DEBIT/CREDIT CARD SCAM - Did not know where to post

marjoreemarjora

If this is posted in the wrong place, please repost in the correct section.
I got an email from a friend about this scam
Thought I should post this on mse as it may stop someone being caught out!!!

This scam is pretty slick since the caller provides YOU with all the information, except the one piece that is needed for FRAUDULENT TELEPHONE or INTERNET transactions (which are very much on the increase, according to the national press).

Note: Callers never ask for your card number as it has already been obtained, illegally! This can relax one?s guard!!

By understanding how the scam works you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

It works like this:

"This is (name). I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA (or Mastercard or Bank/Building Society). My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verifythat you actually made this purchase using your (VISA/Mastercard et al) card which was issued by (name of bank or building society that issued your card).Did you purchase a lap-top computer for ?497.99 from Dixons, based in Guildford on 15th November?" When you say "No", the caller will continue: "Then we will issue a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching. Before your next statement, confirmation of thecredit will be sent to (says your correct homeaddress), do you still live at this address?"You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will now formally start a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the number listed on the back of your card and ask for Security.You will need to refer to this Control Number.? The caller then quotes a 6 digit number."

So far everything that has been said by the caller is designed to get you to lower your natural guard?.. Now you would not expect to be invited to ring this absolutely genuine number by a fraudster, would you? This is just one piece of a sequence that makes this scam very plausible indeed. It would seem that very few people bother to call the genuine number having presumably been ?convinced?. Inviting the card holder to do so is a calculated risk which more often than not pays off?..

Here's the IMPORTANT bit:

The caller says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your cardplease would you check for some numbers on the back of it."There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that are normally used for telephone and Internet transactions, to verify the rightful owner.The caller will now say ?Please tell me the LAST THREE NUMBERS.? These are theSECURITY numbers!DECLINE TO DO THIS? just inform the caller that you will call your card provider directly to discuss this??? (Tel No is on the back of your card).

As you can see, you actually say very little. The caller IS VERY CONVINCING because you are never asked for your actual Card numberor personal details,e.g. the long number on the front of the card, address, dob etc.

If this happens to you then do tell your card provider so that a record of such scams can be kept and the police informed.

Remember that the scammer already has a copy of your card number (obtained by whatever means).

Using a Credit or Debit CARD for Internet or Telephone transactions the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the cardis essential these days, so don't ever give it to a cold caller ? this is VERY important since your CARD PROVIDER will almost certainly refuse to compensate for any resulting fraudulent transaction; negligence on your partwill likely be quoted as the reason.Always remember that a genuine card provider, bank or building society will NEVER evercall and ask for security or personal information??. The best defence is to say: ?Thank you but I?ll call my provider, bank or building society direct?..?



My friend told me that on Thursday (last week) someone he knew got an unsolicited call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with an almost word-for-word repeat of this scam. He didn't let him finish but hung up and immediately called his card provider.The police were informed. He has since been contacted by the police and told that several similar reports are filed on a daily basis.