Several banks in northern Alabama have issued warnings regarding an increasing number of phone calls to their customers from scammers attempting to steal credit card information.
The Scam
Calls to customers may appear to have their bank’s name or phone number as the caller ID, a practice known as caller ID spoofing. The scammer identifies as an employee of your bank or law enforcement, usually stating that your card has been compromised and you need to take action. They will likely know your name and credit card number. They use the known information and ask you to verify the three numbers on the back of you card, called a card verification value (CVV) or card verification code (CVC) number. Tthe card is now fully compromised once they have the CVV/CVC number
What To Do
The following information was shared by Redstone Federal Credit Union:
1. RFCU will never call you to verify your credit/debit card CVV number(s) or any other personal security information. If you receive such a call, please call 800-234-1234 or the number on the back of your card to verify its authenticity.
2. Don’t give out any personal information to anyone online, through social media, or over the phone unless you initiated the contact or can validate that they are actually employed by the company he or she is representing.
3. Keep a close eye on your accounts. Use Redstone’s online banking to check your accounts daily. Use Credit Card Control or Debit Card Control to track how your card’s usage or turn the card on and off.
4. Use strong passwords – Each of your passwords should be unique and include elements such as symbols, numbers & uppercase & lowercase letters.
5. Click carefully – Don’t open unsolicited emails & only download files and software you can trust.
If you believe your card has been compromised, call the service phone number on the back of your card immediately. They will cancel the card and issue a new card.
