I recieved the following by E-Mail from a relative in Aus, don't know if you've heard it before..........
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.
