Subject: Scam on Visa & Mastercards - beware!
Hi Everyone
We have received the following from Belinda at
Whitford City - you may need to read and take note.
This could be relevant to all of us..
Barb Downey
State Assistant
Harvey World Travel Franchises WA/SA/NT
Tel: 08 9201 9433
Fx: 08 9201 9762
FYI... This one is pretty slick since they provide
YOU with all the information, except the one piece
they want.
WARNING..New Credit Card Scam. 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 Sydney?"
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 next 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 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 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. I checked this out on
snopes.com. Long story made short - 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 would 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.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends.
By informing each other, we protect each other.
Belinda Chew
Manager
Harvey World Travel Whitford City
Shop 235 Whitford City Shopping Centre
Cnr Marmion & Whitford Avenues
HILLARYS WA 6025
Ph : 618 9402 5811
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
