The significant amount of data breach activity affecting the card industry in recent months has generated an increase in socially engineered fraud scams aimed at consumers. Criminals are taking advantage of vulnerable consumers by leveraging Phishing, text and phone channels to trick them into providing personally identifiable information. The geographic areas where these scams are operating, as well as the information criminals are attempting to gather, are completely diverse. Here are some examples of recent scams operating in the US:
Automated Vishing calls: Consumers are receiving automated phone calls from a blocked source stating that their payment cards have been blocked. Cardholders are asked to enter their full card number and PIN or CVV2 information to reactivate their card. If the calls go unanswered a voicemail message is left instructing the consumer to contact a number to reactivate their account.
Text Smishing messages: Text messages referencing compromised cards and suspended accounts are typical. A number is provided within the text message for reactivation. Most messages do not reference a particular financial brand name. Affected regions have been varied.
Never give out personal information to unknown individuals or companies over the phone or through a text message. If you feel that your information has been compromised, contact us immediately by calling 856-696-0767.