Credit Card Scam

[Emagggie]

Don't know how true this actually is but I thought I'd pass it on.


This is well worth taking the time to read people!!!!!!!

SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!

Credit Card Scam Warning

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 & 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 .

Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other.


   

[Emagggie]

[Riffster]

I feel it is important to take the gist of these such email very much to heart.  What with the Govt messups with the Child Benefit accounts etc.  We live in an age where the scams get cleverer and more believable.

I'm the first person to investigate if it is a "urban myth" etc.  But I'm convinced that any official body / bank  will understand a call back to verify their story on an different official researched number, before any personal details are given/confirmed by myself.

I worry about older/less   tech/internet/scam savvy    people ( i.e. my grandmother ) who would not see any bad side of such a conversation.

[star]

Thanks for that maggie, I hope you got your money back.

Coniving gits....! >:(

[cambourne7]

Just posted on out forum, but the 3 didget code on the back (CSV code) is like a digital signature and you never never never give it out.

I hope you get the money back.

[Pumper]

Emaggie did NOT get this phone message, did not lose money... what she got was an email.
This is at best an urban myth, at worst a hoax.
http://tinyurl.com/2ksr62

It's important that information about these sorts of things is verified before posting. Passing on these emails is playing right into the hands of the hoaxers because it causes concern and fear among people as described above.

In many companies, it's an instant sackable offense to pass on scams/hoaxes.

[RosieMcPosie]

sorry Pumper, but i happen to disagree with you on one of your points.
firstly thugh, i want to thank you for exposing it as a myth. i however, would rather read this email and never experience said phone call, than never read the message and risk it happening to me.

the truth is, there are ppl out there who are very clever and will trick you in this way- my mum's identity got stolen in a very similar way and it was scary!

[RosieMcPosie]

p.s. so what i'm getting at is that i'm thankful to Emaggie to passing the message on.

[Emagggie]

Pumper, you are correct to say it was an email I have received. BUT last week details of one of one of our credit cards were used by persons unknown. Luckily, they got the expiry date wrong one one of the transactions and we were alerted. We will be reimbursed in full, and new card are being issued.
I'm a bit taken aback by your reply. I meant no malice, I took it in good faith as it came from a reliable source.
As for a sacking offence...for goodness sake ::)
If you care to point me in the right direction I will check any others I get  before posting.

[Palustris]

Before posting any of these warnings, which are in themsleves a form of Virus, these are the sites to check out first.
http://www.snopes.com/
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/
There are others but these are a good place to begin checking.

[SamLouise]

Before posting any of these warnings, which are in themsleves a form of Virus

Really?  Please explain. 

There are far too many dirty robdogs in this world and I for one am glad of any kind of heads up with regards to fraud.   I saw some shocking ways on the tv last night about how these scum get hold of our card/pin numbers, bank account details etc and I bet if I'd put them here first, I'd have got boo hissed at.

Just a couple of weeks ago the fraud squad did get in touch with my husband to tell him that someone was trying to spend our money in Sri Lanka!  They asked for all sorts of account details, dates and numbers but we had the sense to tell them we'd ring back to confirm they were who they said they were.  It was indeed a genuine call.  The following week the exact same thing happened to my boss, his money was being in Sri Lanka (and he owns his own security company hahahaha the irony) we found it to be a local garage!  My point is, the clever fraudsters have cottoned on to this and are working this system to their own advantage.  Not everybody is savvy enough to say, 'ok, let me call you back to verify/confirm who you are'

Leave people to make up their own minds on what they think is genuine or not and be glad they've had the decency to pass it on and be helpful. 

Not everybody knows about sites like Snopes and Hoax and for those who do, they can take 1 minute of their time & easily check it out for themselves can't they?

[manicscousers]

don't care whether it's genuine or not, it's made me sit up and think about our own security on the internet  :) so, thanks Maggie

[asbean]

I haven't had much luck with cards this year. In June my cards were in my wallet stolen in Barcelona.  Then a month later the credit card replacement "apparently" had a fraudulent attempt on it (I disbelieved the phone call, which in the end was genuine, and insisted on dealing with the bank face to face).  So I got another card.  Then they decided to switch to Mastercard instead of visa, so now I have another card.  No point trying to memorise numbers.

[Hyacinth]

So here's my v.  recent experience - last week, actually.... ;D

I was in the US and, cos of the exchange rate, & loaded with $$$s,  didn't use my Mastercard (MSDW) til Black Friday. the day after Thanksgiving similar to our New Years sales...stores open at 4.00am and peeps camp out from the day before to get the bargains? In previous years I'd not bothered to inform my Mastercard provider (and I've switched a coupla times since then) that I was travelling, so didn't think to do so this time...

