07/12/07
LATEST RED ALERT RECEIVED by EMAIL
This one is pretty slick
scam since they provide Y O U 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 & 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 '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 London?' 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 0800 number
listed on the back of your card (0800-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
MasterCard 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 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 .
|