Rumours of credit card fraud at Toll Plazas often surface, only to be false and based on incorrect facts.

Following repeated unfounded and unproven allegations by the Mpumalanga Beeld newspaper (11 July 2008 and 17 July 2008) of fraud and “cloning” of credit cards at the TRAC N4 Toll Plazas, Trans African Concessions categorically states the following:

No cases of fraud or “cloning” of credit cards on the N4 have been reported to Trans African Concessions.
All of the alleged fraudulent transactions, brought to TRAC by Mpumalanga Beeld, were in fact proven incorrect. No fraud or “cloning” took place.

TRAC investigated each one of the claims made and found that in all instances, transactions were above board. TRAC supplied full details of all transactions to each one of the complainants of the dates, times and their passages through the toll plaza/s. The proof included visual material of the individuals and their motor vehicles.

The following methods of payment are accepted at TRAC N4 Toll Plazas

• Credit Cards (accepted for Class 1-vehicles only): Master/Visa (no Diners or Amex cards)
• Fleet Cards: most commonly accepted fleet cards
• Prepaid debit cards: issued by TRAC
• Cash: except where discounted tariffs are applied for

The facts are:

Swiping of cards
Merchant agreements with the major banks on the use of credit cards insist upon a “pass back period” – in TRAC’s case +/- 30 minutes. This means that once a credit card has been swiped and the transaction cost has been deducted, the card CANNOT be accepted at the same card reader for at least 30 minutes.

It follows that if a card is swiped more than once by any toll collector, it is simply due to the fact that the card has NOT been read on the first swipe. Fraudulently “double” or “triple” swiping a card is simply not possible.

• Unfortunately, this also means that the same credit card cannot be used to pay for two or more legitimate vehicles travelling in convoy, such as a family going on holiday with the lead vehicle wanting to pay for itself as well as for the vehicle following. It also applies to motorcycles arriving as a group and one individual wanting to pay for the group

Bulking of transactions
Credit card transactions are “rolled up” every 7 days in effect to save costs for the road user. Every credit card transaction is subject to a Government levy of 20c per bank submission. If a road user makes a number of trips per week and each transaction is submitted individually, the charge to the road user will be higher. With “roll ups” the levy paid is only 20c for the one submission every 7 days.

The “roll up” also explains why a road user’s bank statement will reflect transactions at a Toll Plaza on a different date as when the actual transaction took place, and why there may seem to be duplication of transactions.

Credit card “phishing” or falsifying
Information has been received that some crime syndicates may make use of Toll Plazas to obtain credit card information in order to falsify these credit cards.

TRAC has not experienced any such criminal activity at any of its Toll Plazas.

The company is aware of these allegations and is monitoring the situation closely.

Commitment against crime
TRAC is committed to combat any criminal activities along the N4, from Pretoria to Maputo. The company follows set protocols and auditing services to eliminate any fraudulent activities which could possibly occur at any of its Toll Plazas.
Any criminal and fraudulent activities will be addressed immediately and with the full support of the law. Rest assured that TRAC will be the first to make a full announcement to the public, should it ever become aware of fraudulent activities at any of its Toll Plazas in South Africa and Mozambique.

Should you become aware of any such activities, TRAC urges you to report the matter immediately to its Customer Care Centre on 0800 TRAC N4 (0800 8722 64) and at your nearest branch of the SA Police Service.
TRAC will investigate the matter on your behalf. Kindly provide the following information:

• Date of your trip
• Plaza/s name where you used your card
• Vehicle registration number

• Banking institution
• Credit card number
• Name on credit card
• Contact details