Beware Of New Twist In Credit-Card Phone Scam

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- Beverly Hills police warned today about a credit card scam that was reported by a resident of their city.

The scammer calls would-be victims on the telephone claiming to be from the security and fraud department of either VISA or MasterCard. They give a name and badge number and say the victim's card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern.

The caller asks if the cardholder has purchased something they did not purchase for hundreds to thousands of dollars and promises to credit their account.

The caller gives the cardholder a control number for the fraud investigation and then asks for the key element in the scam. They ask for the three-digit security number on the back of the cardholder's credit card. They already have the card number and need the security code to access the account, police said.

Consumers should hang up or tell the caller they will call VISA or MasterCard directly to verify the conversation, police said.

--City News Service/Shutterstock image