Double Check Your Credit Statement; It Could Be A Fake
The next iteration of credit card fraud could be in your mailbox: Some scammers are now using fake credit card statements in an attempt to steal your identity.
In September, past due credit statements supposedly from Capital One began appearing across Indiana in residential mailboxes just like yours. However, these statements are actually fakes. Instead, they are part of an elaborate credit phishing scam meant to encourage victims (like you and me) to share their personal financial information with identity thieves.
Scammers sending these fake credit card statements are tricky; they have made the statements look legitimate.
The risk that poses for consumers is obvious, as most people don’t look at their credit card statements carefully enough to detect a fake one from a real one.
All the trappings of a real credit statement are prominent on these fake credit card statements. Some of the things victims are likely to be fooled by include an official looking logo with web site URL, as well as a phony bar code by the address. A phone number for customer questions sends you straight to the fraudsters. The fraudster hope to scare you into sending money that is “past due”. If that doesn’t work, they hope that you call the number available on the statement, and give up personal information, making it easy to steal your identity.
One of the main reasons you might use the number on the fake credit statement is that you might not have an account with the card issuer on the fake statement. This should be the very first warning that this is a scam; if you don’t have an account with the “issuer”, don’t call.
Could You Be Next?
So far, the fraudulent statements are limited to a rather local area. However, you never know when you could be next. In fact, what works in one region, is a gold-mine-in-training for fraudsters around the world. It’s fairly easy for a identity thief sitting in a basement in Vancouver to get your name and address. It’s harder to get the personal credit card information that only you can provide.
Protect Yourself
If you want to be protected from phishing, you need to take basic precautions. Keep your PIN to yourself, and do not give out your entire your account number to anyone who calls. You should also keep your passwords a secret. Do not call phone numbers provided to you in statements with incorrect information. Instead, look up the official number using the Internet. Likewise, don’t click on links in emails. Open a new window and go straight to the official home page.
If you suspect a phishing scam or any form of misrepresentation on your statement, immediately contact the card issuer in question (not using the possibly fake phone number), and then contact authorities. Safety first in financial dealing; you’ll be happier to play it safe than finding out later that you are the victim of identity fraud. Once your identity is stolen and your bank accounts empty, there is no guarantee that you’ll ever see your money again — or that a few years later, you won’t become a repeat victim.
