Credit Card Fraud people called me

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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:47 pm

My phone rang - it was a # I didn't know, so I screened it. The voicemail said to dail a 1800 number as my CC has been flagged for suspicious activity. So, the # that called me was a Florida area code. And then they wanted me to dial a 1800#. So, I dialed it, and I get this woman from India. She picks up the phone (I have no teleprompter to get to her) and says she's from the fraud department. I said I got the call. She starts asking me for my CC information. Then I was like - Wait a second - how do I know you REALLY ARE from the CC company? She assured me that she was, but I said, can you please hold for a second? Then I asked my dad what he thought - I got a call from a FL # and now dial a 1800 # and don't get a teleprompter and don't even have to wait - someone automatically picks up - he said it sounded like a red flag to him, too. So, I told the lady that instead of giving her my information, I was going to just call the # on the back of my CC to verify that the # she was calling me from REALLY WAS with my CC company. She encouraged me to do just that. So, I dialed the # on the back of my CC and when I pushed in the # of my account, it automatically redirected me to their fraud department. So, I found out the call was legit. I told him that I felt that there were red flags since I talked to a human so quickly. Anyway, they had deactivated my CC because I made a $450 purchase the other day and was 1,300 miles from home. Now they've activated it again. The guy said he understood why I had felt that the phone call may have not been legit but his computer did show that about 15 minutes before, they had called me and that I had called back before I made the call to him.

So, I guess you can sometimes get a real call about your CC and it's not a scammer - -but after being here, I had my tinfoil hat on tight!

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:51 pm

Smart thinking, Ms. Doolittle! I would have done the same-you would think these CC companies would know what behaviors will make a customer feel uncomfortable. I hope they take note of your situation and make some changes to make their customers more comfy.

Happy Sunday!

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:32 pm

My bank calls me all the time and says, "Can you verify your address," etc. I always tell them that I don't give out that information to people who have called me, and that I will call the bank number I have, etc.

It infuriates me that my bank does this, and I have complained about it repeatedly, because they should be encouraging people NOT to give out their bank info.

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:32 pm

I get these calls often, especially if I do a lot of online purchases. However, I have never been asked to give my card on the phone.
That sure is a rather strange business practise, considering how neurotic banks are about cc theft.

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:08 am

Happened to my Dad here in Austria too a few weeks ago. He got a call from the CC company if he has been in the US a few days before. There was a transaction in the US that he didn�t really make, and the CC company found that out on their own and alerted my dad. Good job from them, I have to say Smile

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 1043

yeah, they can be quite on the ball about it.

My sister had her details lifted from somewhere a few months ago, they blocked all but the first transaction and notified her straight away, then they told her to highlight any fraudulent purchases and they refunded the money to her account.

Actually, i just had a e-shop email me saying the CC company had flagged my card as having incorrect details. I sent off a copy of a couple of household bills. I've used the company a few times, so it's probably not a lad trying to steal my id, but i'm gonna ring the bank just to make sure.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

My bank appears to do this often just for regular "how are you, how about this super feature we're promoting" calls. How is it that none of them can get it through their heads that they are making life more dangerous for their customers? If they care about security, they should either never start a call that requires absolute certainty of the customer's identity, or they should institute a set of passwords in the reverse direction.

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:39 pm

The sad thing is, when legit companies use modalities that are so easy for scammers to replicate and then assure customers it is safe, it only makes it easier for the lads ... Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:56 pm

I'm starting to get these calls on a regular basis. I like the idea and thank the people. I've heard all kinds of stories about call centers but found that (other than for airlines) the people really are helpful. I now know to notify all the card companies when I go on safari as purchases overseas and automatic payments locally seem to set off flags.

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:58 pm

I do that, too, connie. Smile

Any purchases that are outside your normal spending pattern will trigger an alert, and my CC companies are, thankfully, pretty on the ball. I'd never mind about such a call but I tend to forestall them by alerting them in advance if I am going abroad, making a large purchase, or doing something else that is unusual for my spending behaviour. It's not a bad habit to get into, inho. Smile

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:40 pm

@connie & eight. I really need to do that in the future!

I also think the CC needs to implement some way for us to prove who THEY are if THEY call us.

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