Just a heads up for everyone regarding the latest in Visa fraud. Royal Bank
received this communication about the newest scam. This is happening in southern
Alberta 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 W ednesday 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 un
usual 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 ?' W hen 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 par t 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 af ter we were called on W ednesday, we called
back. W ithin 20 minutes to ask a question. Are 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. W e 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 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! W e filed a police report, as instructed by
VISA. The police said th ey a! re 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.
Pass this on to all your family and friends
