| Crime Prevention Information |
Every year people become victims of identity theft and
fraud.
When you pay by credit card, accompany your credit card
to the swipe machine and don’t let your card out of your
sight. Ask the clerk to keep your card in plain sight.
The swiping of your card with a scanner only takes a literal
second and can happen anywhere. The machines used to
steal your info literally fits in the palm of your hand. Be
vigilant all the time, everytime.
Never give out your credit card information over the phone
or the internet unless you know the company, you contact
them and you have fraud protection.
The magnetic strip on the back of your card contains your
personal information.
Credit card companies have added a confirmation number
which is found on the rear siganture part of your card.
Companies that you trust and do business with over the
internet and over the phone will ask you for this number to
protect you. It let’s them know you have the card in your
hand.
Ask your credit card company what is your liability in the
event someone steals your card or information.
Create a list of all your credit and credit card accounts and
put them in a safe place (recommend safety deposit box).
In the event your wallet or purse is stolen you can protect
yourself.
fraud.
When you pay by credit card, accompany your credit card
to the swipe machine and don’t let your card out of your
sight. Ask the clerk to keep your card in plain sight.
The swiping of your card with a scanner only takes a literal
second and can happen anywhere. The machines used to
steal your info literally fits in the palm of your hand. Be
vigilant all the time, everytime.
Never give out your credit card information over the phone
or the internet unless you know the company, you contact
them and you have fraud protection.
The magnetic strip on the back of your card contains your
personal information.
Credit card companies have added a confirmation number
which is found on the rear siganture part of your card.
Companies that you trust and do business with over the
internet and over the phone will ask you for this number to
protect you. It let’s them know you have the card in your
hand.
Ask your credit card company what is your liability in the
event someone steals your card or information.
Create a list of all your credit and credit card accounts and
put them in a safe place (recommend safety deposit box).
In the event your wallet or purse is stolen you can protect
yourself.
When you receive your credit statements every month,
discrepancy should be reported to the credit card company
first and then the company where the purchase was made
without delay.
Some fraud artists will make one or two purchases (some
small, some large) on your credit card and then either sell
the information, discard it or use it again later. Most will
max out your credit limit.
If you keep your statements for business or personal
reasons use a strong box or small safe.
If you have no need to keep the statement then shred the
statement with a shredder that will cut the paper in bits and
not strips (strips can be put together).
When your credit card or any card you have is renewed or
replaced, cut the old card into many pieces. You can also
put some of the pieces into a milk carton and other messy
garbage. The same goes for any government cards like a
drivers licence, health card and etc.
discrepancy should be reported to the credit card company
first and then the company where the purchase was made
without delay.
Some fraud artists will make one or two purchases (some
small, some large) on your credit card and then either sell
the information, discard it or use it again later. Most will
max out your credit limit.
If you keep your statements for business or personal
reasons use a strong box or small safe.
If you have no need to keep the statement then shred the
statement with a shredder that will cut the paper in bits and
not strips (strips can be put together).
When your credit card or any card you have is renewed or
replaced, cut the old card into many pieces. You can also
put some of the pieces into a milk carton and other messy
garbage. The same goes for any government cards like a
drivers licence, health card and etc.
| PHISING (fishing) WHAT IS PHISING? PHISING is where criminals gets their hands on an email list containing email addresses. Some criminals steal these lists, buy or swap them with other criminals or spend time on the internet collecting and compiling email addresses. The next step is to duplicate a bank or credit card logo and create an email address or website that appears legitimate. The message in the email will contain a message like: WE NEED YOU TO LOG IN AND VERIFY YOUR INFORMATION YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED A LARGE DEPOSIT HAS BEEN CREDITED TO YOUR ACCOUNT YOU HAVE AN NSF CHEQUE THERE HAS BEEN UNUSUAL ACTIVITY ON YOUR ACCOUNT YOU HAVE WON MONEY OR A CONTEST NO MATTER THE EXCUSE, THE GOAL IS FOR YOU TO USE THE LINK PROVIDED IN THE EMAIL TO VERIFY YOUR INFORMATION THEY USE FEAR AND GREED TO HOOK YOU The next step in these PHISING emails is to send them out to unsuspecting consumers, sometimes thousands at a time. When you receive the email you act in good faith and click the link and add fill out your name, account number & password not realizing you have just given a criminal access to your bank or credit card account(s). To stop these criminals, simply delete the email and do not respond. Remember no company you do business with will ask you to log into your account to verify account information. These criminals will duplicate the logo’s of many financial institutions and keep sending them out, so you may even receive a request to log into an account you don’t even have or from a financial institution you no longer deal with. This has also been known to happen with companies websites where you can buy and or sell items or use a middle company to pay for or collect a transaction or for a service. No legitimate company would send you an email and ask you to log in to verify info. For those unfortunates that fall for the scam, they end up losing their money, being saddled with fraudulent debt and or having their identity stolen. How do they steal your money? They simply log into your bank account with the information you provided them. While they have access to your information criminals can change your address, phone number, apply for a line of credit, car loan, credit card, debit card and transfer your money. Some will even walk into your bank and close your account. Your bank or credit card company has all your information safely stored and backed up and then backed up and then backed up and so on. Financial institutions spend millions of dollars to protect your information and will never call or email you to ask you to log on or ask you for information they already have at the touch of a button. |
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number;
they already have it.
This information is worth reading. By understanding
how the telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be
better prepared to protect yourself.
The scam works like this; after they have stolen your
information (shred those credit card statements).
A Person calling says, 'This is (name), and I'm calling
from the Security and Fraud Department at (your
credit card company). 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 credit 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
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?'
they already have it.
This information is worth reading. By understanding
how the telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be
better prepared to protect yourself.
The scam works like this; after they have stolen your
information (shred those credit card statements).
A Person calling says, 'This is (name), and I'm calling
from the Security and Fraud Department at (your
credit card company). 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 credit 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
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?'
The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in over
and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the
first 4 are part of your card number, the last 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 the last 3 numbers to him.
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.
Call your local police and make a fraud report and close
the account and ask your credit card company to
re-issue you another card with a different account
number.
What the criminals 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 the Credit Card directly for verification of their
conversation.
Credit Card Companies 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 Confirmation 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 more difficult to actually file a
fraud report.
and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the
first 4 are part of your card number, the last 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 the last 3 numbers to him.
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.
Call your local police and make a fraud report and close
the account and ask your credit card company to
re-issue you another card with a different account
number.
What the criminals 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 the Credit Card directly for verification of their
conversation.
Credit Card Companies 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 Confirmation 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 more difficult to actually file a
fraud report.
| Confirmation Number Scam |
| NEVER LEND YOUR CREDIT CARD NEVER TELL ANYONE YOUR PIN NUMBER COVER THE PIN PAD WITH YOUR HAND ALWAYS KEEP YOUR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD IN SIGHT NEVER USE YOUR CREDIT CARD ON LINE OR OVER THE PHONE UNLESS YOU KNOW THE COMPANY YOU ARE DEALING WITH & YOU HAVE FRAUD PROTECTION. |
IMPORTANT CREDIT & DEBIT CARD TIPS
| Crime Prevention |
Photos: M. Reid - Gananoque Police & Gananoque Police Service
