Hi all,
Read this on another forum, not sure if it is an urban myth but it does sound like something a lot of people would fall for.............................
"Not trading related but may be of interest:
This came from a lady working at Campbelltown Council.
WARNING...New Credit Card Scam.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; THEY already have it.
This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &
MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared
to protect yourself.
My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on
Thursday from "MasterCard".
The scam works like this: Person calling says, "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 $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 made 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're 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 to late and/or
more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from
a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" 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."
They are very creative these scam merchants aren't they
Read this on another forum, not sure if it is an urban myth but it does sound like something a lot of people would fall for.............................
"Not trading related but may be of interest:
This came from a lady working at Campbelltown Council.
WARNING...New Credit Card Scam.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; THEY already have it.
This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &
MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared
to protect yourself.
My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on
Thursday from "MasterCard".
The scam works like this: Person calling says, "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 $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 made 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're 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 to late and/or
more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from
a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" 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."
They are very creative these scam merchants aren't they
