There were days when all you had to worry about was a thieves stealing your purse or pick pocketing your wallet. Well most of the time thieves steal from you and you don’t even know it. Thieves only need a minute, even a few seconds, and all of your important information is theirs. Just when you think you have them all figured out, you need to think again. Names, addresses, and credit card numbers – nothing is protected.
If your credit card company notices you’ve made big purchases that are out of the norm, you make get a call from a “fraud protection” program and will ask you if you have had any excessive activity on your card. Everything seems legit because the caller even gives you a reference number, but asks you this question, “What is the 3 digit security code on the back?” They claim they need the code to verify that the card is in your possession. You would think since they do not ask for your full credit card number that it is not a scam, when in fact, the code is the only thing these scammers need. What they already know about you makes them sound even more legit. If you get a call like this, hang up and call the number on the back of your card. You can call your card company and ask for them to keep a close look on your card activity.
Remember this rule of thumb – if you did not innitate the call using a number that you know is trustworthy, then do not give anyone your personal information. This scam has been found over email and the suggestion is using that rule of thumb to any form of communication.
