Beware of the Compromised Credit Card scam happening these days, also known as the Courier Pick-up Scam
Source: admin Release Time: 09:05:16 2018-09-26
Beware of the Compromised Credit Card scam happening these days, also known as the Courier Pick-up Scam. Using caller ID spoofing, which makes a call display show whatever name they want as the caller, criminals phone various households and pretend to be from local banks or credit unions. They inform the victims they have noticed some critical fraudulent activity on their card and say their accounts have been compromised. How does the scam work? Smooth talkers while using official financial language, the crooks "assure" the account holder that eventual losses will be reimbursed. Here is the trick. While on the phone, callers ask the victim to cut up the card with a pair of scissors, since the card is compromised and not activated anymore. This is the big mistake victims make, as they believe cutting the card would eliminate any shade of future unscrupulous activity on that account.
Once confirmed the card is cut, callers ask the victim to either: Mail the card to a special "Compromised Cards Processing Security Office" address (where scammers tape the cards back together and use them) or wait for a bank officer to come and pick it up, to make sure the card doesn't get lost in the mail. In this case, scammers send regular couriers to pick up the cards and use them shamelessly once in their possession.Needless to say, victims send perfectly good usable credit cards to scammers, not knowing what's about to happen. How to avoid: Never send your card through the mail or give it to somebody else for that matter. Tell the caller you'll phone them back in 10 minutes if they give you a number. Resist the pressure they put on you at the moment. Meanwhile, call your real bank - not the number they give you - and inquire about your account.