New credit card scam

The RCMP have issued the following alert:

Dated: June 15, 2005

Guess anything is possible ... thought I would share with you all- Please pass along to family and friends:

New Credit Card Scam Those con artists get more creative every day. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person calling says, "this is (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 which was issued by Name (of 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 Number. 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 part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read him 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 charged to our card. Long story made short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want 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 directly for verification of the conversation. 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 more difficult 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 family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other.

 

 

Scams and Frauds

When information is brought to light that might prevent you being tricked out of your money, it will be put on this page. This information may not be detailed but should make you aware of any scheme that may be injurious to your financial health.

A good source is the RCMP web-site. Just click on the following web address.

www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/html/scams.htm

 

VISA & MASTERCARD Telephone Credit Card Scam
Submitted by a member - 22nd June 2004

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 everyday.

My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard." The scam works like this:

Person calling says, "this is <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 which was issued by <name> 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 <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, "We need 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 charged to 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 too 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. Thank-You.

 

-NOTICE TO ALL. FROM A CONCERNED MEMBER
February 4th 2004

Our daughter informed us of this happening at the bank to her...

INFORMATION TO ALL SENIORS AND YOUR FRIENDS

It's better to be informed than not ...

CREDIT CARD SCAM !!!

**********************

I was called on Wednesday from "VISA" and I was called on Thursday from MasterCard". It worked 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 issued by... . 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, 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 800 number listed on your card 1-800-VISA and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control #". He then gives you a 6-digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?" The caller then "needs to verify you are in possession of your card". He tells you to turn your card over. "There are 13 numbers; first 4 groups are your card number, the last 3 is the security number that verifies that 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". He then 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 I was called on Wednesday, I called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Am I glad I did. The real VISA security department told me that it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was put on my card. Long story made short, I made a real fraud report and they cancelled closed the VISA card and are reissuing me with a new card.

What the scam wants is the 3-digit PIN number. By the time you get your statement, you think the credit is coming, and then it's harder to actually file a fraud report.

The real VISA officials reinforced that they will never ask for anything on the card that they already know. 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. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily, and to tell friends, relatives and co-workers.

 

Item from the Toronto Star Sunday, August 25, 2002

Another phone scam to watch out for.

I am a senior citizen living in an apartment with my disabled husband. Recently, I received seven harassing phone calls during six-hour period. According to police, I was a victim of an attempted scam.

It began with a woman screaming at me that I had stolen her newspaper

When I insisted it was a case of mistaken identity she refused to listen, so I hung up. During a second phone call, she again refused to listen and threatened to call police. I suggested that she go ahead, as I was innocent.

The third call came from an impressive-sounding "Officer Wallace" asking me about the, dispute. Again, I explained that it was a case of mistaken identity. When he asked for my address, I requested his badge number and district number.

The fourth call was from the same woman wanting to know what the police had said. She then became very abusive, threatened to shoot me and told me I would have to pay a $500 fine for stealing newspapers.

After three more abusive and disturbing phone calls, I decided to call police to check on "Officer Wallace." I was told no officer existed with that badge number.

The real police then called and I gave them the story of my harassing calls. They offered the. following suggestions, which all seniors should heed:

* Investigate telephone features provided by your telephone company to prevent these calls.

* Have the "Call Display" feature on your telephone identifying who is calling you.

* If a police officer calls, don't answer his initial questions, but instead request his telephone number and badge number and, call him back Apparently the police are trying to get "The Toronto Police Dept." to appear on call display but it doesn't at the present time.

(Please note:- There is no point in calling this person back if your call display doesn’t show that you have contacted a police dept. There is no way to know if you have reached a real police dept. But you can call the real local police and give any numbers given to you directly to the them. (Webmaster))

* Before answering your door, check carefully to make sure that you know who is there.

* Always get advice from police on how to handle a harassing or threatening situation. In my case, the phony officer threatening me with a $500 fine was trying to scam money from me.

* Do not be afraid to call the policeNo matter how minor the call, them could be thieves pulling the same scam on many vulnerable citizens.

