Fraudulent Calls Concerning Your Credit Card
During this past weekend (6/13-14/09), it appears that the Denver metro area was blasted with calls concerning credit cards. The calls were automated and asked that the recipient make a return call to an “866” area code. The automated calls stated that there may have been “suspicious activity” or “unauthorized charges” to your credit card. When the “866” number was called, the agent needed the credit card number, expiration date, and 3-digit security code to ‘fix the problem.’
The weekend was probably chosen because if your credit card is from a bank, it may not have been possible to reach them to verify the problem. If you called the ‘866’ number and provided information, you need to check your credit card statement by calling the ‘800’ Customer Service number on the back of your card or checking your statement online. Review the statement for any charges that you did not make. If there are fraudulent charges:
- Report the charges to your credit card company as fraudulent so they can be removed by your credit card company;
- You should probably close that credit card and have a new card issued by your credit card company;
- Report the incident to the Attorney General’s Office @ 303.866.5189;
Send a report to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.
Always remember:
- Should there ever be a problem with your credit card, your credit card company will not ask you for any personal information;
- Should you ever receive a call concerning your credit card, feel free to ‘Hang up’ and call the Customer Service number on the back of your credit card;
- Don’t ‘leap’ (by giving out information) and then ‘look’ (by seeking to verify whether a call is genuine). Call the District Attorney’s Fraud Hotline (303.271.6980) or local law enforcement for assistance.
Source: District Attorney Scott Storey, Office of Jefferson/Gilpin Counties, Colorado
To report fraud, ask a question, or schedule a ‘Power Against Fraud’ seminar, call: 303-271-6980
