“Recently, the US government has been issuing warnings to all Americans about a new card scam that is being reported. The scam starts with someone calling and telling you that they are from your bank or credit union and that there is an issue with your account. They will then ask for personal information such as your social security number in order to “fix” the problem. However, this call is not coming from a legitimate source; it’s likely one of many scams happening around the country.”
According to an article I recently read, there is an increase in card scam, we all know times are hard these days, and that scammers are using more advanced ways to steal your hard-earned cash, here are some of the most known ones and my views and how to avoid them.
1) Visa Credit card Scam
Please be aware that if you receive a call from someone claiming to represent one of the major credit card companies, they are likely trying to scam you. They will typically try to sound professional and ask for your personal information such as three digits on the back of your card or billing address, in order access funds at once.
The next time you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be your bank or the police, look out for these phrases: “I’m sorry” and “Is that right?” These are common tricks used by scammers who want to get information about where you’re located and how much money is in your account. If this happens, hang up immediately–the person on the other end of the line may have been trying to access personal details like passwords so they can use them later.
2) Call Tag scam
A phone call from someone claiming to be from a company that sent out an item by mistake. The caller will ask you if they can pick up the goods, and then a courier is arranged for them to come get it at your address. However they are not actually with this company- the scammer has bought themselves these things using your credit card information! By time you notice on their statement, everything will have been shipped off again by now so there’s nothing left but heartache 🙁
How to avoid this: That’s a good tip to keep in mind, but there are ways you can avoid these scams. If they call and ask for your contact details or name of the bank account holder on file before you give them any information about yourself hang up immediately as this is most likely a scammer. Ask for their number so that if they were legitimate professionals who called with an offer then it would be much easier to get back in touch when checking out what was going on; however, don’t expect them to provide their phone number because con artists usually want nothing more than our personal data without warning us first! Always check out companies online beforehand just make sure everything seems legit by investigating websites like Yelp where people often share reviews from victims of fraud themselves.
3) Card not present fraud
You come across your statement one day, and see a suspicious figure that seems familiar. You contact the bank in an effort to get some answers but you are told someone used your card details to make purchases online without ever having access to it or even knowing about this account of yours.
How to avoid this: Financial institutions often offer a no-fee debit card to customers as an incentive to sign up for the account, but these cards are never secure. A common way criminals steal money is by getting their hands on your card number or secret code and using it fraudulently after you’ve left your house without taking precautions such as shredding statements that may contain sensitive information like passwords and PINs. In order to keep this from happening, always check all of the transactions when reviewing your statement – even if they look legitimate!
Scam I was victim of
Another scam I was a victim of is what I called ”The fake address scam”. I received one day a statement from a company of 200 pounds sterling stating that I bought a Sony Ericson phone when I checked the statement thoroughly it bared my name and address, as I knew I never bought this phone (I will have definitely remembered) . I decided to give them a call, I found out the company was one that will send the goods first and later on will get their payment sent to them, I asked what happened there, and was told I had signed for the package the day before, to which I replied that I was at work and that no one was at home, therefore, it could have not been me, when I asked about the details of the person that ordered it, I found that the person registered as a 66-year-old. I was then kindly provided a national fraud helpline number, which registered the incident on their data in case of future incidents.
What I learned from all this is always shred your unwanted statements as scammers are always ready to steal your hard-earned cash, by not taking precautions, you are just making their task easy. So beware scammers are on the lookout for you.
Vital Tip for avoiding scams
- Never provide personal information such as bank account numbers, social security number etc., even if it is requested by an official-looking person through email or telephone call that claims they need this info in order to complete some type of transaction with you. Fraudsters are known to use fear tactics like claiming there has been legal action filed against their company due before demanding sensitive data be given over the phone or online chat service immediately without verification first – refusing these requests would help keep valuable personal information safe!
Have you ever been the victim of a scam? then so please share your experience and your views on how to stop them from happening.
Related articles
- 5 Common Used Car Scams to Avoid (toyotacertified.com)
- Scam reported in Portage (wiscnews.com)
- Used car scams prevalent for online buyers (globalnews.ca)
