RCMP Warns of New Credit Card Scam
Financial fraud is on the rise in Canada, with scammers finding new ways to take advantage of our collective trusting nature. In 2020 alone, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received more than 70,000 fraud complaints with total losses of $106.6 million. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, considering the CFAC estimates less than 5% of all fraud is reported.
So, perhaps it should come as no surprise that in a recent poll, 18% of Canadians said they’ve been a victim of credit card fraud. This can include lost or stolen cards used for an in-person shopping spree, as well as the theft of card data that can be used to create a counterfeit card or to make online/phone purchases (called Card Not Present fraud).
One of the devious methods criminals use to get unsuspecting card holders to give up their information is the so-called “bank investigator scam” — which has been so pervasive that the RCMP and Consumer Protection Agency have issued alerts to warn Canadians about it.
There are a few varieties of the bank investigator scam, so we’ve outlined the details below to help you stay vigilant and keep your credit card information — and your finances — safe.
In This Article:
Overview of the Scam
You get a call on your landline — usually early in the morning — from a person who claims to be working in the security and fraud department of your bank or credit card company. They’ve supposedly flagged your account due to unusual purchase activity overnight and are calling to find out whether your card has been compromised. They then ask if you’ve made a particular purchase; once you reply that you haven’t, they assure you they will credit your account for the amount.
To verify the credit, the caller recites your home address (correctly) and says you can call the 1-800 number on the back of your card later if you have questions. Finally, they ask you to prove that you are in possession of the credit card by asking you to read out the three- or four-digit CVV (Card Verification Value) security number on the back of your card. After you do this, they respond that you are correct, thank you and hang up.
Unfortunately, the caller now has all the information required — your name, address, card number and CVV — to commit CNP fraud.
Here are a few other versions of the scam:
- Call-back request: The caller may ask you to call the 1-800 number on the back of your card to prove to you the call is legit. When you hang up, however, the call is not immediately disconnected because there is a 5 to 25 second disconnect delay on landline calls in Canada. To really fool you, the caller even plays a recording of a dial tone to make you think you are placing a new call but — make no mistake — the scammers are still on the line. When they “answer” your call, they redirect you to an imposter who may ask you to transfer funds to an external, supposedly “safer”, bank account (that belongs to them) while the “investigation” is taking place.
- Transaction-review request: Some victims are duped into providing remote access to their computers and online banking records so the “investigator” can review any suspicious transactions.
- Investigation-assistance request: Other victims are asked to “help” catch the criminal by accepting a deposit and transferring on it to another account. The deposit, however, is fake — which means victims end up transferring their own money to the scammers.
So, how did the caller get your name, address and/or credit card number to begin with? Believe it or not, there are lead lists for sale online that contain this information for marketers. Unfortunately, criminals can purchase the lists as well. Other methods include going through your garbage or mailbox for credit card statements, hacking companies that have your card information, or through phishing scams (fraudulent that try to get you to hand over your personal information).
Serious Consequences
According to CFAC records, nearly 800 Canadians have lost more than $6 million to the bank investigator scam since 2016, and thousands more reported receiving these suspicious calls. As of early-November, this year’s reported losses alone have surpassed $2 million, making the bank investigator scam the 5th worst type of reported fraud in 2019, based on total losses.
Top-five scams in Canada in 2019
(based on total losses reported*)
| Type of scam | Loss ($CDN) |
|---|---|
| Wire fraud | $12,460,094.22 |
| Romance | $8,355,786.08 |
| Investments | $5,784,098.49 |
| Service | $2,990,469.25 |
| Bank investigator | $2,007,752.24 |
*Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre data as of Nov. 8, 2019
“These scammers aren’t first timers, they know what they’re doing,” says Jeff Thomson, senior RCMP intelligence analyst and manager of CAFC’s fraud prevention and intake unit. “Some victims have gone so far down the rabbit hole that they’ve lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Indeed, earlier this year, five Vancouver-based seniors lost $3.1 million after a scammer persuaded them to transfer large amounts of money to overseas accounts using the call-back request detailed above. “The fraudster would tell the senior their credit card had been used for a large purchase or that police needed their help for an investigation,” CBC News reported. “When the senior picked up the phone again to call 911 or their bank as directed, the fraudster was still on the line. They would play a fake dial tone, and then they would pretend to be the police officer or bank representative after the senior dialled the number.”
Losses from the bank investigator scam may also come from CNP fraud. “A common CNP fraud is the purchase of airline tickets, which can then be sold to others at a discount,” says Thomson.
While victims of CNP fraud can dispute the charges with their credit card company and, in most cases, will not be out-of-pocket, that’s not a guarantee and the process can be long and frustrating.
Furthermore, if the compromised card happens to be one that you rarely use and you don’t monitor the statements carefully, you may not even be aware that fraudulent charges were made on your account. In that case, your credit score will suffer (at least in the short term) while you have unpaid balances outstanding.
Protect Yourself
There are a number of ways you can protect yourself from falling victim to the bank investigator or other credit card scams:
- Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers often use call-spoofing technology to display fake phone numbers on your call display. So, while it appears as though it’s really your bank, credit card company, the RCMP, or some other official organization reaching out to you, it’s not.
- Look for red flags. “Banks and other financial institutions will not call you seeking personal information — they already have that stuff,” says Thomson. Similarly, banks or law enforcement officials will never ask you to transfer funds to an external account for security reasons, ask for your help in an investigation, or need remote access to your computer. These are sure signs you are being scammed.
- Call back from your mobile. If you’re not sure that it’s a scam and you want to be 100% certain, hang up your landline and use your cell phone to call the 1-800 number of the back of your card. That way you will not run the risk of staying on the line with the scammers by mistake.
- Stay calm. It’s not an accident that these calls often come in the early morning; the scammers do so with the intention of catching you off guard and creating a sense of panic so you will act quickly. But there’s no need to rush into anything. “Always take five and think about it,” says Thomson.
- Keep your credit card information safe. Only share your credit card number or other sensitive information during calls you initiate to the telephone number of the back of your credit card.
- Shred, shred, shred. Destroy anything that has your credit card number on it to avoid theft. But before you shred your billing statement, check to ensure you don’t have any odd charges.
- Be careful online. Don’t click on email links from anyone pretending to be your bank or credit card company, even if the email looks legitimate, as it could be a phishing scam. Also, only enter your credit card number on secure websites that you can be 100% sure are legit.
You’ve Been Scammed…Now What?!
If you happen to succumb to the wily ways of a fraudster, revealing your credit card number or CVV when you shouldn’t have, there are several things you should do to decrease the chances of suffering losses.
- Call your credit card company immediately. They will check to see if any charges were put on the card that you aren’t aware of. If not, they will cancel your card and issue a new one. If so, they must also thoroughly investigate any disputed transactions. In most cases, if you report right away, you will not be responsible for the charges.
- Contact the credit bureaus. Equifax and TransUnion are Canada’s two credit reporting agencies. Get in touch with both and ask for a fraud alert to be placed on your file. Also be sure to get and review a copy of your credit report to make sure all the information on it is correct. If not, report any errors.
- Report the fraud. Call your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which is the central Canadian agency responsible for collecting data on economic crime.
Moving forward, make a habit of checking your credit card transactions regularly (either online or on your monthly statements) and look for any charges that were not made by you.
Recommended Credit Cards to Protect You Against Scams
| Credit Card | Special Feature | Welcome Bonus | Annual Fee | Card Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card | Fraud alerts | Earn 10% Cash Back on all Purchases for the first 3 months† up to a total spend of $2,000. After your first $2,000 in Purchases, Gas Purchases, Grocery Purchases and Pre-Authorized Payments will continue to earn 6% up to a total spend of $3,500 for the first 3 months. Plus, no Annual Fee† for the first year for the Primary and Additional Cardholders. Conditions apply. Must apply online by September 5, 2022. | $120 (Annual Fee Rebate)† | Read Review |
| BMO® CashBack® MasterCard®* | Purchase protection and extended warranty on most items bought with the card | 5% cash back for the first 3 months up to a maximum spend of $2,500 ($125 cash back) | $0 | Read Review |
TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
†Terms and conditions apply.
What Have We Learned?
There are many types of bank fraud in Canada, but the bank investigator scam is one of the more common ones. But, with the right information, you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.
Remember that your bank or credit card company will never call you asking for personal details, and that the official-looking phone number that appears on your call display could be spoofed. Don’t rush into action. Hang up, wait a few minutes to be sure the call is really disconnected (or switch to your mobile phone) and call the 1-800 number of the back of your card if you are unsure. Never transfer money or provide remote access to your computer based on a request from a caller.
