Credit card phishing scam

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 12

I got a phone call from out of the country (I'm in the US). It was a recording (normal American accent), asking if I wanted a lower interest rate on my credit cards. It gave two options...press "1" to talk to someone about it or choose "2" to hang up (and my number would be removed from the database - yeah, right).

I did some reading about it and found out it's a scam where people get fooled into giving out credit card numbers. Though usually these calls originate in the US, this is apparently a new tactic to call from out of the country. So I've decided that if one of these calls comes through again, which is guaranteed now that someone has answered, I will take option #1, to talk to a person to "lower" my interest rate, and I'll be prepared with a credit card number...an entirely false one. All it will do is waste their time. At best, it will stop them from calling me, because they will get tired of getting the same false info...I hope.

Any thoughts or ideas for this? All suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Smile

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 7:03 am

On a related topic, does anyone have any opinion on going into bank phishing sites and putting in false information to waste scammers time?

Does it expose your computer to the risk of trojans etc? I used to do it at work where I didn't give a toss, plus I assumed our network people would have all necessary firewalls etc, but I'm not so keen to do it on my own computers.

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 7:41 am

hellhathnofury wrote:

I'll be prepared with a credit card number...an entirely false one.

One concern of giving a fake credit card number to a scammer is that it might be fake to you, but someone else's real CC number.

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:11 am

The chances of getting a correct number are very remote as a 16 digit CC number has several check digits, plus the first six are hard coded according to the bank and country of issue.

Then even if you get a valid 16 digits, you have to get a match on the CCV number, expiry date, and name. The chances are nil.

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:26 am

Quote:

On a related topic, does anyone have any opinion on going into bank phishing sites and putting in false information to waste scammers time

There is some websites that are devoted to sending junk information. I can't think of any at the moment however you enter the url of the fake bank and watch it go to work.

I've found some fake sites that actually check the CC number so you can't stick random crap in there. It is possible to create valid numbers however the drawback is as sheboppe said you might just create a real one. So I guess unless you have a credit card that has been closed down but still has a valid expiry there is not much you can do.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

www.phishfighting.com is a site that will send fake details to a phisher if you enter the phishers website url, the site is down for me at the moment, might be ok for you, or try it again later.

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:43 am

falnsb wrote:

The chances are nil.

I disagree because it has happened. There is a very slim chance of it happening though.

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:59 am

Sorry but the chances of getting a match on ALL the parameters I mentioned are absolutely infinitesimal.

If it happened then somene had some of the information.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 12

falnsb wrote:

Sorry but the chances of getting a match on ALL the parameters I mentioned are absolutely infinitesimal.

I agree, and I was thinking of using a bogus number that doesn't have a valid checksum, anyway. If they claim it doesn't work, I'll say, "That's not possible - I'm looking at the credit card right now!" How many times would they call back, knowing they'll get the same bogus number that DOESN'T WORK? I doubt they'd want to waste their time that way, but until they catch on, they'd keep getting zilch from me.

There are ways to generate numbers that DO check out as valid, but aren't (i.e., someone obtaining the credit card number would think it's valid, but they would be found out when they attempt to use it). Since I'm not affiliated with any credit card company, I don't know how to get such a number, though.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 12

sheboppe wrote:

One concern of giving a fake credit card number to a scammer is that it might be fake to you, but someone else's real CC number.

NO chance of that. I plan to find a number that REALLY doesn't work at all, because it doesn't exist as a valid credit card. Wonder how many calls it would take before they'd catch on? (LOL, did I mention, I want to mess with their heads?) Twisted Evil

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:02 pm

If anyone is worried about this, and PM's me, I can check whether or not a CC number is valid (ie has the correct check digits etc) that way we can be sure not to use one that potentially is a real one.

I could get further details and check for credit authority and blacklist but that would obviously not be ethically or morally acceptable if it were a real number, so please don't ask me to do so because I won't.

The point is that if you took a 16 digit number beginning with 5221 26 ..... which would be a South African Mastercard (like mine!), it could theoretically be valid so we can be sure not to use valid numbers.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 12

There is another option, but it would require knowing someone from a credit card company...which I don't. There are certain numbers which allow someone caught trying to charge with one to be traced (the card SEEMS valid, even has a valid checksum, but isn't). I'd LOVE one of those, would love to give one out to a scammer and let them get caught!

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 7:12 am

That's a good point, I'd forgotten that. I may be able to get hold of one of those numbers, or a blacklisted one, but I think publishing it here would be ill-advised for a number of reasons.

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 7:31 am

falnsb wrote:

Sorry but the chances of getting a match on ALL the parameters I mentioned are absolutely infinitesimal.

If it remember, it was use where the CCV number wasn't requested, just the number and expiration date.

You guys are pretty confident in this so have fun.

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 7:40 am

Most internet purchases, probably all, require the CCV number. Even if you 'phone a hotel for a booking and they take your CC as a guarantee they ask for CCV - which worries me! Once though when I didn't know the hotel and was a bit dubious I gave a false CCV number and expiry date and they obviously never checked it.

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 7:46 am

I used to have credit cards until I got rid of them so I am familiar with how they work. I used mine many times without being asked for the CCV number, online and booking hotel accommodations over the phone. I was rarely asked for it. Things may have changed since then.

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 8:03 am

I make roughly 20 purchases a month online, mostly airtickets and hotel bookings, also buying books and so on through sites like Amazon. I can't think of any that don't ask for the CCV number. The only ones that usually don't is where it is an ongoing, as opposed to one-off, purchase such as a subscription.

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 8:13 am

With all of the credit card fraud, I am glad that the CCV number is now being requested.

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