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Here’s how the scam works. The scammer says he’s
calling from your credit card’s security or fraud department.
They’ve flagged some suspicious activity on your card, he says.
He makes up a bogus transaction and asks if you authorized it.
Of course, you didn’t. So he says he’ll open a fraud
investigation, gives you a case reference number, and tells you
to call the phone number on your credit card if you have any
questions. It all seems fine so far, right?
But, he says, there’s just one more thing. He needs to verify
that you are in possession of the card – so he asks you to tell
him the security code. And it’s the final piece of the puzzle
he’s after.
If you get a call like this:
Don’t give the caller any information about your account
– even if he already knows some of the details.
Hang up the phone. Call the customer service number on
the back of your credit card. Talk to the fraud or security
department and ask about the unauthorized charges the caller
told you about.
Report the suspicious call to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint
or 1-877-FTC-HELP. Tell your friends, family, neighbors,
and others about it. By spreading the word, you can help
someone you care about avoid falling for a scam. Identity
thieves will try a lot of different tricks to get your personal
information. No matter the story they tell you, don’t give
anyone your personal information if you didn’t initiate the
contact using contact information you know is trustworthy. And
find out what else you can do to protect your personal
information from ending up in the wrong hands.
[Alvaro Puig, Federal Trade
Commission]
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