*** CREDIT CARD SCAM - PLEASE READ ***

[WSM]

This was forwarded on to me by another mumsnetter via email. It struck me that it should probably be put on here, just in case. So here goes.....

" 'I know this is for real - I passed the warning to a friend in Weston Super Mare just in time - his wife read it and got the call within minutes tonight!

Visa and MasterCard Scam

My husband was called on Wednesday by "VISA" and I was called on Thursday by "MasterCard". It worked like this:

Person calling says,

"This is Carl Patterson (any 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. Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device / any expensive item for £497.99 from a marketing
company based in Anywhere?"

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 0800 number listed on your card and ask for Security. you will need to refer to this Control #". Then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me try read it again?"

Caller then says he "needs to verify you are in possession of your card. Turn the card over. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are 1234 whatever, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are in possession of the card. These are the numbers you use to make internet purchases, to prove you have the card.
Read me the 3 numbers."

Then he says "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? Don't hesitate to call back if you do."

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 put on our card.

Long story made short, we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA card and they are issuing a new number. What the scam wants is the 3-digit number and once the charge
goes through, they keep charging every few days. By the time you get your statement, you think the credit is coming, and then it's harder to actually file a fraud report.

REMEMBER: THE REAL VISA REINFORCED THAT THEY WILL NEVER ASK FOR ANYTHING ON THE CARD (THEY ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT US)!!!!

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from "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), and they said they Are taking several of these reports daily and to tell friends, relatives and co-workers.

PASS IT ON!

Apologies for the higgeldy piggeldy nature of this post but I've trimmed a cut & paste from an email as best I can !

WSM

Blimey. Will string them along if they call me and give them mis-information!

Sorry, I know it's a really longgggggggg post but they seem to be fairly cunning. Thanks for staying awake throughout !!

Ha ha - yes they call any of us and we will give them the wrong info - what arseholes think this sort of stuff up??

Could say something like "there is no number, just some letters" and if they ask what they are spell out f-*-c-k-o-f-f

ROFL - Great idea CD

WSM - but where do they get the rest of your details from? Card numbers etc?

I thought the 3-digit number was just an extra security thing for after you've provided all the other numbers?

It does make me wary of using online payment things and booking over the phone.

It does sound like a very plausible scam - and going through all that other stuff first would make you drop your guard a bit.

tutb - they could easily get the first 4 card digits and your address by intercepting emails, or finding credit card receipts in the bin. Order emails usually only contain the first 4 digits or last 4 of the card number because they are so easily intercepted. Some receipts contain the full number.

Great scam - I'm almost tempted myself!

(must get a shredder)

PS - the receipts in the bin thing and waiters walking off with your card are the most common ways in which fraudsters get hold of your card number. Online payment is far more secure.

This scam was mentioned on the Radio last week, too. Despicable people.
Mind you, I wonder why we haven't been targetted, yet?

Thanks WSM - Have rang my DP and told him not to tell anyone anything over the phone.

He's not dim by any stretch of the imagination but things like this just wouldn't even occur to him.

Have told him that if anyone rings tell them that I keep hold of all credit cards etc so they would have to call back and speak to me - then i get the pleasure of using CountessD's idea!

What wankers!

I heard a good way to foil these sorts of scams... Get back at them by giving them the wrong info! They have no way of knowing so they won't turn nasty on the phone. Then they try to use the wrong info & It actually provides a record of them attempting to use your info fraudulently...clever, eh?

Apparently this is a good way to check if a website (like Ebay, Egg, whatever) is legit. Just type in the wrong password.

Blimey - that is a hugely credible and well crafted scam; no shame in falling for it. Thanks for passing it on

I think this is a case of be careful what you forward, especially when it supposedly happened to a "friend of a friend". I've done some research on this email and found this Urban Legends Reference Page

The status on this particular mail is "unknown" as it's technically possible (but seems fairly likely they'd get caught quickly - so doubt it's a likely scenario for fraud - you're far more likely to have someone swipe your details while at a restaurant). However, if you see the "original" US email that was sent around, this is almost identical except some details have been amended to anglicise it.

File it under urban legend. Take reasonable security precautions that you'd take normally. Feel free to sleep soundly tonight

Urban legend it may be, but it certainly served to remind me how easily credit card fraud can be committed. Thankfully I don't use my one and only credit card anymore, balance is clear and my card is in an old wallet in my knicker drawer, just in case !

No, it's always worth a reminder to take care of basic security, I wasn't having a go I promise These things usually annoy me though because they tend to get some people (usually my mother - believe me, I've had to do a lot of urban myth bashing on behalf of my mother... am getting quite good at it now ) really panicky for no real reason!

It's funny this has come up. We got a call suposedly one of our credit card companies, askingnus all sorts of personal questions a few weeks ago. I said to them, before I give you any info, how can i be sure you are who you say you are? They said thank you and hung up! We always ask to call them back to verify we have a bona fide person on the line.

when i was paying for my wedding last summer, i spent lots of money in a space of afew days
on the day of the wedding we had a meal in a local resturant and i went to pay at the end and they refused my card
so i used another one
but within 5 mins of getting home, the bank rang me to inform me that many big purchases has been bought and could i confirm that they were mine.
very efficent and comforting to know!