Visa / MasterCard FRAUD
Verified with Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp
This is a heads up for everyone regarding the latest in Visa fraud.
Royal Bank
received this communication about the newest scam. This is happening in the
Midwest right
now and moving.
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 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 last
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 last 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. We were 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.
We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us
a new number.
What the Scammer wants 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
Scammer 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. I dealt with a similar situation this
morning, with
the caller telling me that $3,097 had been charged to my account for plane
tickets to Spain,
and so on through the above routine..
It appears that this Is a very active scam, and evidently quite
successful..
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