal prosecution. Tahir Javed describes himself as a Pakistani American entrepreneur, investor, business magnate, and philanthropist on his social media profiles.

In 2018, Muhammad Tahir Javed stood in US Primary Elections to represent Texas District 29 in Congress. His campaign manifesto stated that he “understands the problems facing the district and the country, and the experience and desire to get things done”. He had sought to replace Democrat Gene Green, who had served as the Texas District 29 Rep since the district was created in 1993. He lost the election to the veteran Democrat candidate. Muhammad Tahir Javed lost by a double-digit margin to now Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia.

At that time, Muhammad Tahir Javed announced to run for the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Position before his son, Abrahim Javed did. However, he was also slapped with a Texas Ethics Commission investigation – case SC 32306211, causing him to back out. In that time frame, Muhammad Tahir Javed was appointed by the interim caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan to a government post that was then immediately revoked a few days after its inception due to the failure of Muhammad Tahir Javed disclosing his criminal history in the US. There was even an attempt to influence the Jefferson County Clerk’s office to provide an unverified and unsubstantiated letter to the Government of Pakistan falsely claiming that Javed did not have any criminal history. However, that attempt failed and Pakistan premier Kakar sacked him.