Don’t Fall For Credit Card Account Verification Scams
Credit Card Account Verification Scams Are on the Rise
With all of the credit card scams out there, it’s hard to keep track of what’s what. With so many people looking to steal your credit card numbers and your identity, it’s vitally important that you know how to protect yourself, and knowing how to protect yourself means knowing the latest scams the criminals are trying to pull. One of the most common scams out there is the credit card verification scam. Read on to learn what it is and how to avoid becoming the victim of it.
The Phone Call
The credit card verification scam usually starts with a phone call (sometimes it’s an email) stating that there’s something wrong with your account or that there’s been suspicious activity reported on your account. Sometimes they’ll even tell you that your credit card number is showing up on a public website. At first, the call seems helpful. After all, it’s someone looking out for your best interests, right? Wrong. Guess again.
What They Want
The goal of this phone call is to get you to “confirm” your credit card number, so they tell you that they need you to read your credit card number to them to confirm it. Sometimes they just ask for the three digit code on the back of your credit card. Either way, don’t ever, ever give anyone who calls you your credit card number or the three digit code on the back of your credit card. This is a scam, intended to rob you of your credit card information so the criminals can use your credit card any way that they see fit.
How to Avoid Becoming a Victim
If someone calls you and wants any personal information from you or any credit card information, tell them to send you something in writing. Remember, email does not constitute being sent something in writing. Even then, if your information is requested in writing, confirm that the address you are sending the information to is actually the address of your credit card company.
Remember, you can never be to careful and when it comes to giving your personal information, credit card or otherwise, it is best to err on the side of caution than to give a criminal the information he or she wants.