North Texas Dentistry Volume 9 Issue 6 2019 ISSUE 6 DE | Page 21

We get many calls from “dentists” who want to open a new ac-
count for their non-dental business (car wash, storage facility,
etc.). These thieves provide real social security numbers and
dates of birth for actual dentists. I.e., many dentists have had
their social security numbers compromised.
This is why when we receive an email that isn’t from a practice’s
email account, or the sender seems too eager to open an
account, we call the dentist and ask if she’s authorized the open-
ing of a new account. We’re often surprised some don’t seem
more concerned.
If you get a call from someone who isn’t a patient asking why you
ran her credit card, take it seriously. Ask her to send you a copy
of what’s showing on her statement, because you may have been
compromised.
Reconcile, reconcile, reconcile.
We had an office whose prior processor handled its bank account
change incorrectly. Funds were put into the wrong account for
14 months, and the office ended up losing more than $40,000
when they couldn’t be recovered.
If you ever change bank accounts, make sure you look at your
bank account to ensure deposits are properly funded. Mistakes
can and do happen.
Also, always balance your day sheet totals to ensure the cash,
check, and credit-card volumes agree with the bank statement.
Pay particular attention to refunds/returns to ensure legitimacy.
We recommend you turn on the audit controls in your dental
software; and with refunds, occasionally review changes after
the initial transaction. Most equipment can be enabled to require
a password (only the dentist should know) before a return is
processed. Embezzlement happens, and 90% of prevention is
perceived vigilance.
Issue refunds to the payment source of
the original sale.
If you run a transaction to a health savings or flexible spending
account and insurance pays more than expected, always return
funds to the card, not the patient’s bank account.
If a refund is run to a different cardholder account than the orig-
inal sale (or the refund is for a large amount), we recommend
suspending that transaction for one day and notifying the office
to verify it to prevent a chargeback fee, or for other fraud pre-
vention reasons mentioned above. Most processors don’t do this.
Be wary of unusual payments.
If you accept website payments, be wary of unusual payments
(an odd amount and/or one from a non-patient). Computer bots
run programs to test stolen cards for $.01, and then go shopping
elsewhere if the card is valid.
Tokenize and truncate credit card numbers.
All online systems should tokenize credit card numbers and
truncate the number displayed. If you don’t use an online
system, do not store the full credit-card numbers in computer
software. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) allows you to keep
them on paper and locked away, but digital storage should be
handled carefully.
Run quarterly PCI scans.
PCI standards require quarterly scans for businesses that
process cards via ethernet (versus a telephone line, in which
case scans are not required). These scans exist for your protec-
tion, to ensure outsiders can’t access your network and install
malware/spyware for stealing credit card information. Newer
equipment takes the keyboard away, and encrypts data as it’s
entered (called P2P encryption).
Only use EMV (chip-reading) equipment.
If a card has a chip in it, but the equipment only reads the
magstripe, anyone—patient or bank card issuer—can issue a
chargeback, and the merchant would automatically lose the
chargeback. Most processors charge $15-25 per chargeback.
A fraudster may also have skimmer equipment to make a fake
card. EMV technology has significantly reduced fraud since
its introduction.
By following these common-sense steps, you’ll be your own
best protection against fraud and embezzlement.
Best Card is the endorsed credit card processor of TDA Perks
Program, as well as 25+ dental associations or their affiliates na-
tionwide. If you have questions about PCI compliance or the
credit card processing industry, feel free to reach out to Best
Card at [phone]. Best Card saves the average dental office
$2,768 (24% average savings) per year on processing costs, and
offers excellent customer service.
This article was originally published by TDA Perks Program and
reprinted with permission.
Jennifer Nieto is president of RJ Card
Processing Inc. (d/b/a Best Card).
Formerly, Jennifer was the director of
finance for the Colorado Dental Associa-
tion and an FDIC Bank Examiner/CPA.
Best Card is currently endorsed by more
than 25 medical and dental associations
because they offer great expertise and
pricing in the credit card industry.
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY
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