If you do give out any personal information, call your bank and/or credit card company right away and explain what happened. Then report the incident to police and the CAFC. Credit card scams have evolved and so should your methods of protecting yourself.
Article comments
Recently I’ve received 2 calls from New York 631 397 6067 about 2 suspicious charges on my visa card. I love to play the game with these scammers so I went ahead and spoke to a support person named MARK in my case. Yah right. Of course he went through his script and we started the dance. I told him I have 2 Visa cards and asked him to tell me which card was charged. He told me it was my “Bank of Nova Scotia” card (which I don’t have). So I asked him to tell me the LAST 4 digits on the card that was charged. He then replied the one that starts with 45. WELL DUH. Many bank cards begin with 45. I again asked him to tell me the LAST 4 digits on the card and there was silence….HE WAS GONE. I wish I could have danced a bit longer with Mark but alas no luck. Perhaps we’ll chat again in the next few days. Looking forward to it. ROFLMAO
Hi Peter Pan,
Aren’t you a croc. Sounds like you had him on the Hook 😉
Got this exact call just a few minutes ago from 289-232-3411. Automated female voice. Same $400 eBay purchase and gift card purchase. It gave options like “Press 1 to confirm these purchases. Press 2 to challenge these transactions.” I just held the phone until the line cut off by itself.
Hi Vince,
Thanks for reporting in; glad that you didn’t bite.
Just got one of those famous calls about 2 charges on my Visa card. I get one of these almost every second day so today I decided I had had enough and pressed “2” to speak to someone. I was connected to Leo, who had a very strong Indian accent. I asked Leo where he was calling from, to which he replied he was a Canadian. I told him that I did not ask for his nationality but rather where he was calling from. He hesitated at first and then replied that he was calling from Toronto, Canada. At that point I told him that if he or his organization ever call me back, I will contact the RCMP. He hung up. p.s. I was not very polite when I told him to never call back.
Hi Lou,
Straight and to the point- I like it. Thanks for sharing your experience and I hope the nuisance calls stop.
I got a call recently from 647-819-2151. Instead of answering their questions I said I wanted them to answer my questions. I asked who was calling and did they know the person they were calling. I asked them why they were calling this number since this was a murder scene. How well did they know the deceased. I asked if they had recent contact with the deceased. I informed them I was from the Crime Bureau and wanted this person to come into the station for questioning. They hung up immediately . Tom September 15, 2021
Hi Tom,
Really appreciate you stopping by to share this. Truly an instant classic and one that I’ll have to add that to the repertoire. Take notes folks!
I’ve been getting a lot of these new ones recently (the $400 and $1300 charges on my credit card), and of course I then block the number prefixes.
But I have a question about these that dates back to the “You’ve won a cruise” messages. I seem to recall there was some kind of scam simply related to pressing numbers in response to their recorded prompts. Wasn’t there something about how you’d get large charges on your phone bill, as there was some sort of long-distance credit scam they were running? Like, you’d be charged $20, and they would somehow accrue credits for telecom? Maybe I’ve got it wrong, but I thought even pressing a key would ding your account.
Because frankly, it’s Covid nesting time, so leading on a scammer would actually be a good source of amusement, as long as it doesn’t cost me anything. Like when the “Microsoft Security” people call, and I keep them on the line for ages pretending to let them have remote access, before telling them I have a Mac.
Hi Bob,
I won a fair share of cruises in my day but never experienced any extra charges on any subsequent bills. That said, I’d be interested to hear from any of our readers if they’ve experienced something like that before. Covid or not, hope you have a ball stringing on the scammers!
Thank you for this! I got a scam call this morning from 416 488 1685 saying a $400 eBay purchase and $1300 international gift card purchase was made from my card and requesting I call back. I knew it was a scam as the caller ID was a private number and not the bank, so of course I didn’t call back. Many will not be so lucky.
Hi Rosemary,
Fantastic! Thanks for reporting in- thanks for sharing your experience and glad that you kept up your guard. Hopefully your story will help others too.
I just had the same. Except for the number which was 519-906-1895. All the amounts and places of puchase were the same. They were telling me that is was about my Visa, which I do not have (I have MasterCard), so I hung up.
Hi Josée,
Thanks for sharing- glad you were on to them.
I just recieved this exact call from 905-940-7222. Same exact fake charges and everything. The only reason I knew it was fake is it’s “from Visa” but I don’t have a Visa!
Hi Daniel
Facepalm! They’ll try anything and the sad thing is, sometimes it works. Glad it didn’t on you.
I just had the exact same scam attempt from 416-850-9759. They got tripped up when I asked them to be more specific about who they were calling from (I have two Visa cards from two different banks). Their response was to hang up.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for reporting in- glad to hear that your first instinct was to test the caller. Obviously theirs, was to give up.
I got scalp from 613-866-1292 and I tore into them even though it was a recording. They will be reported as even though it is a recording. Whatever you say they HAVE to listen to it.
Hi Levi,
Glad you didn’t fall victim to a scam and gave them a piece of your mind. Hope that stops them from trying again.
Just got this call from (613) 295-4447, saying that I had two fraudulent gift card charges. I hit “2” to see what they wanted to say.
She asked for the first four digits of my card, which I refused to provide, and then she hung up.
Next time, I’ll be keeping a train horn sound handy.
Hi Anonymouse,
Thanks for sharing. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that train horn.
hahaha i got the same call! i pressed 1 to “accept the charges” and they just played the same message again so i pressed 2, when the indian man on the other end of the line asked what the visa security department could do for me today i very sweetly told him i got a call warning about fraudulent activity but that i did indeed make the purchases and could he please approve the charges as i am traveling and that’s why i bought the gift cards? he was very irate and hung up. they just called back, i pressed 1 again, then 2, and they hung up right away 😔 i guess they don’t like being scammed themselves. i love playing with these people and wasting their time. i gave them a fake name, fake address, fake social insurance number, and fake bank account once when there were “multiple warrants out for my arrest” and they “verified” all of it 😂 and said i needed to pay $1400 immediately. the call went on for 2 hours.
Hi Lyndis,
I salute you! Will definitely have to keep this one in the back pocket. Take notes folks, this is how you give as good as you get.
got the same ‘scam’ from a ‘647’ phone number (647 738 5689) around 9:00AM (6/17/2021), just like the others, the usual “press 1, press 2” etc bs… automatically hung up once i heard visa security team lmao
Hi Anon,
Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear the joke is at their expense and not yours!
I have just received such a call.
I was wise enough to hang up as I have asked my credit card company and my bank to notify me by email whenever I make a purchase…I keep a close watch on my statements.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for reporting- glad to hear that you hung up and are keeping a close eye on your statements. Keep it up.
I just got the same call that Owen received 1-882-189-4907 an automated notification claiming that they were Visa Security Center. This number called my cell, not my landline.
Hi Shauna,
That’s sneaky. Glad that you didn’t fall for it!
just go an automated call from VISA Security Center today from 1-250-382-2126 (Victoria, BC) around 10:30am, requesting to accept “$400 charges to eBay and $1300 International Gift Card” charges by pressing 1 or decline press 2. I pressed 2 to decline but the automated request repeated a second time with the same request. I declined a second time and the call was disconnected and never called back. Good that I looked up this site
Hi Owen,
Happy to hear that we were here to help you flag this as a scam!
I just got that call today (I hung up) and went on the google to research and landed here.
You should NEVER press a requested button. Just hang up.
Hi Steve-o,
Solid advice. Stay safe!
I just got a similar call from 613-200-3340.
Automated call from Visa Security. Said I have two charges, $400 to eBay and $1,300 to international gift card or something. Asked me to hit 1 to accept charges and 2 to deny them.
I hung up.
Hi Nish,
Thanks for sharing and glad to hear you hung up. Stay frosty.
Same one this morning; same automated message from a Toronto number (647) 246-6226. Hung up, called back and wouldn’t you know… number isn’t in service.
Hi Kevin,
This one is a favorite scam for sure. Number not in service, isn’t that interesting. Thanks for reporting in.
I just got two of these calls in a row. “Your credit card has two suspicious charges…” blah, blah, blah. Since a) I don’t have a credit card and b) any legit financial or government institution would ask for me by name, I knew full well it was a scam and not nearly as entertaining as the time a scammer called, claiming to be from the IRS and that I owed back taxes or some such. I advised that scammer to be a bit more diligent in checking which country he was calling. Usually I just hang up on scammers, but that one amused me.
Hi Trish,
Had a good chuckle with this one. You’d think they’d check to see if you had a credit card first. I mean honestly, maybe it’s hard to find good scammers these days? Stay safe!
