Visa Fraud

[jerry phipps]

Hi everyone

Got this email from my sister. And i thought that i would share this with you all.

Subject: Visa Fraud

>

>

>> Members: This notice was received from one of our members

>> today and we felt it should be passed along to alert Chamber

>> members of a current fraudulent situation occurring. This

>> information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA

>> & Mastercard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be

>> better prepared to protect yourself. Thanks to Dr. Pat

>> Cloney for passing this on. Those con artists get more

>> creative every day.

>>

>> The scam works like this:

>> Person calling says, "this is.... , 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 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 #" 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, "he needs 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 your card

>> number, 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". 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 charge on our card.

>>

>> Long story made short, we made a real fraud report and

>> closed the VISA card, and they are reissuing us a new

>> number. What the scammers wants 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 direct. 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 to late and/or harder 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 friends.

>> By informing each other, we protect each other. Thanks

>> everyone!!!!!!!!!!

Jerry!!