There’s a new scam being perpetrated that involves a more elaborate ruse than law enforcement is used to. This scam — called the Visa & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam — starts when a caller says they're calling from the Security and Fraud Department at Visa. They provide a badge number and tell you that your credit card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern and they’re calling to verify. The caller provides you with the name of the bank that issued your Visa card and asks you if you made a purchase for a certain amount from a company based in a particular city and state. When you say no, the caller advises that they will be issuing a credit to your account. They go on to explain that the company is one they’ve been watching and that the purchases are just under the amount that flags most cards. They then tell you that before your next statement, the credit will be sent to your address and ask, “Is that correct?” If you verify that the address they provided is your address, they tell you that a fraud investigation will be initiated and if you have any questions to call the 800 number on the back of your card and ask for Security. They will then give you a 6-digit “Control Number.” Here’s the important part of how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify that you're in possession of your card.” They will ask you to turn your card over and look for 7 numbers. The first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you’re in possession of the card. When you read the 3 security numbers, you have given the scammer all they need to begin making purchases in your name. If you receive a call like this, hang up! Credit card companies warn their cardholders that they will never ask for their card number and to always call them directly and never from a number provided to them by an unknown caller.