Betty M. Scott

Etobicoke

Groups help seniors close the door on scam

Consumer Watch - Robin Harvey

Toronto Star Sunday July 14th 2002

Seminars will teach older Ontarians to spot signs of fraud

It's A SAD fact that more than any other group, seniors are the targets and victims of fraud. Here in Ontario, 80 per cent of telemarketing fraud victims are senior citizens. So the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), the Ontario Seniors' Secretariat and the Volunteer Centre of Toronto have released a guide for seniors to avoid frauds of all kinds. The guide is the lynchpin of a series of upcoming seminars for seniors called "Protect Your Money: Schemes, Scams and Flimflams." Investment fraud can be heartbreaking and cost a senior his or her home or retirement nest egg. An OSC survey has shown that about 87 per cent of seniors hold mutual funds, 60 cent invest in the stock market and 90 per cent hold more than one type of investment.

They are more prone to fraud for several reasons, according to the OSC:

They are often at home to answer the door and receive a fraudulent pitch.

They are involved in community groups, associations or affinity groups (that are organized around a common interest such as a hobby, sport, religion or social activity), which scam artists can infiltrate to gain their trust.

They may have health-related problems that make them rely more on others.

They may be unhappy with the rates of return on their current retirement investments.

Most schemes need a minimum number of investors. The scam artists will hook a senior by promising to quickly turn lower-yield investments into ones with high rates of return sometimes within days or weeks. Often the high "return" is just a payback of part of the senior's initial investment, or money from other victims of the same con. Once the scam artists have "proven" how successful the investment opportunity is, they return to ask for larger sums. And when they get them, the sales contacts quickly disappear without a trace, leaving behind only a senior - or group of seniors - that has lost a great deal of money.

The commission has outlined several of these scams that target seniors. In "prime bank" schemes, fraud artists promise high returns from investments with prestigious world banks and insist on secrecy. In others, promissory notes are sold as insurance products, which are billed as short-term loans that promise big interest and no risk. But often the loan is bogus and the money disappears.

To protect their hard-earned money seniors should avoid any financial transaction completed on their behalf, without their consent or that does not provide records. Be wary of promises of a very high rate of return and backdated purchase orders. Do not deal with anyone asking a senior to presign blank forms or who guarantees an investment or promises a refund if it doesn't work out. Requests for silence or secrecy should set off alarm bells.

Before investing, people should always get a second opinion. Never accept a verbal contract and never sign anything before carefully reading it. And consult a lawyer if the terms are unclear. Telephone frauds are also common and come in many guises. A bogus charity will call for donations, which are never intended for charitable purposes. In these scams, the charity will usually refuse to send any written information before the donation.

 

Home renovation frauds also seniors. In these cases, a senior may be pressured to sign a renovation contract on the spot. Strangers who say they are from legitimate companies will come to inspect the furnace or attic or check a water meter. Then renovation pitch begins.

The seminars will be offered in every Ontario riding through local MPPs starting in the fall. Call 1-888-910-1999 to find out more.

 

The guide can be found at http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/en/Investor/investoralert.html.

 

Contact Consumer Watch through e-mail at conwatch@thestar.ca, by fax at 416-945-8611 or through our Web site www.thestar.com/conwatch. Include your

full name, address, a day phone number, any documents and a detailed history of your problem. It will take six to eight weeks to review cases. You will not be contacted unless we can pursue your case.

 

 

ATM SCAM WARNING

Halton Region

It could just as easily happen here in Durham Region

25th July 2001

Police are warning bank clients to protect their PIN numbers after four people had their accounts cleaned out in similar scams over the past two weeks. The victims were using an ATM when they were approached by two well-dressed men who watched them punch in their numbers. As the victim completed the transaction, the suspects slipped a $20 bill near the machine and told the victim he or she had dropped it. When the victim moved to pick up the bill, the men switched the bank card for a fake or stolen card. Armed with the PIN, they quickly emptied the victim's accounts. The four victims lost about $13,000, according to police. The two suspects are described as being 5-foot-8 tall, with brown hair and olive complexions, and European or Mediterranean accents.

Stop Phone Fraud

IT’S A TRAP!

The following is the contents of a brochure.

Most telemarketers are honest business people, but you must protect yourself and your loved ones from phone fraud. Look inside for tips on spotting this multi-million dollar crime. Solving this growing problem is as easy as hanging up your phone... don't give your hard-earned money to strangers!

Just Hang Up!

What is deceptive telemarketing?

Using the phone to obtain payment from you for a non-existent or misrepresented product, service or charitable gift is deceptive telemarketing. Using the phone to obtain your private banking information or credit card number to steal is deceptive telemarketing. Offering you a prize for which you must pay is deceptive telemarketing. Using the phone to obtain your money fraudulently in any way is deceptive telemarketing. It is a serious crime punishable by jail.

