Scam.

I do not usually pass these on - but in this instance .... Take CARE!

Swindon Police Station Gablecross Shrivenham Road South MarstonSwindon Wiltshire SN3 4RB Telephone: 0845 408 7000. Swindon Crime Reduction Department Date: 2nd October 2009.
Hi all,This has been passed on via another Force area through our own Fraud Department In Wiltshire Constabulary, and it is a very convincing SCAM.We have been asked to disseminate the information as widely and asquickly as we can through Neighbourhood Watch, School Safe and others.This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all theinformation, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do notask for your card number; they already have it. This information isworth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard TelephoneCredit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself..One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security andFraud Department at VISA. 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 VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) didyou purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketingcompany based in London ?" When you say "No", the caller continueswith, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is acompany 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), isthat correct?" You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will bestarting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) 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?"Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says,"I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to"turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers;the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the securitynumbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you havethe card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. Afteryou tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I justneeded to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and thatyou 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 .But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutesto ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA SecurityDepartment told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a newpurchase of £497.99 was charged to our card. Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuingus a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number onthe back of the card. Don't give it to them . Instead, tell themyou'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of theirconversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask foranything on the card as they already know the information since theyissued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, youthink you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get yourstatement 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 fraudreport.What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call froma "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of theVISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish I hung up! We filed apolice report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening .Please pass this on to all your family and friends.. By informing each other, we protect each other. Paul Phelps PC1102 Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer.