The call centre is fast becoming a front line in the credit card fraud battle. Online and instore payment channels have improved security measures in recent years, leaving the call centre as the weakest link for fraudsters to target.
Call centres must comply with strict data security standards that cover the storage of sensitive credit card payment information. Typically, this international standard is PCI compliance with local regulation often applying on top.
But how does the credit card information get into secure storage? For the clear majority of companies, it’s when a customer reads out their credit card to a call centre employee who then enters it into a database or CRM. Major red flag. This outdated process means card details are exposed to hundreds of thousands of low paid call centre workers globally.
Here’s three ways to eliminate credit card fraud in the call centre:
1. IVR credit card payment
At no point should any phone payment processes involve asking a customer to read out their credit card details over the phone. Best practice is to transfer a live call to an IVR (interactive voice response) menu which prompts the customer to enter their card details into the phone keypad. Call centre agents should neither see or hear the inputs.
2. Strict employee background checks
Criminal gangs can infiltrate call centres in one of two ways. Firstly, they can pay off a susceptible member of staff. The second way is for a gang member to legally gain employment in the call centre. While the solution to the first scenario must be reactive monitoring and policy enforcement, the solution to the second is comprehensive background checks during the hiring phase.
According to a 2012 survey by the Society of Human Resource Management, three in ten (31%) employers don’t run criminal background checks. If your hiring call centre staff, it’s a must.
3. No remote staff handling verbal credit card payments
Due to outdated call centre telephony and software, many companies still ask customers for their credit card details over the phone. If you must live with this situation until your systems are updated, ensure that any employees handling payments are office-based. Having remote workers taking credit card details without visual surveillance is a recipe for disaster.
To get a demonstration of Upwire’s Payment IVR solution Contact us.
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