Phishing Scam Alert

We have been alerted by our card transaction processor about a new phishing attack scammers are using to steal people’s card information. Please read below to understand how the scam works and how you can protect yourself.

How the Scam Works:

• A victim receives a phone call from a scammer posing as a financial institution employee.
• The fraudster advises the victim that there have been fraud attempts on their card and that they will receive a text with a “case number.”
• While still on the phone, the scammer will perform a transaction they know will generate a fraud alert to the person’s card.
• When the victim receives the case number from the text, the fraudster will ask for the number, telling the victim they will use the number to permanently block the card from fraud.
• Instead, the scammer will use the case number to call into the victim’s credit card company to validate the recent activity. Then they can continue to use the victim’s card to make fraudulent purchases.
• The fraudster may suggest to the victim to transfer money into their checking account from savings to make it “safer,” which is actually giving the fraudster access to more money.
• This process results in the victim thinking the potential fraud on their card was caught and stopped, but they have actually given scammers complete access to their money.

How to Protect Yourself:

• If any information about suspicious activity is texted to you, your financial institution or credit card company will not call and ask for that information – they already have it. They will also never advise you to transfer or withdraw money.
• To verify if a text or email about suspicious card activity is genuine, call the phone number printed on the back of your credit card.
• If you receive a text or email asking if you made purchases on your credit card, always reply “No” unless you are absolutely certain the purchase was made by you.

 

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