Received 2 automated calls this week claiming to be from Visa security about two transactions on my card. Guy came on the line saying hello, and when I said I wasn’t comfortable speaking to someone who called me about my credit card, he hung up. Phone numbers of callers 647-271-5528 and 905-328-3732.
Hi Mary,
Glad to hear you turned away a scammer and appreciate the warning!
Like the previous post, I got an automated recording call from “Visa Security Center” this AM about two suspicious charges on my card saying… “$400 charge to eBay and $1300 International Gift Card. Press 1 to accept…etc.” Then a pleasant-sounding gentleman, with a marked east-Indian accent came on the line, identified himself as Gary (not a very east-Indian first name) “Gary” graciously asked me “how he could be of assistance” and was about to ask for my Card #. I hung up, as you should too! The caller display=Wireless Caller-905-328-3292 i.e. Toronto.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for reporting your experience. Glad “Gary” got the silent treatment.
Hi, just received an automated call from 519-340-6838 (Kitchener) which stated there was fraudulent activity on my Visa. $400 charge to eBay and $1300 to International Gift Card. Press 1 to accept … etc. Thank you for running the forum and keeping people informed.
Hi Dave,
Glad to hear the fraudulent activity ebay/giftcard scam failed again!
Also DO NOT answer any question with the answer “Yes”, like “Can you hear me?” A scammer will sometimes record this, and now have your “permission” to do fraudulent things.
Hi Dangle,
Thanks for sharing this. A great time to prevent identity theft!
This morning, we received an automated message telling us money was stolen from our credit card. Press one blablabla…. Don’t fall for this!!!! It’s a scam!!!!!!
Hi Lrivard,
Great catch, it sure is a scam! Thanks for letting us know and stay safe.
I try to keep them on the line as long as possible. I get positively giddy when they call.
Hi James,
You must have some entertaining stories. Here’s to many more frustrated scammers. Carry on, good sir!
Ontario
Received an automated call from a 514 area code (kitchener – SPOOF!)
…………..Fraudulent activity on my credit card……. press 1
Click.
Don’t fall for these spear/phishing tactics…..
There is an option on mobile (iOS) to ‘silence’ calls – specifically those that are not in your phones’ contact list.
Stay vigilant!
Hi Tsack,
Thanks for the heads up and sharing the great suggestion to enable the Apple iPhone option to silence calls that aren’t on your contact list. For any readers using Android phones, Google’s Pixel devices and select android devices have a screen call feature that can help you filter these out. You should also be able to block/report spam numbers. Stay frosty.
CVV should be private, but credit card companies allow merchants to demand it. The merchant or their employees would have all the information needed to make online purchases until the limit of the card is reached.
Hi Michel,
Merchants actually need to collect CVV numbers to help verify that you’re in possession of the card. It’s an essential way to counteract credit card fraud. Rest assured, merchants are not allowed to keep the CVV on file in their systems in accordance with strict compliance requirements.
Received an automated call from 416-377-3089 which stated there was fraudulent activity on my Visa. $400 charge to eBay and $1300 to International Gift Card. Press 1 to accept … etc.
Definitely knew it was a scam … would hope a live person would call and notify me of suspicious activity.
Hi Jacquie,
Thanks for sharing. You’re right- any automated call reporting fraudulent activity should be a clear warning if they’re asking for any information. If anyone is unsure if the account is actually compromised, look up your financial institution’s customer service number yourself and call them confirm. Stay safe!
Same here, just got the same call
Hi FT,
Hope we had a role to play in keeping you informed and on guard. Thanks for letting us know to stay on the look out for this one.
I just received the same automated call. ($400 to eBay, $1300 to international Gift Card). The number was 519-542-5005. Thank you for those of you commenting here, I was pretty sure it was a scam, but this helped confirm and give me peace of mind about hanging up on it.
Hi Scott,
Really glad to hear that we were able to play a role helping you avoid the scam and give you peace of mind. Looks like this one is an active one. Thanks sharing your experience and warning our readers!
So got a call at 9am this morning from a 519-644-6729 telling me of 2 fraudulent charges ($300 on ebay and $1200 of gift cards). I got suspicious when they also asked for my debit card number because the scammer could “link the 2”. I googled scams will on the phone and found this article. Told them that I would go to the bank to resolve this. Called the bank and it is indeed a scam
Hi Caroline,
Way to keep your guard up by verifying with your bank. This ebay and giftcard combo appears to be a favorite scam. Thanks for sharing!
We’ve had so many calls about 2 fraudulent charges on our Visa, always the same 2 charges, to the same 2 places, for the same 2 amounts…. I can’t even say how many we’ve had, hundreds I’m sure. They never say which of us the call is for, so we always joke that the call must have been for the cat. Today at 7:25am we got another one but this was a live person, with an Indian accent (what a surprise, not!). She said she was Suzanne (odd name for someone from Indian), and then the usual blah, blah, blah. Obviously if I didn’t fall for it the first hundred times, I’m probably not going to fall for it today. The sad thing is that they called my mother-in-law a couple of days ago with the same song & dance. They needed her to get her Visa card and when she explained that she is elderly & disabled and couldn’t get the card, they said that’s okay and just ended the call. If if was legit, I don’t think that the credit card company would just blow it off like that. She knew it was a scam but it still rattled her. BTW, I’ve watched lots of Jim Browning’s stuff on YouTube…. absolutely brilliant!
Hi Clawed,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear that your mother-in-law was rattled but I’m glad that no one fell for any scams. Keep channeling your inner Jim Browning and stay vigilant!
Just got a call from 519-448-8928 saying had 2 purchases, 1 from Ebay and another gift card. Press 1 for accepting, 2 for cancel. I gave my name and then she asked for the credit card # and I didn’t give it.
Thanks for the tip.
Got the call from “visa fraud” just now. First, I don’t actually use my visa card, in fact I haven’t activated the replacement they sent. And then it occurred to me, wouldn’t the BANK call you not visa? Except Capital One and Amex all credit cards are handled by the banks credit card dept, like the number on the back of my BMO MasterCard is specific for BMO. Honestly it’s so tempting to fall for these, I almost do every time it’s only weird issues like the fact that I don’t have an active visa, or the one time I got a call on my American number so they asked for my ssn (not being American I don’t have that) that prevents me from immediately falling for it.
Hi TJ,
Thanks for sharing your experience and glad that you were able flag the it as a phishing scam. Great tip- don’t give out your personal information from a number you don’t recognize. Next time they call, consider telling the caller to provide you with a call back number and compare it with the back of your credit card so you can be sure you’re providing your info to someone trustworthy. Stay vigilant, friend!
https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/edmonton-woman-loses-nearly-250k-in-three-month-gift-card-scam
Interesting article, but a very common scam.
I was so close to being sucked in by this scam yesterday (30 March 2021). Got a call from Visa Fraud Department (live not automated) saying there had been 2 suspicious purchases on my credit card, EBay Canada for $400 & Google Play USA for $1300 early in the morning. I was running & distracted at the time & didn’t clue in that it was a scam. I asked if I could call them back with the number on the back of my card & they agreed (which convinced me so I didn’t 🤦🏼♀️)! They said they would cancel my visa & a new one would be issued, that I was to ensure I cancel all my direct billing’s etc. It was verbatim what the bank says. They didn’t ask me for much personal info at all but they did want confirmation of the 1st 6 digits of my card at some point. They hooked me in by making me really mad about the fraudulent charges. They said EBay immediately reversed the charges but they were working with Google Play to reverse those charges but because it was verified by Visa the merchant thought it was legit, that it was Google Play USA so it might take a bit longer as the banking system is slightly different & so on. I stayed on the line while they tried to figure it out. When they came back on the line I got suspicious. They said Google refused to reverse the charges because I must have given out personal info when making the purchase & it was authorized. Then they said there was a fraud ring operating in my area & gave the name of the Save On I shop at & a local RBC branch. They said there were likely cashiers, tellers & store managers working together. They said there was an IP address in Philippines being used. That’s when they started with the “you can help us catch them. The RCMP authorize $4000 onto your cancelled card. Go & buy Google Play cards from Save On blah, blah blah”. I asked for his name (David Gibson) & direct line number. I said I’d call him back. The numbers they called from were 1-905-278-3229 & 1-438-796-2408. I am not a senior & not easily sucked into these type of things but this one was VERY sophisticated. They must have bank scripts or something. I cancelled my cards, changed all my passwords & now need to get an alert on my credit file (those numbers are all broken – super annoying). The sad thing is neither my bank nor the local police were particularly interested or doing anything to stop them. It’s up to us to stop this happening. I asked in Save On yesterday if they see people buying large amounts of Google Play cards & the cashier said it’s almost daily! They try to stop them but some people are very determined. It’s so sad.