My Mastercard was refused by the shop cos it was flagged 'without authorisation by provider'...fortunately for this determined bargain hunter my d-in-law used her Mastercard & this happy bargain hunter  got her puchase 8)

Few days later & I was back in the UK.....hit a couple of shops to stock up my fridge etc....an hour home & my phone rang.....MSDW telling me that it was a security check.asked to confirm my name, d.o.b.,security word, then she says..my card had been presented at XXXXXX on XXXX for XXX amount  in the US and had been refused? Same card presented today at XXXX for XXXX at XXXXo'clock, followed by XXXX store (OK it was the Co-op, right?) for XXX amount at X time......

Point of this....things seem to have changed, with scams rife now? At NO time was I asked for a/c details; merely the security checks only,  that only my provider and I would have known (you think I boast about my date of birth & make it general knowledge??)

Stress, tho, that this was Mastercard not Visa - something which, actually I don't use.

[Jeannine]

Thank you for the posting, genuine or otherwise it is always good to hear about even the possible ways that a rip off could happen,and I for one am grateful.

If the nasties haven't used this one I am sure they will and I will have this at the back of my mind now.

Bless your heart E Maggie for taking the time to pass this on,lesser mortals wouldn't have bothered.

Sincerely JeannineXX

[Palustris]

So why cannot people who pass on these spurious Scam warnings take the time to check them out first? Why should I have to do it for them? If you take the trouble to read the Email Hoaxes site Front page, it gives very good advice on how to spot hoax material.

[Emagggie]

Palustris, I didn't know this site even existed! I very rarely have any dealings with this sort of thing. Thank you for earlier links.
Feeling rather embarrassed and unworldly here  :-[ , but if it makes people more wary, then I'm glad I posted it really.

[Tatiana]

I use the hoax-slayer site quite often - the link was sent to me a while back in similar circumstances, I had forwarded a scam and a friend put me straight  :)

Another scam/hoax that's going around at the moment: I had several emails recently about AOL giving money every time the email is forwarded to help a family whose child is gravely ill (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/rachel-arlington-charity-hoax.html - I've received many variants of the same story over the years). My friend passed the email on in good faith and with a good heart. Even when made aware of the hoax, they couldn't imagine why anyone would want to do such a thing - neither can I really  :(

[SamLouise]

Palustris, I didn't know this site even existed! I very rarely have any dealings with this sort of thing. Thank you for earlier links.
Feeling rather embarrassed and unworldly here  :-[ , but if it makes people more wary, then I'm glad I posted it really.

Be glad you posted it, Emaggie.  Some people are grateful, some people are not, that's just how it goes.  I am grateful.  I do check out some scams via snopes and hoax but it's no skin off my nose, only takes a minute or two and at the end of the day if someone should receive such a call - and it turns out to be a hoax or genuine - then you've made them stop and think first which could avoid them a lot of misery  :)  The girl done good!!

[Tatiana]

agree with SavageBlue and Manics on that one - especially with internet scam and identity fraud. anything that makes people think about security can only be a good thing  :)

[SMP1704]

I have REALLY experienced a variation on that theme.

One slow day in the office the phone rang but switched very quickly to voicemail, the message said the caller was from VISA and gave a 0800 number to discuss a range of special services available to customers.  As I say, it was a slow day, so I phoned the number.

I spoke to an American guy (first clue all was not as it should be)  He was very friendly and quickly established rapport in a sales oriented style, he asked me if I was the decision maker (I decided to play along)  He was offering a two base holiday in Florida and used some pretty basic NLP techniques, "just imagine you and your husband sitting on the beach watching the kids playing " etc.  So once he had softened me up (he thought) with the imagery he went for the hard sell "all this for just £299" (I'm still playing along)  I responded by saying I would talk this over with my husband and call back - he responded cleverly by saying that I had said I was the decision maker and shouldn't need to defer to my husband.......anyway this went on a bit (I was enjoying myself - beat writing the report) until he asked for the 3 digit number on the back of my card - he didn't ask for any other details - I made up a number and told him - listened to the tap tap of the keyboard and then he responded that that was correct :o  That confirmed it was a scam and I put the phone down.

I shared this in conversation with friends, one said that another friend had signed up for the two week holiday and it had been hell on wheels - a hard sell timeshare.  Nothing to do with VISA or ID theft but a scam to get people to buy Floriday timeshares.  Seems to have particularly targeted married women.