Are all telemarketers criminals?

Absolutely not! Most telemarketers work for honest businesses or not-for-profit groups which may contact you over the phone in order to promote their products or services, or to solicit donations. However; there are also hundreds of criminals who are determined to steal your money, and they are going to use your own phone to do it.

How can I recognize a scam?

Here are some classic signs of a criminal telemarketer:

It sounds too good to be true You've won a big prize in a contest that you don't recall entering. You're offered a once-in-a-lifetime investment that offers a huge return. You're told that you can buy into a lottery ticket pool that cannot lose.

You must pay or you can't play

"You're a winner!" but you must agree to send money to the caller in order to pay for delivery, processing, taxes, duties or some other fee in order to receive your prize. Sometimes the caller will even send a courier to pick up your money.

You must give them your private financial information

The caller asks for all your confidential banking and/or credit card information. Honest businesses do not require these details unless you are using that specific method of payment.

Will that be cash... or cash?

Often criminal telemarketers ask you to send cash or a money order, rather than a cheque or credit card. Cash is untraceable and can't be cancelled. And, crooks also have difficulty in establishing themselves as merchants with legitimate credit card companies.

The caller is more excited than you are

The crooks want to get you excited about this "opportunity" so that you won't be able to think clearly.

It's the manager calling

The person calling claims to be a government official, tax officer; banking official, lawyer or some other person in authority.

The stranger calling wants to become your best friend.

The person calls you by your first name and asks you a lot of personal or lifestyle questions (like how often do your grown children visit you). Criminals love finding out if you're lonely and willing to talk. Once they know that, they'll try to convince you that they are your friend - after all, we don't normally suspect our friends of being crooks.

It's a limited opportunity and you're going to miss out

If you are pressured to make a big purchase decision immediately, it's probably not a legitimate deal. Real businesses or charities will give you a chance to check them out or think about it.

What can I do to protect myself?

 

Remember, legitimate telemarketers have nothing to hide

However, criminals will say anything to part you from your hard-earned money.

Be cautious.

You have the right to check out any caller by requesting written information, a call back number, references and time to think over the offer. Legitimate business people will be happy to provide you with that information. After all, they want the "bad guys" out of business too.

Always be careful about providing confidential personal information, especially banking or credit card details, unless you are certain the company is legitimate. And, if you have doubts about a caller, your best defense is to simply hang up.

It's not rude - it's smart.

If you're in doubt, it's wise to ask the advice of a close friend or relative, or even your banker. Rely on people you can trust.

Remember, you can Stop Phone Fraud -Just Hang Up!

I suspect that a relative or friend is being targeted by unscrupulous telemarketers.

What can I do?

Watch for any of these warning signs:

· a marked increase in the amount of mail with too-good-to-be-true offers

· frequent calls offering get-rich-quick schemes or valuable awards, or numerous calls for donations to unfamiliar charities

· a sudden inability to pay normal bills

· requests for loans or cash

· banking records that show cheques or withdrawals made to unfamiliar companies

· secretive behaviour regarding phone calls.

If you suspect that someone you know has fallen prey to a deceptive telemarketer, don't criticize them for being naive. Encourage that person to share their concerns with you about unsolicited calls or any new business or charitable dealings. Assure them that it is not rude to hang up on suspicious calls. Keep in mind that criminal telemarketers are relentless in hounding people - some victims report receiving 5 or more calls a day, wearing down their resistance. And, once a person has succumbed to this ruthless fraud, their name and number will likely go on a "sucker list", which is sold from one crook to another.

You're not alone.

If you suspect you may be a target, or have already sent funds, be assured - you're not alone. PhoneBusters is the national deceptive telemarketing call centre, operated by the Ontario Provincial Police, and supported by such partners as Industry Canada, the Canadian Bankers Association, MasterCard Canada, the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP and Visa Canada.

SeniorBusters is a group of volunteers who work with PhoneBusters to provide telephone support and information to seniors who have become victims of this crime.

You can reach SeniorBusters, or report any suspicious calls to PhoneBusters at the same toll free number:

Telephone 1-888 495-8501

Web site

www.phonebusters.com

E-mail - phonebusters@efni.com

 

or contact

the Competition Bureau of Industry Canada:

Telephone 1-800 348-5358

Web site

competition.ic.gc.ca

E-mail - compbureau@ic.gc.ca

 

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