PlEaSe /// ReAd>>> Credit card scam thats pretty slick. Be careful

[greenbriar]

Credit Card Scam

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. By understanding how the VISA & 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: 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 too 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 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 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.

[Redstone]

1. Kicking.

Redstone

[NYCGirl]

2. According to Snopes, that one's been around since 2003:

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp

[spindrifter]

3. Oh, oh.

This is outrageous. My bank is on me immediately if I make an "unusual" charge. Recently, I made some arrangements with a hostel booking group that is located in Europe. Within minutes VISA was calling to see if it was a charge I made. And this was a very small amount, since it was only a booking fee. I have also learned to let the bank know when I am out of the area, expecting to make charges so they don't freeze my card.

[Disturbed]

5. I got two emails like that.

One from PayPal and one from Chase Bank. I did not reply but sent emails to the "real" sites with the info. PayPal replied right away and I changed my email addy and PW on that site. Both companies are looking into the scams.

[Hekate]

14. I didn't know where to forward the "phish" I got recently...

...although since it was sent to a listserve I'm on I promptly posted a warning to my friends, since not everyone is aware of these scams.

Hekate

[melm00se]

26. i haven't worked for

banks for a few years but back when I had the frauds dept under me, we had rudimentary software for flagging questionable purchases. from what I have heard from some of my old contacts the software now has gotten significantly more sophisticated in detecting out of "norm" purchases and kicks a "real time" warning to the fraud folks, who give it the old mark 1 eyeball and make the call quick quick quick. it saves the bank (and you thru lower rates and fees) quite a bit of coin.

[cally]

4. Thanks for the warning

I hope I don't need it.

[jbnow]

6. Glad they got it taken care of

My sister and uncle were talking about having been called about suspicious charges by their credit card companies. They weren't asked for a PIN number. But both of them told the caller that they would call VISA rather than answer them. In both cases it had been an authentic call and about fraudulent charges.

I didn't get why they didn't just answer the person who called but perhaps they'd heard of this and were just suspicious.

In their cases I was impressed that VISA called to verify. One was just to a flower shop in another state. Why was that suspicious. The other was to home improvement centers in their local area. Why was that suspicious? But they were right, they were fraudulent charges.

Thanks for the warning.

[uppityperson]

7. cell phone co called me last wk, wanted info.

I hung up, called correct cell phone #, it was them but it raised warnings for me.

[jazzjunkysue]

8. Paypal was hit too, and I called them. It was online. I almost fell for it

They email you asking for your password. I knew it had to be fake, and sure enough, Paypal said it was.

Don't ever give your passwords out.

The bank called me because my mortgage payment was late. I thought to have them read my own info to me, including my last payment and the bank check numbers. She did, so I knew I really had my bank on the phone.

Always ask for something that a faker can't give you, to verify their story.

[JanusAscending]

17. It happened to me just the other day!!

They are getting very sophisticated with their forgeries. The page was identical to Pay Pals', and I almost fell for it. It was a so called "verification" for a Pay Pal purchase from a "Mr.wireless" for a purchase over $300.00. At the bottom of the page there was a plce to click if this was in error. They also asked for my Pay Pal name and ID, then I remembered Pay Pal NEVER ASKS FOR YOUR ID ON LINE IN AN EMAIL!! I forwarded the letter [e-mail] .... and they confirmed it was a phony , and are investigating it. This is something you all should do, and change your password if you suspect you've been had!! Beware!! DC

[jazzjunkysue]

22. Yup. The fake email and website look totally real.

[spindrifter]

9. Amazon has also had this

scamming going on. They have info. on their website. It looks like ALL major e-businesses are vulnerable. We just have to stop and think about these so-called efforts to "protect" us. It's kind of like a Freeper thing--they are protecting us from some unknown threat or weakness and we get suckered in and ROBBED!

[Kurovski]

10. K&R!

Thank you, greenbriar.

[greenbriar]

11. no thanks needed

we all must keep what little we have

[niallmac]

12. Appreciate the post. Pretty smooth operators.

Caller ID has saved us from many a telemarketer.

[phusion]

13. K&R

thanks for the info...

[PDittie]

15. If you have senior parents who shop from their TV

it is especially important to ask them if they have received a call like this. They are the most likely victims of this kind of fraud.

[wryter2000]

16. K&R

That's a slick one. Thanks for the warning.

[annabanana]

18. thanks for that

(pretty damn slick)

[Blue_Tires]

19. ttt

of course my cards are maxed out so the criminals get nothing!

[Old and In the Way]

20. Thanks for sharing! nt

[mirandapriestly]

21. Scammers pretended to be Paypal did almost the identical thing to me

online and I fell for it. I gave them access to my entire paypal account which included my credit cards, and bank account. Fortunately, we figured it out and reported it before any damage was done. They looked EXACTLY like a paypal email and said they needed me to "renew my information" in order to continue service or something like that. I felt like such a fool. Had to get a new credit card and everything.

[oasis]

23. Thanks. k&r.

[Dr. Jones]

24. THANKS!

:)

[napi21]

25. Take heed to the poster who said contact your CC Co if you are

going to be traveling out of your home town, and especially if you're going to Canada, Mexico, or other International place.

The CC Co's montor unusual charges all the time, and they will freeze your card if they feel it's not you!

I was the Dir. of Accounting for a Co. in Tx, and we had a salesman who traveled to Mexico often to visit our customers. Apparently he didn't use his CC very often, but when he did, it would usually be more than once on the same trip. I'd get an ANGRY call from him, screaming, call that damn CC Co. and find out why the h*ll they froze my Card?????

When I called them, they would say, there were no hotel charges, but several purchases from XXXX, Mx. We believed it could be a stolen card!

They always fixed it right away, but if he would have just had me call them BEFORE he was going, his life would have been much easier.

BTW, we decided it was important not to put a permanent OK for any Mx, charges on his card, in the event it was lost in the future!

[LibertyorDeath]

27. Thanks!

Passed it along.