Thanks for sharing anonymous. If you want some catharsis after this experience, check out Kitboga, Jim Browning and Scammer Payback on YouTube where they screw around with scammers trying to pull this same refund scam on them. It’s funny, let’s you know that yes, they do have call centre scripts and that you are not alone. It’s good for putting levity into a bad situation too.
Was called today from 905-300-7474 to notify me that my TD Visa was compromised for a purchase on my eBay account for $450 and international gift card purchase for $1500. I was prompted to hit 2 but I didn’t and stayed online until an agent came online with a heavy accent saying my TD Visa had been hacked and there was fraudulent charges on it. When I asked him to verify the last four digits of the card in question he hung up. Called TD Visa directly and they confirmed it was a scam.
Way to go Bob,
That’s the way to do it. The only thing I would’ve done is hung up immediately because you’re going to get called more now because you responded and actually stayed on the line.
Got a call from 1-902-699-0771 this morning claiming that two large purchases were on my visa card and please press one. I hung up. Called my bank and they say it’s a scam. Has anyone else had calls from this number.
I did from 613-516-1870 but I just hung up after listening to the two number to press. I did call the number back and it’s not in service.
Yeah, that’s the way to do it. Always hang up and if you want to take the extra step for public good, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for tracking purposes
Hi Maureen,
Yep. This scam is very common. I haven’t got calls from this number specifically, but it’s a fake number that has been spoofed, so I’ve gotten calls claiming the same thing from different numbers. Don’t talk to anyone. Just hang up like you did and don’t press any numbers to verify the fraud. You will be connected to someone who will ask you to help them verify the charges by giving them your credit card details. Hang up immediately. Often these numbers will show up as ones from your area or look similar to your own cell phone number to get you to pick up.
I got one from 905-765-6762..tried to do a reverse look up..no such number found & when Idialed it it says number is not in service?
Hi Judy, it’s because the number was spoofed. There is no such number. Scammers can make any number they want appear (even ones similar to your own to make you pick up) but it’s usually not a real in-service phone number or it is, but it belongs to a different, but innocent person.
Don’t respond to this scammers phone number: 416 – 223-8243. In person or on your voicemail you are informed of a “gift card” credit card transaction that is suspicious and to press 0 for info. DO NOT RESPOND!
I agree Chris, even if you don’t actually get scammed. By picking up and responding, you’re inviting more calls, which is annoying.
got a call this am same thing saying I used a visa to buy something off of eBay and a gift card. said to press 2 if I did not want to charge to go threw. Of course I pressed 2 then looked this up. Phoned the number bank and the woman said it wasn’t her who called me. This was the phone number. 1-519-265-2174. The woman answered and said she would never do this. It was a Pakistani man and an asian woman so I don’t know. Today’s date is March 17th 2021 so be careful all.
This spammer spoofed the number. The person you talked to had their number spoofed by the scammers. It’s really frustrating how the phone companies can’t come up with a way to find the scammers real number, with the technology today.
Hi Gary, it’s generally because the calls come from India and the phone companies have no legal jurisdiction there. They’d have to hack the spoofing system and they are not comics and don’t have the time or money to put the effort in.
Hi Cindy,
This is a refund scam and the number that called you was a spoofed number (that’s why the real owner of that number had no idea about the incident and didn’t actually call you) Next time that happens, just hang up. as pressing two and engaging with the scammers means you’ll get a lot more calls of this nature. Just ignore them next time.
And … the attempted scamming continues. Just got a call from 416-084-5498 exactly like the ones described below (purportedly from VISA; suspicious charges of $400 to eBay and $1300 to international money transfer; press 1 to accept, 2 to deny, etc.). Pressed 2, waited silently, heard the message again, pressed 2 again, got an answer from a male speaking with an Indian accent, waited silently, and then the line went dead. No such activity on my VISA card, of course, as I verified immediately. First hit on Google brought me here, confirming my suspicions (thanks for posting!) I wonder how many times this works for them? It’s been going on unaltered since last summer, so someone must get sucked in every so often.
Well Rudi,
I keep getting calls so it must be working. Do it enough times and make enough calls and someone is bound to fall for it, especially seniors.
Not this crazy senior.
Good for you Gary
I just received a call this morning from 613-546-1478 – also stating suspicious charges on my credit card, $800 from Amazon and another for $2400 for gift cards – I laughed telling him I did not make these purchases, and stated that these payments are not authorized – he started to ask for information – again I laughed and told him my credit limit would not allow such purchases – abruptly he hung up. I tried to call back but it said that the line was disconnected. How unbelievable people are these days – it just irks me that they prey on people like this. Oh, I checked my account, no transactions took place.
Yeah, it is kind of unbelievable but they do it because it works. Particularly, when it comes to seniors who may not be as savvy. I do feel sorry for them. Of course for the scammers, if they call 100 people and are able to suck in two. that’s a good day’s work.
Got a call at 7:30 this morning Visa Fraud Services (1-416-599-8282). Automated call saying there were two large charges on my credit card: 400$ from eBay and a 1200$ gift card and from my history they know I don’t make these type of purchases. Press 1 to allow or 2 to deny. I pressed 2 a couple of times as it did not seem to work and then I was connected to a man with a Indian accent. After instructing him to deny the charges they wanted to know the first 4 numbers on my card. I was about to start asking them why they needed this info since they already had my name and the guy hung up on me. So unfortunately, it seems this type of scam as described in this site are still happening. First time for me lol…
Hi Serge,
I got this exact same automated call a few weeks ago and it spooked me initially, but instead of pressing anything I just hung up, opened up my credit card for online banking, realized no such charges were made by looking at my statement and went on with my day. The next time I got this call, I didn’t even wait for the message to go all the way through, I just hung up right away, knowing that if I connected to them by pressing a number, they would just start calling me even more frequently, because I actually connected to them.
I got the same call as well. I just hung up when it said to press 1 or 2, but knowing an Indian scammer would have come on the line I kind of wish I’d gotten to screw with him. I love watching those scambaiter videos on YouTube (ScammerRevolts is a good one) and it’s hilarious when they lose their temper. Anyway, this is the first such call I’ve ever gotten… e-mails are another thing though, I’ve gotten tons of those scam e-mails.
Hi Don,
I think I like JimBrowning best because he actually takes down whole call centers and actually helps victims, not just baits scammers. The scam episode on the New York Times’ The Daily podcast also featured him and was very good.
A CRA scammer called a number but it was the Port Moody Police Dept. The cop put the whole thing on YouTube. Scammer said he was Constable ?? and the real cop asked this scammer questions that only a cop would know. Scammer gave all wrong answers but the Police do have a way of tracing calls.
Hi Gary, If this is on YouTube? If so, post the link. I’d love to see it. If you know the guy, Greedyrates is looking for good scam stories for an upcoming article and this might fit the bill. Perhaps we could feature him in a story.
VM this morning at 7:13 AM from landline 778-817-0162
Female robot voice claiming to be verification call from VISA security department concerning an “unusual” charge made on my account at 5:00 AM and to press ‘1’ if I had not made the charge or to call them at 778-817-0162. I suspected it to be a scam of course, but was curious about the number ID which is supposedly a local number in Victoria BC, so I dialled it. After a few rings, this male robot announcement came on: “you do not have enough credit” followed by an abrupt fast busy signal, so that was interesting, but by calling them and my number showing up at their end, I bet I’m going to be inundated with future scam calls….grrrrhhh
Yep, you certainly are Anna, sorry. You may already know this, but the reason they spoof a local number (usually a number that’s only a few numbers from your own, in fact) is to get you to pick up out of curiosity or confusion. By doing that though, they give themselves away as a scam call. Anytime you see a local number close to your own, don’t pick up. Even if it’s a local number you don’t recognize that’s not close to your number, I wouldn’t pick up because if it’s real and they need to talk to you, they will text or leave a message.
