Credit card scam
(download)
The attached document is very much worth heeding however it has been
circulating since: Nov 2003. Comments: The type of fraud it warns against is real enough, so the message is worth
heeding even if it is slightly misleading. It's misleading in that it gives
the impression that this type of scam is brand new and only pertains to the
three-digit security code now found on the backs of most credit cards. In
reality, it's a very old and familiar form of fraud that requires credit
card holders to be protective of all the information pertaining to their
accounts.
personal information to unknown callers (or Websites). Con artists are often
able to obtain partial information about a potential victim's account, then
contact the person masquerading as a company representative to "verify" the
account by requesting additional details - in the above case, the
three-digit security code. But they might just as well ask for other
pertinent details - for example, they may provide the last four digits of
your account number (which typically show up on sales receipts, etc.) and
request the other 12 digits to "confirm" it. Or they may already be in
possession of your full account number and request the expiration date of
the card, or your billing address. Any of these individual bits of
information may be just what the scammer needs to "fill in the blanks" and
gain full access to your account, so beware. That said, consumers should also be aware that perfectly legitimate
businesses or financial institutions may request your three-digit security
number (known as "CVC2" by MasterCard and "CVV2" by Visa) to authenticate a
transaction. What's essential is that you be fully confident of the
legitimacy of the requesting party before giving it out. In this particular scam it should be noted that the banks already have all
your details so would never need to ask you for them. ps: Thanks to Andrea for sending in....
