WARNING...CREDIT CARD SCAM. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

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 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/She will 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.

(NOTE: The callers will not ask for your card number; they already have it. What they need however, arethe Security Numbers on the back of the card. Don't fall for it.)


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 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 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."

Oi, yet another scam. In the last 3 years I've had my checking account hijacked (we think it was by mail theft), My MSN browser so thoroughly hijacked by porn that no spyware could get rid of it and it's completely useless, and one of my credit card numbers stolen (again the mail).

I've had to file fraud reports, police reports, (from overseas ) and install Mozilla Firefox so that I could use my computer. Some of this cost me money and all of it cost me lots and lots of my time. Thanks for the warning. I hadn't heard about this one.

This is amazing. Thanks for sharing. I'll tell my husband too.

The only time I've ever been ripped off was when my Visa was stolen by someone that works for the post office. I received my bill and there were ove a thousand dollars in purchases I never made. I immediately called the car company. She asked if I had received my new card and I hadn't. Apparently soemone working for the post office knew the type of envelope new credit cards came in and went on a little spending spree with my card. I didn't have to pay a cent. This is the reason for the high percentage rates. Can you imagine how often things like this happen. What a sad world...

Just sad people have so much time on their hands, to sit around and think of ways to take from others.

Bet the postal worker got some pretty hefty charges.

More and more people pay their bills either in person or check by phone, no way to steal info there....

I just got a notice yesterday from my mortgage Co. that a tape with everyone's account #s social securuty numbers addresses- the works got"lost" when it was shipped by the co through DHL. So now we had to put fraud alerts AGAIN- at least the mortgage Co is paying for a credit monitoring co for a year and called in federal law but it will still be up to us to try and fix something should it get used-GRRRRRRR

Pattyann,
I not sure what you are saying you had to do. Could you explain please? This is horrible! Absolutely! What were they trying to obtain? Your personal info like SS #'s, where you had paid by CC maybe, Check routing numbers?

JJ

Oh brother you would think these big companies could enter your info in code in case this happens. What a bummer and danger to all their customers. Did you all know that you can call each of the 3 reporting agencies and pay a one time fee of $15.00 to each one and this puts a freeze on any credit info being reported to anyone but you and wothout your personal code no one can start anything in your name. You have to be notified by law before they can give out any info at all...

My mortgage co was sending their monthly report to one of the credit reporting co and the tape got lost-so we had to put fraud reports on all three credit reporting agencies- who knows if it got lost , crushed in a machine or stolen but now we wait and wonder. The motgage co set us up with Trans- Union's 24 hour monitoring service- so yes, Chatty we have our personal code#'s- but it's so aggravating that all that stuff was on a stupid tape that the co sent by a conmmon carrier- we do everything right and someone else messes up!

Pattyann???? I wonder if we have the same mortgage company? I got the same kind of letter. Same carrier. Same deal with TransUnion. I was offered 90-day free monitoring. Instructions about entering a fraud alert. Interesting that there is no date as to when the tape was lost, what the mortgage company's liability is, etc.

I posted about it on another board and the feeling there was that it was a scare tactic scheme to get the recipient of the letter to $ub$cribe to the credit reporting service.

It was on the news that one bank's tape had been lost but recovered. So perhaps there is a shred of fact behind the letter?

I've had my credit card # stolen from a supposedly secure website; my bank called me and cancelled my account the same day. Nice bank. But even with the bank calling me, I gave them a hard time. Finally the caller told me to please just call the number on the back of my credit card, ok???