I have these scum on the hook right now! I’ve been stringing them along since about 8:30 this morning, it’s now 10:30. I figure if I can keep them busy, they aren’t ripping anyone else off. These are getting better. This one started with it being TD VISA Fraud, and I had 2 charges, eBay for $400 and Google Gift Cards for $2100 and since I had never done anything like that, it flagged my account. Safe bet to grab at something like saying the purchases were made at something like 4:30 am. Normally they hang up on ME when I won’t hand over my card #, but this one was different. They spun one heck of a tale about a woman using my identity in P.E.I., the cards for a guy in Colorado for his COVID meds, it went on and on. Right now I’m supposed to be in my car on the way to Shoppers Drug Mart to purchase $2000 worth of Google cards, because I’m going to catch those fraudsters when I purchase them with my cancelled, but the RCMP put $2000 on, VISA! They get right obnoxious and pushy! They didn’t like the fact I told them I do not have a cell phone, I do, because they want to be on the line with you the entire time to make sure you DO what they want. It’s sad to think that there are people that would actually believe that there has been 2 grand put on my card so I can go and make this purchase, which I suspect they will then get me to tell them the numbers of? I don’t know what comes next, I’m about to call and tell them my car won’t start and see how much they flip out on me, LOL. Yes, I do have this much time!
Wow Dee,
You’re a bit of a sadistic genius aren’t you? Have fun, but be careful. You don’t want to get in too deep with these folks and they still may steal from you while you’re paying attention to all this other stuff, so keep your wits about you and report back if you found out anything more or if you just want to tell us what ultimately happened with this.
If Bell’s security services are great as they claim, how do spoofers copy allegedly secure phone numbers?
Actually Steve,
It’s surprisingly easy to spoof a phone number and many phone companies across North America fall victim to it when their supposedly secure numbers get spoofed, not just bell. Technically, spoofing isn’t even illegal in Canada and most of the spoofers are overseas where the Canadian legal system can’t do much anyway. Basically, all you can do is report scammers to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre so they can show theirs a pattern and maybe show legislators that something needs to be done about this. All they do is keep statistics on scams in Canada and the data can be used un research.
Got a call from 416 401 1346, they said I was being rewarded a 0% intetest credit card for having a good credit score.
Press 1 to speak to an operator, I had an Indian man on the line. I asked which card I had and he said a mastercard,and what the expiry date.was.
I told him I have a visa and it was none of his business benchod and hung up.
Hi John,
That was definitely a scam. Good for you for hanging up.
Lol, benchod always riles them up. Chutya is another good one.
Similar to some of the items below. Scam call from 1-903-749-3385 claiming to be Visa. Automated message saying that my card was flagged for charges that are not normally there and that I should press 1 to allow the charges, 2 to decline the charges, 0 to speak to the operator. Hung up. Definite scam.
Yep, good for you Barry.
Landline+14168391205
Visa securities. I ask him which bank are you calling from someone from India. He panicked and hung up on me.
Way to go Gina-Ann, that’s the way to handle those bottom feeders who pray on people in weak moments. Stay strong and keep your wits with any scammer.
Unlike the usual automated voice mail, this morning I received a direct call on my landline, which is published. Posing as a rep from Visa Centre, a woman asked if I am the person to which the phone no. is registered. She told me about a suspicious wire transfer of $600 to Nigeria on my Visa. I was in denial, and she promised to reverse the charges, cancel my current card, and re-issue a new one. During card no. verification, I gave her a random but validated no. She then transferred me to her colleague, who asked for my debit card no. too. He said it was for extra protection since my Visa card had already been compromised. Having not prepared for a random debit card no. in advance, I decided to call him out. Bet he would trick me into entering my PIN on my phone keypad. Their thick Indian accent is a giveaway.
Holy crap Derek, that was a bit of a close call wouldn’t you say? Good thing you picked up on what was happening pretty quickly. Another give away is them straight up asking for your credit card and debit card number over the phone. Most places ask you to key them in only when you call the number on the back of the card and it’s usually an automated process. No one just verbally asks for your credit card number and is legit.
Keep getting these scam phone calls,decided to answer this time,hit the “1” tp talk to the help,when she answered I blasted her,she wouldn’t answer me when I asked her who she was so I told her I knew this was a scam,never to frickin phone my house ever again,scam artist!!!!! I don’t think she will but who’s to say someone else won’t? So sick of these maggots,get a real job and stop leaching of hard working people!!! My e-mail is not working but you can catch me on FB.
Hi Sandra,
I really want to congratulate you on taking it to these scammers and I normally would. I get how good it feels to give them a piece of your mind, as I have done it myself. However, as you already pointed out, reaming out these scammers really does nothing. In fact, they’re used to it and yeah, it doesn’t stop anything because now that they know they can get you on the phone, you’ll start getting these calls more frequently. You’re making yourself a target. This is why my advice for any scam call is, don’t pick up and don’t waste your time because the only one who suffers in the long run is you.
Got a call from 678-446-1250 advising me of two illegitimate transactions on my visa card. Unfortunately, I don’t have a visa card, so I played along. I had to give the first six digits of my card number. I tried to fake a scotiabank number so I said 453266 which he said was wrong. Why do you need to ask me then. When he accused me of giving him the wrong number, he hung up. Gee I was having fun and didn’t want to quit….
Hi David,
That’s good. If you enjoy watching scammers being taken down in real time, as I do, follow Jim Browning on YouTube. I just got into him and he takes down scammers in such a way that it can almost be called art.
Kitboga is entertaining as well for scambaiting.
Thanks for the tip James, I’ll check him out.
Have been getting this kind of calls quite frequently and each time I am willing to play along. Using a random generator online, I am able to come up with a fake but validated Visa no issued by TD. So when being asked for the Visa no. for verification purposes, I am more than happy to provide. A slight variation of this scam came this morning. I was told $1,100 was charged on my Visa, and $300 was wire-transferred from my debit card. I told them my 2 cards were not connected, as I do my everyday banking with another institution (say BMO). Since the operator claimed to be from the Visa Centre, he would have no reason to get my debit card info. These scammers speak with thick Indian accent, so immediately a red flag is raised. I can spare the time and love to waste theirs as much as possible.
Part of me is jealous of how far you can take it. You also must have more time on your hands that I do. It would be cool to see one of your call answers in action.
The scammers often say, “VISA fraud department” rather than name the bank or other financial institution that issued the VISA card. Should you disclose the first four digits of a credit or debit card, you are unwittingly identifying what financial institution issued your card so that future scam calls might actually identify themselves as being from that bank.
Oh that’s good advice anonymous, thank you.
Got 2 calls today same visa scam one at 820am 19051941862 then again at 1054am 19056725442. So frustrated with these almost weekly calls want to respond but know its a scam already. To bad we don’t have a way to shut these down through the company’s collecting revenue from the robo- call centers.
You can report them to the anti-fraud centre Warren, but that’s about it, especially since the Do Not Call List only applies to legal telemarketers.
I love these calls. I always talk to them and start by asking if I can come over and have my way with their sister only I don’t phrase it so gently. Without pausing I let them know they have excrement for brains, again phrased slightly differently, and that their mother should have [email protected] just one more and we wouldn’t have to worry about them being such a f$$$Ing loser to do this for a living. Etc. Etc. They all hang up. If more people did this (to some degree) I’m sure most of these creeps would find another line of work.
Revenge is sweet Not Gonna Take It, but if you stay on the phone, it just gives them incentive to call you back from another spoofed number. So sure, if you enjoy it, stay on the line, but if you want to cut down on the amount of scam calls you get, don’t pick up the phone. If the area code and first three numbers are from your number, you know it’s a spoofed number so therefore, it’s a scam.
A couple of calls recently from 905-442-7181 advising me that there were two suspicious charges on my VISA $300 for a local purchase and $1100 for an international money transfer. Press 1 to confirm the charges, 2 to decline the charges, 9 to speak to a fraud investigator. The first time I told the “fraud investigator” to go forth and multiply (in a blunter way), the second time – three days later – I figured I’d waste some of their time. Had to find my card, my glasses, had to ask him (Peter by name) several times to repeat and re-explain what he wanted me to do. He asked for the first four digits of my debit card, for what I don’t understand and would appreciate any clarification, but I was confused and accidentally gave him the first four digits of an expired Home Depot card, and then I got really confused and gave him the four digits of the current year (2020) and he had to explain all over again that he wanted the first four digits of my debit card – the four digits that begin with 45. That made me even more confused and I asked if he knew the first two digits, why didn’t he know the rest? Then he explained again that it was to confirm who I was so he could cancel my VISA account and send me a new card because of the two suspicious charges. What charges? The $300 local and the $1100 money transfer, Peter again explained, were those transactions that I had made? I answered yes; he hung up. It all took about 10 minutes. I get that if you annoy them, they may call back to try and get even, but I do wonder how much time they have to waste?
Hi Randy,
It’s not my style (I would much rather not answer the phone at all, as not to waste my own time) but thanks for providing us with a great story for our entertainment. All of us here are glad you had fun I’m sure.
