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Author: Mike
Wilson
 You could become a victim to a new Identity Theft Scam and
not know it. Consumers making purchases via the Internet have long
known of the potential for their credit card numbers to be stolen
if they do not purchase from a reputable company on a secure
website. Recently, would-be Identity Thieves have now begun
targeting retail department store customers, as well, in an effort
to steal your credit card number and other identifying
information.
The
scam works like this:
You make a
purchase at a department store using your credit card. As the clerk
rings up your purchase, the phone next to the register rings. The
caller Identifies himself as store security and claims that
security has reason to believe you are a suspect in a credit card
fraud. The caller describes you physically to the clerk as if the
caller was viewing you on the store closed-circuit security
cameras. The caller then says he needs the clerk to verify the
information on the card, including the name, credit card number,
and expiration date. The caller may also instruct the clerk to ask
for your address and social security number. If you provide this
information to the clerk, the caller now has everything they need
to know about you to steal your identity. See, the caller is not
store security, but a con-artist. The caller obtained the clerk's
direct extension and is calling it from a cell phone as they watch
nearby.
How
you can protect yourself:
You should
never provide your home address and social security number to
anyone while making a credit card purchase. The merchant has no
reason to ask for it and you are not required to provide it. If a
clerk begins to give your credit card and personal information out
to someone over the phone, demand to know whom they are talking to
and why. If you are not satisfied with their response bring the
matter to the attention of the manager on duty, then contact your
credit card company immediately to report what has
happened.
This is a
relatively new scam, but it is a clever one. The more you know
about it, the less likely it is that you will become a
victim!
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