| LATEST CREDIT CARD SCAM |
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I got this message from Down Under today and immediately thought about our credit card issue the other day. This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have
it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA and MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better
prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from 'VISA', and I was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'. The scam works like this:
Caller: "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at
VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona?"
When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be
issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and
the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the e $500 purchase
pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will
be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?' You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives
you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works:
The caller then
says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers,
the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are
the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you
have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After
you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed
to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do',
and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the
Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within
20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA
Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want
is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them.. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they
will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the
information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit
PIN Number, you think you are receiving a credit. However, by
the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make,
and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually y
file a fraud report. What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call
from a
'Jason Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a
police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking
several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know
that
>> this scam is happening.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing
each other, we protect each other.
I just did :-)
Deann
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| Posted: 6/17/2008 at 00:01 | Read 215 times | 14 comments | Leave Comment |
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