Scam call from 1-905-633-3931 claiming to be Visa. Automated message saying that my card was flagged for charges that are not normally there and that I should press 1 to allow the charges. Hung up. Definite scam.
Good for you MJ — that’s the way to do it.
got a call from 866-236-7436 claiming to be CIBC with an urgent need to talk to me, they left a message on my phone, told me to reference file 01-202897166. I called the number, recorded message appearing as CIBC, but lots of static on the line. All agents were busy was asked to leave my phone number for a call back.
I did not give them anything, Called CIBC verified this was a scam call the 866 number is not a CIBC telephone number. I have had 2 calls about CRA as well many weeks ago. I also did not call them back.
That’s good that you followed up and verified with the actual CIBC. It’s best to ignore these scam calls entirely because as soon as you answer them and respond your own number can be spoofed and even stolen to scam other people in your contact list.
Got the same call at 9:30 this morning from 1-905-617-7797. Automated call saying there were two large charges on my card from eBay and a gift card and from my history they know I don’t make these type of purchases. Press one to allow or to to deny. I pressed 3 and the phone rang and connected for a second the. Hung up. I got on my cell phone and called my credit card company to verify any transactions. Nothing there.
Hi Mary,
Yeah, I just wouldn’t answer phone calls from numbers I don’t recognize. Let them leave a message. You don’t wait scammers to actually bait you on the hook.
“Believe it or not, there are lead lists for sale online that contain this information for marketers” – In that case why can’t the government step in to stop the problem at its source? Why is it OK for telemarketers, big businesses to collect people’s information without their consent and sell it?
Hi Enicko,
Technically, the CRTC and Canada’s privacy commissioner have put in place legislation where internet service provides (Bell, Rogers, Telus) cannot sell your personal information to marketers without your consent, so it isn’t okay. All Canadians must consent before their information is shared. However, some Canadians do give their consent without knowing they have (by forgetting to check the right box on an e-mail for example or entering a contest and requesting marketing material be sent their way) or some knowingly give their consent for a completely different reason and then forget they did a few months later.
Also, even though ISPs don’t collect identification information, they do collect de-identified information which help with things like city planning, demographics and service improvement. Though this information doesn’t directly identify you, it can re-identify you when combined with other sources of data. This has become enough a problem that some companies have explicitly had to say they don’t do that in their terms of service.
I got a second call today from this number 1-647-957-1525. I live in southern Ontario Canada. As with the first time, I again I didn’t answer the phone but they left another message telling me that a large purchase was made on my Visa over night and that I need to call them right away. So I called them back this time and told them to stop scamming people after they asked me for my VISA card number. They hung up on me. None of my credit cards are VISA, that’s what first tip’d me off.
Wow, good for you Kate Friday. Also, is your name really Kate Friday? If so, that’s a really cool name. You should have your own series of girl detective novels, maybe investigating credit card scams or something.
Scam call from 315-958-0469
Everyone should be posting these numbers online, most people will google the number and hopefully they see someone already recorded the number as coming from scammers.
You’re right Alex, the latest phone scam I seem to be getting calls from are reportedly coming from Service Ontario where there is a warrant out for my arrest over money I supposedly owe them. The start of those numbers are similar to my own with 323
I received the call at 8.30am Melbourne, Australia. “out of area private number”. Checked my visa card, all ok
Reply
Hi Marg,
That’s definitely suspicious. Good on you for following-up and checking it out. I’m so glad your account wasn’t compromised.
Wow! Reading this makes me feel a bit better and a bit worse. Better because I got the same call very early in the morning with a recording saying that there were 2 suspicious charges on my Visa, one from eBay and one for gift cards for a total of $1400 and to press 2 if I didn’t make these purchases. This has been going on almost daily for 2 weeks. I know it’s a scam because a real fraud occured on my Visa a couple of years ago and I got a call but there was no recording it was a person and the caller ID was legit. However I did say I wanted to make sure and they told me to call back the number on the back of my VISA card, which I did and I checked online and yes the 2 purchases were real. They refunded me and told me thy cancelled my card and issued a new one. They also told me to get in touch with any automatic payments company to let them know that I will have a new number in a week etc… However, reading the comments make me scared for others. I can see that this scam is spreading accross the country and I feels so bad for people who will get caught in it. Especially elderly people who are easy to scare and manipulate sometimes and the scammers know that. I hope they can find this site and read the comments.
Thanks to everyone who shared their story.
Just got a call saying charges were put on my card that looked suspicious,well,I did not renew my card and haven’t used it in a couple years and cancelled my other and received my new one but have not called it in yet so I knew it was a scam right there. I get them everyday,I usually don’t answer them.
Hi Sandra,
Good strategy. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck, or in this case, a scam. You did the right thing. Don’t answer suspicious calls or click on suspicious links or even open suspicious e-mails. Trust your instincts. If it looks like a scam, it probably is.
I just recieved a phone call at 11 am saying my Visa card was compromised through the night for 2 charges from Ebay
I said I will speak to my bank about this and hung up.
Checking my Visa account there were no such charges.
Wow Sandra, yeah that was definitely a fraud call. Good on you for not falling for it.
Just received a Visa scam call at 6:39 this morning. Hung up on him.
Aweesome Cajon, that’s what you always should do.
I got a call this morning at 6:57am stating unusal charges was made to my Visa card, one was for a purchase for a $400 headphones and $30 games. He wanted my Visa number, I am freaking out and I put the phone down and the phone disconnected. I check my bank online nothing, everything was ok. They called a second time, but I didn’t answer.
Yep Kim, that’s definitely a scam.
Yes Kim, that’s definitely a scam.
Got my morning Wake Up call from VISA Fraud (scammer) telling me that Unusual charges incurred on My Credit Card Overnight- Press 1 – to speak to a customer service representative. – I mentioned I was with The Police and though the benefits of modern technology I am RECORDING this conversation for Fraud and the recording will identify you as a willing participant in the fraud . Are you willing to be recorded ? The brazen representative said Yes. Asked what his name was? He answered . Used my name. I Asked where he was located ? Used my address . I told him he’s answer was a fraud on top of his scam above purporting to be a VISA representative -fraud investigator – Obviously he was schooled to bridge the Canadian laws and know the difference. I hung up – You would think the Telecommunications Administration – through local provider -cut ties with the caller number-Have a device available to record call -assist investigators in the breach of Law – Bring the matter to rest . Are we in a Government run society that encourages Crime – Are we targets of Governments -Weakness and Public criticism of our National Police – and defunding the Police . Keeping Social unrest and our Aboriginal
growth in check and Blaming the problems on the authorities. Look in the mirror Politicians it starts with the little things. Like a call from a Scammer using me name to steal my Belongings – Like we did to the aboriginals.A proud people “shut out of their wealth” By inaction by the leaders.
I got the same scam robocall a few seconds ago. The call came from 972-864-6565- or pretended to. “Two suspicious charges on your Visa, one on Ebay for $400.00 dollars, and a second for gift cards totalling $1300.00.” Hung up. Checked my card. Nothing.
Great to be able to do a quick search and find other people have encountered the same scam.
Received same type of call from 1-925-231-9355 at 7:40 am exactly the same as Mike below from june 22nd….recording about suspicious activity on visa for ebay …$400 and $1300. This was to my land line but yesterday around 3pm it came again but to my cellphone. I just hang up after hearing the recording and quickly checking my account.
Received a call from 1-416-444-5469 at 7:30 am, which I later checked on reverse Canada 411 and it said the # was from Listowel, ON (shout out to Letterkenny). The automated message stated I had two suspicious charges on my credit card, one from Ebay for $400 and a second for gift cards totaling $1300. The message added that because I did not have a history of purchasing gift cards on my credit card that these purchases were deemed suspicious. As many of the people in the comments below, the message continued by asking me to press ‘1’ to accept those charges or press ‘2’ to cancel. I pressed ‘2’ and was transferred to a live operated who began speaking another language for 5 to 10 seconds before the call was disconnected. I was initially concerned that by pressing ‘2’ I may have given them access to my cell phone somehow. Do these scams usually target landlines? This was my cell phone they called, which is formally my landline number. Does this ‘not fully disconnect’ scam only happen with landlines or can that happen on cell phones as well? Needless to say, I checked my credit card account and there were no such purchases made. Usually I would not answer a phone number I didn’t recognize and let it go to voicemail, but I have to say that it caught me off guard in the morning….and because I was still half asleep (sneaky buggers), I pressed ‘2’ instead of hanging up and checking for the purchases on my credit card account. Hopefully, no harm done.
Hi Mike, at this point I think they target cell phones since barely anyone has landlines anymore. If you’re worried, report the number to the anti-fraud centre at 1-888-495-8501 (toll free) and ask their advice.
