[CS-FSLUG] OT: Another Identity Theft (PHONE) issue to be aware of!!

[Don Parris]

On 4/19/05, Fred A. Miller <fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:
> Another Identity Theft (PHONE) issue to be aware of!!
> 
> Subject: Scam Alert - Be Aware
> 
> Subject: Be Aware - Another Credit Card Scam. Please read this one and
> disseminate to all your peers and Service Members.

<SNIP>
This story has been in circulation since 2003.  The one Fred posted on
this list is nearly identical to the one on the website.  I found it
in 2 minutes via Google.  Urban Legends Reference Pages has a similar
article.  Could I suggest that, prior to posting scam alerts, whoever
posts the alert check with the well-known scam sites to be sure we're
not just propagating spam?  It took me only 2 minutes, and thus
shouldn't have to consume a great deal of time to find out.

>From Break the Chain.org
http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/visaphonescam.html:

BreakTheChain.org recommends strongly against relying upon or
forwarding e-mail warnings that do not contain validating information,
such as the author's name, location and date of the supposed event.
Chain letters are not reliable. This one started circulating in
December, 2003, and has already begun to mutate, with versions adding
barely connected and misleading information from unidentified
revisionists. One astute Chain-Breaker from the UK, pointed out that
this one has already "jumped the pond," with a version changing
dollars to pounds and the 1-800 toll-free prefix with the UK
equivalent 0800.

A spokesperson from Visa U.S.A. Fraud Control told BreakTheChain.org
that his office has received no such call, but consumers should be
alert nonetheless:

"Visa U.S.A. fraud control has not spoken with a single consumer that
has actually received this phone call, but many consumers are
reporting receiving the email. Obviously I can't rule out that some
consumer may have received this type of call, since these types of
schemes do occur on a regular basis. Consumers should always be
educated not to provide personal or financial information to anyone
who telephones them or emails them."

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To use a credit card, a person needs three basic pieces of
information: the 15- or 16-digit card number, the card holder's name
and the expiration date. For years, crooks have gotten various pieces
of a consumer's identity puzzle and looked for ways to fill in the
blanks. For example, they may get your last four digits and call you
for the other 12, or they may have the complete number and ask you for
the expiration date.

To provide another level of protection, financial institutions
recently added the three-digit security number on the card's signature
panel. Called the CVV2 (Visa) or CVC2 (MasterCard) number, the code is
required by some online businesses and financial institutions to
verify that you actually possess the card and have not simply
harvested the information you need to make a charge. The code is not
yet widely supported and used by only a few merchants and most
financial institutions.

The bottom line is you should always be suspicious of anyone who calls
requesting any information that can be used to utilize your card, no
matter what purpose they claim it's for. Here are some important facts
and safeguards to observe:

    * Visa and MasterCard are unlikely to contact you directly
regarding suspected fraud. Such inquiries will more likely come from
the financial institution issuing the card (your bank).

    * If you get a suspicious call, get the caller's name, department
and extension, then call them back through the customer service number
given on your statement.

Common sense should prevail. Never give to strangers information they
can use against you. Verify that the caller is who they claim to be
and do not be pressured into providing information you know you
shouldn't. You shouldn't need an anonymously authored and oddly
detailed chain letter to tell you that. Break this chain.

-- 
DC Parris GNU Evangelist
http://matheteuo.org/
gnumathetes at gmail.com
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you can share it with anyone anywhere anytime!