Warning - Credit card scam by phone

unluckychappie

In brief. A caller asks if you have purchased a particular item, claiming they are from the fraud department of either Visa or Mastercard. If you say no, which you will, they will ask for the three digit security number on your card. They will not ask for the card number, or any other details, as they have these already.

What makes it plausible is that they provide the correct telephone number for the fraud departments and urge you to call if you are in any doubt.

Suffice to say this almost convincing spiel may catch people unaware so please be very careful.

If you have caller number display facility please make a note of it and pass ont the police. Unfortunately even legitimate call centres have number with held but the scammers might get sloppy and forget.

P.S.
I have been contacted by the Visa Fraud department and they do not ask for any card information but did ask for my date of birth. Even that I refused and called the number found on their secure web site, which happened to be the one they had provided. In that instance the call was genuine, triggered by three purchases in quick succession.

I searched on a number of key words, I apologise if this is a duplicate.

Browntoa

old scam/ exaggerated risk

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/card-security-code-scam.html


In fact, an article about the email on washingtonpost.com notes that Visa and MasterCard officials "know of no specific person who's been scammed according to the story outlined in the e-mail".

unluckychappie

Looks like the scammers have been taking lessons. Just happened to a friend of mine this morning.

Sorry about the duplication. I have very little time to trawl through the site. I shall not post in future.

fluffnutter

I'm suspicious of everyone who phones me. Even my mum has to answer security questions.

Freddie_Snowbits

<y phone answering service, Freda, takes on her usual tone, and ends with 'If you wanna speak to Fred, press 9!'

C_Mababejive

yawn............................