I received the same call at 8.15am Sydney Australia time. Same 2 transactions, same amounts. No number visible “out of area private number”. Lately we receive many calls like this around 2pm saying they’re from our internet provider. We no longer answer those calls. As this one was so early in the morning, I answered. Hung up and checked my visa card, no unexpected charges.
Wow Desmond, what a close call. Thank goodness nothing happened to your credit card account.
Got a call from 19175193804 with visa charges to eBay and gift card. Pressed 0 to repeat but a lady came on the line. I said who are you calling, call me back from a valid Visa company phone and they hung up. Clearly a fraud.
Had a call this morning, stating “suspicious” charges on VISA card. I asked the caller if I could call them back. She said no, the call had to be with her. Haha! I said I would go into my account, online, to check out the charges. I did that immediately, and of course the charges weren’t there. Funnily enough, she didn’t wait on the line! I did have a call last year from VISA which was legitimate. I immediately asked them if I could call them back, and they said of course. When I called the investigative department of my bank (I didn’t know about the “delay” on a previous hang-up, but took me a couple of minutes to call back, anyway, so I was calling a legitimate number) they told me of the suspicious charges, which were indeed fraudulent, which I confirmed, and the charges were immediately removed from my account. I was happy to know my bank is diligent, and that I know how to legitimately contact them. Another bank, with a Master card, called a few weeks ago to point out suspicious activity on a card. Sure enough, it was. My husband had unknowingly dropped his card in a grocery store parking lot, it was picked up immediately, and used to rack up thousands of dollars of charges, within a short time. Thank that bank for its diligence. Here’s another tip – the “tap” function on cards can let anyone use them. I believe that some banks will allow you to have the “tap” feature removed, so a pin number is necessary for each transaction. My diligent bank reversed the fraudulent charges, and reissued a new card. Thank you, banking industry, for doing the best possible for your clients! And as a client, we are trying our best to thwart these scammers!
Just got a call 12043371998 telling my visa account had charges two large charges put on my account early this morning and asked me to press one to allow or 2 to cancel I pressed 2 and operator came on asking me questions then I asked what credit company she was calling for and she said a bank I didn’t have a card for ..then hung up
I just got a call saying that someone/I had charged something at 5 am (not even awake at that time) on my visa. To check they were legit I was suppose to call 647-696-5318. Needless to say I didn’t.
I just had a call from 416-840-2563 same thing asking me to press 1 to allow or 2 to cancel. I just hung up without pressing anything. Did you ever have any further consequenses?
Just got a call from 416-604-5944 @ 7:12am
When I answered a robotic voice advised me that my cc was used in 2 activities eBay and international something and to press 1 to accept or 2 to decline the charges and wait on the phone but luckily after I pressed 2 phone was cut off. I called back and it was not a visa line at all. Be careful everyone
-Just got called from 1-905-753-0897 on the 21-3-2020 @ 7:12am Asking me to press “1” to allow charges or “2” to cancel, and like a complete reflex I pressed pressed 2 without thinking about it. I’ll update later if anything more happens.
Did the same thing. So what happened?
Hello Ray.
The same thing happened to me. I pressed 2 before realizing it was a scam and then hung up. Did anything else happen in your case? Were any charges posted to your card?
Been getting robocalled from the following numbers since yesterday on my Ooma VoIP. My number is unlisted. I don’t have a VISA credit card.
(416) 570-7921 (416) 570-7921 Today 11:57 AM 00:00
1 (905) 663-8131 (905) 663-8131 Yesterday 11:02 AM 00:00
1 (905) 809-0644 (905) 809-0644 Yesterday 10:26 AM 00:00
1 (905) 888-5487 (905) 888-5487 Yesterday 10:24 AM 00:00
1 (905) 888-5487 (905) 888-5487 Yesterday 10:24 AM 00:00
1 (905) 567-1986 (905) 567-1986 Yesterday 10:22 AM 00:00
1 (905) 850-3270 (905) 850-3270
647-373-0318
If the numbers are reported for visa scam calls… why doesn’t some authority do something about it? Yes, education is important but how about consequence for the scam artists? It’s irritating to be woken up. If I get a long distance call I’m concerned it could be my senior mother calling, and it wakes me up. I should just give up having a land line period, if I cannot block a number.
Your in luck, the CRTC is in the midst of forcing telecoms to start blocking unsolicited or nuisance calls within their own networks, so hopefully your phone provider will be forced to combat the problem themselves. Meanwhile, the CRTC offers these tips: don’t answer it, screen your calls, don’t give out personal info, including your phone number, to anyone. Hang up immediately and never give out personal info over the phone or access to your computer. If you think the call might be part of a fraud scheme, contact law enforcement authorities or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly PhoneBusters) or call 1-888-495-8501.
I got a call this morning at 6 am. It was an automated message saying there was 2 charges on my card, press 1 to accept the charges 0r press 2 to decline the charges. I pressed 2 then it said it would transfer me to an agent but then it hung up on me. I hope pressing 2 didn’t do anything?? I was not expecting a call at 6 am
219 627 0259 visa automated fraud call from scammers
Hi JJ,
You should report that number to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll-free: 1-888-495-8501.
Visa charges fraud… I’ve had 2 phone calls this week. One was early in the week with the lady saying that there were 2 suspicious charges on my Visa card. Said if I wanted to have them deleted, to press 2 and speak with her supervisor. Today, I got the same call from a Guy saying the same thing as earlier this week. The funny thing is that I don’t even have a Visa card. I told the Guy to F**K himself and hung up. Do not fall for this scam.
Hi Jeff,
Glad you didn’t fall for it. Help others by reporting the number to the Anti-Fraud Centre 1-888-495-8501 next time. This can help the RCMP try to curb these scams and investigate.
I’ve received several over the past couple of days. Today’s was using a telephone number purportedly from a Verizon customer in Pennsylvania.
Yeah. Right. Promptly zapped.
But I worry about the seniors living in my building who are likely to fall for this.
I received the call this week also. At about 7:30 am. The recorded voice referred to unusual transactions on my VISA and included details such as dollar amounts and gift certificate purchases. I immediately recognized it as a scam because when my bank calls, they use my name and refer to my banking institution and provide a call back number. Sometimes I wonder if having a land line is part of the issue as I don;t experience nearly the same volume of calls on my mobile. Also, the number shows up as a local number but is repeated twice on the display, which is another tell tale sign that something is not right.
We received a call this morning, 7:30! As soon as it started “This is not a solicitation call” up went the radar. These people are getting very good, however, listening carefully there are red flags. Asking me to confirm the first 4 numbers of my card to which I ask which bank are you calling from will upset them. Good to know that hanging up and calling your bank right away could connect you back with the scammers. Early calls can catch you off guard, but staying calm and listening is key.
Received a call this morning. Phone number 514-984-9645. Seems like a recorded message, in English (we speak French) saying there is suspicious transactions on my card. They didn’t even gave a name so, my card or my husband’s card? No information about who is calling (no company name). Then, the message told me to press 1 if I want to cancel the transaction or 2 for something else (do not remember!). I hanged up. I’m a pretty sur its a scam but always have some doubts? Not funny when someone tell you there is for more than 1000$ put on your credit card! My husband was at work and can’t check his account right now. Still, pretty sur its a scam… Hope so!
Hey All, I got a call here in Canada at 7:44 landline about my visa card being compromised. It was automated 1. dispute charges 2. allow charges 3. speak to a representative. So me being slightly groggy pressed to speak to a rep. I was not going to give this turd anything. So this guy Jack starts his speech about my card being charged $100 and $300. I use a low-value visa card for any online purchase. I cut him off and say well Jack you woke me up so I will call you back at visa fraud in awhile when I am ready BYEEEE. Do not make any calls for at least a few minutes as they can still be connected for up to a minute. The number was a 514 area code. So I read the comments below, my call pattern is like Valerie’s.
Hi Leslie,
I think I would’ve hung up immediately as I’ve heard of scammers using the numbers of people they connect to in order to spoof other potential victims. Still, your story is informative and worth sharing. I hope you reported the number and your experience to The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501
Hi Valerie,
This is absolutely a scam. It has been transmitted in a variety of different languages including mandarin and cantonese. You did the right thing, pressing the button to talk to someone would’ve allowed them to spoof your number to call others and potentially steal your identity, depending on what information you volunteer.
