Tell me something I don’t know
By Nelson Daily Staff
There is another fraud that the public needs to be aware of, according to the RCMP.
The modus operandi of this one is both clever and unique in that the caller provides the victim with almost all of the victim’s information except for one crucial piece.
Their goal, however, is neither clever nor unique: They mean to rip you off, said RCMP media relation officer Const. Steve Holmes from Kelowna.
How it works is that the caller states they are from a major credit card company, provides a false badge number, and tells the victim that they have become aware of an unusual purchase pattern involving the recent purchase of an expensive item (anti telemarketing device), from an Arizona based company.
They will then ask the victim if they authorized this purchase. Invariably, the customer will say they did not.
From there the fake customer representative will launch into a verification process, with the victim, of information about the victim, and the victim’s credit card that the caller has previously obtained.
Before hanging up, the caller will nonchalantly ask the victim for the three digit security number on the back of the card.
“This is the one piece of information that the fraudster needs in order to max out the victim’s credit card before the next statement is sent out,” said Const. Holmes. “By the time the victim receives the next credit card statement the damage has been done.”
If you receive a call that sounds anything like this, do not divulge your credit card’s security number. Instead, simply hang up, said Const. Holmes.
“You need to know that your credit card company already knows everything about your card, including the security number, because they are the ones that created it and gave it to you in the first place,” he said.
Keep your money and credit safe from thieves, Const. Holmes advised. Don’t tell them what they want to hear, tell them what they need to hear: go away.
Remember the Acronym SCAM:
S-Safe. If you give in to one of these frauds, would you be worse off for having done it?
C-Credible. Does the person, who is trying to convince you, have any credibility that can be verified?
A-Aggressive. Is the scammer using an aggressive tactic, or language, that requires an immediate or imperative response?
M-Motive. Is their motive to deprive you of money or assets(banking information), with a promise of reward?
