County clerk almost gets expensive Spanish ham

Whitman County Clerk, Shirley Bafus, thought she was the object of a joke at first.

A Connecticut company, Hamlovers.com, called Bafus last week to inquire about her order for a $1,200 Spanish ham. The order was charged to her credit card.

She didn’t have a clue what the company was talking about.

The hams the company features are called the “finest hams in the world.” They are specially seasoned and are cured for more than 36 months. The hams are so sought after that distributors must reserve and pay for orders two to three years in advance.

The 14- to 15-pound hams come with DVDs, ham knives and ham hangers starting at $1,200. Prices go up depending on the size.

Hamlovers contacted Bafus because the shipping address and the billing address didn’t match and it was a large order for an individual.

She said she only had that card for a couple of months and has no idea how the ham company got the card’s information.

“It hasn’t been out of my sight,” she said.

She reported the incident to the Colfax police and to Spokane Crime Check.

“They told me that women especially must be careful when carrying a shoulder bag with credit cards facing outward because cards can be scanned right through your purse,” she said.

Spokane County Deputy Lilgenberg said that a remote reader can scan credit card magnetic strips through handbags and wallets.

Any credit card with an antenna insignia on the back is susceptible to unlawful scanning. The antenna indicates the card has an RFID chip on the back that allows the card number to be read by scanning.

However, people can protect credit cards in a couple of ways.

Lilenberg said that a protective, foil-lined sleeve can be purchased to prevent scanners from illegally reading credit cards. He also said aluminum wallets also can be purchased for protection.

Bafus quickly canceled the card. When she spoke to the credit card company, the representative began laughing.

“She was from the south and she said, ‘My God, they should have sent you the whole pig.’ ”

Hamlovers reversed the charge.

Bafus is taking the experience with good humor and as a good lesson.

“I got my money back,” Bafus said. “I thought it was a hoax at first. We all think it couldn’t happen to me.”