I just received the following e-mail.
For what it's worth.
Visa / MasterCard FRAUD
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 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. 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. 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 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.