I have had (so far) four phone calls from a robo caller about visa. Two are saying “Hi, this is not a solicitation call. This is Visa fraud center. We have been monitoring your account for the last two days. Suspicious charges are appearing on your account. One in the amount of $600.00. Press 1 to clear this up.” And, then the other two were from the ‘your credit card has suspicious activity.’ The $600 to Ebay and $1100 to money wiring company. 4 calls in the last 20 minutes and it is not even 7:30am! My husband is 82 years old. He does not sleep well. I know they won’t stop, but this is getting very tiresome.
Hi Karen,
We’re sorry for how poorly behaved these scammers can be and empathize personally with you and your husband. Even if you know not to give information to the fraudsters, it’s still extremely inconvenient for them to call, and at odd hours intentionally, we might add. Stay strong!
GreedyRates
I have had this call numerous times. I don’t even have a Visa card. I waste the scammer’s time by searching for my “card” and putting them on hold. After more than 5 minutes I give them a false card number. That really upsets them. I then ask if his or her mother know that he/she is trying to steal money.
Hey Catherine,
That’s quite a vindictive strategy to take on these scammers, but we’re on your side. Maybe you’ve even shocked one of them enough to change his or her ways—who knows! Remember, though, that there’s nothing to be gained from keeping them on the line. They may be more likely to call in the future just to pester you and end up talking to a family member that isn’t so vigilant. Just hang up, warn your loved ones and stay safe.
GreedyRates
I got a robocall this morning at 7:30am. Two fake charges to VISA – I don’t use VISA. A charge of 1000 for an International Gift Card. They said that it was suspicious, since I had never purchased an International Gift Card before. They gave me the first 4 digit of a card number that was charged. It was a heavy English accent male voice. I was to press 1 to let the charges go through, or press 2 to speak with an agent. I hung up.
Can I just make a comment regarding the advice to “Call the number on the back of your card yourself rather than speaking with the person that called you?” This seems fool proof but it’s not! If they call you on a landline, they stay on the line while you hangup and when you call the VISA number, you really just are back with them without being aware. This happened to me yesterday and they had me download a remote access program and I was set to give them the ID and password on the program which would have allowed them to control my computer. I finally “woke up” and realized what was going on but the fact that you are SURE that you have called VISA is a very hard trick to prevent again. It’s called the “delayed disconnect” feature of landlines and VOIP phones, meant to allow you time to transfer to another handset without being disconnected- so that if only one person hangs up, the line stays connected for some minutes.
Hey Karen,
Wow, it sounds like you came pretty close to being wholesale robbed by these scammers. We’re not familiar with the nuances of VoIP, but if you call the number listed on the back of your card you absolutely will be connected with the issuer. It sounds like you disconnected rather than hung up and then were simply typing a phone number into an active line, from what we understood. Next time be sure to check to see that you’ve hung up, and never, ever believe that a Visa or Mastercard representative needs access to your personal computer. If you go by that rule alone you should be OK in the future, but also remember that a real bank support person will also never ask for personal information unless you dialed them in the first place. Thanks for your warnings to those with VoIP. If anyone else has experience with delayed disconnect please share!
GreedyRates
1-858-356-3468 Credit card scam by robocall at 8.30am PST. Two fake charges (one eBay). High dollar amount. ‘Press 1’. I hung up.
Just got the call this morning in Cambridge ON. Recorded message about a third of the way through the ‘pitch’ when my machine started recording. Sad….
Dale,
What’s truly sad is that these types of scams only exist because they do work on some people, and usually the ones who can’t afford them, like the elderly. We hope you took the time to warn friend, family, and of course those sharing your phone of the calls, and are glad you’re staying vigilant.
GreedyRates
Nate, I consider myself “savvy” but I got a call this am to my landline from “visa security” with a number that I looked up and is in Eugene, Oregon. It said there were two suspicious transactions totalling around $2000 (one was transfer, one was gift card). It said hit 2 to deny and I felt panicked and did that. Then it said hang on for a rep, so I waited. Then there was a busy signal so I hung up. No reference to which card, or number, or name, but I’m kicking myself for: 1. pressing 2; 2. not hanging up right away. Do I have anything to be concerned about. BTW, we get frequently calls from “ourselves” to our landline number.
Hi Melanie,
I don’t think you have anything to concerned about, but it sounds like your number may have been spoofed as a way to scam others. Just to make sure, you should report it to the Canadian Anti-Frayd Centre (1-888-495-8501) and report the incident asking them for advice on how to prevent number spoofing. There are also various blogs online offering advice on what to do if your number has been spoofed. Hope that helps.
Hi Melanie,
I don’t think you actually have anything to worry about, but just in case your number was spoofed to defraud others, you should report this incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501). There are also many blogs online offering advice on what to do if your phone number has been spoofed. Hope that helps.
I just had a call asking for the first four numbers of my Visa card since there were two large charges made on it this morning, so he said. Ultimately what he wanted was control of my computer. He tried to get me to go to “anydesk.com.” That is a program for remote control of a computer.
Hey N,
Wow, that’s pretty scary. We’ve never heard of this scam before and are grateful you’ve let us know! Imagine not only having access to your account but your entire computer…which if you’re like any of us, probably includes access to multiple logins without much effort. To be clear…Visa or Mastercard, will never ask for access to your computer.
GreedyRates
This stuff is really starting to get annoying! I have had that call every morning this week starting at 6:30 am, and then every 15 minutes for next hour. I too asked what bank the card was from and they guessed wrong. they wanted the first 4 digits and I replied that they obviously had them, other wise they could not call me. All BS. I asked the girl if her mother would be happy knowing her daughter was a criminal? She did not know how to respond and kept asking questions. I asked again if she might fell better about herself if she was not trying to rip off senior citizens in a country that values honesty? She hung up. Phone rang 4 more times in next hour and then stopped. Guess we will see what happens tomorrow. MM
Received the “call” this morning at 9:15am. It started with a male automated voice asking for the “cardholder” and that I had suspicious transaction of $600.00 on my visa. I knew this was a scam but I decided to have some fun. I pressed 1 to be put through with someone at Visa Fraud Center. I got a lady with a thick accent.
Her: “How can I help you”
Me: “I don’t know, you called me”
Her: “Ah, yes your visa was compromised, let me bring up your account. Just to let you know this call will be recorded for quality assurance purposes. Ma’am, can you verify your address?”
Me: “No”
Her: “why not?”
Me: “Cause this is a scam”
Her: Click went the phone
Just now in Thornhill ON received a call claiming to be from visa with what they think is a fraudulent $599 charge; they directed me to press 1 if I wanted to speak to an agent otherwise the 599 would be charged to my card. I hung up because in my dealings in the past when I’ve had my MasterCard compromised several times somebody calls me live — it’s not a recording with the info then passing you on to somebody live!
Hi Bob,
Great comment. It’s true that if you got a call with a recording describing you’re a charge to your personal card, with the exact amount that “will be charged” then something’s fishy. A few thousand people also got the same call as you, each charged the same $599! In real life, you also called it correctly that Mastercard might indeed call to report potential live fraud, but if they do, they’ll never ask you for any information when they initiated the call. The best thing to do if you’re doubting whether or not one of these calls is real, is to simply call the number listed on the back of your card and connect with the fraud department yourself. Then you’ll (not be hesitant to) share some basic ID confirmation info and see if there’s any credible threat.
GreedyRates Staff
It’s September 19th and I just received one of those scam calls. It showed to be a long distance call. I usually ignore them but this time I answered. It was a automated call. The voice did not specify any bank. They just informed me that my card was used two different times. The last time, a purchase on eBay for over $1000.00 .The voice told me to press one to find out about these transactions. I did not do anything and the line then disconnected. Does the no call list even exist anymore. I get calls from solicitors all the time. Vegas Vacations is a bad one. I block them and they phone using a different number.
Just got a call with two large amounts on my credit card was asked to respond with my credit card in hand if i had not made the purchases,, Hung up and checked visa fraud on line.. Thank you glad l hung up…
Got a call today, September 13, 2019 from Alexander Newton (strong accent). He was saying that some bought speakers on eBay using my visa card. His employee number is 6082. His phone number 1-281-972-387 (references other with Voip)!! He asked if I had my visa card close by. He never said which bank was linked to my visa card!! Obviously a scam!! I followed all the advice from previous people who posted which you should be the one who initiate the call to visa.
Hi Louise,
Appreciate the comment and the story! We’re sure you pegged “Alexander” correctly, and his script isn’t unlike the others described by your many peers. Good you recognized the scam and handled it appropriately. Remember to warn anyone else with access to your phone about it, but also to keep spreading the word about these fraudsters. Hopefully, they’ll be extinguished soon.
GreedyRates
I received an automated call this morning at 9 am EDT from the “Visa Credit Department” saying that there were two suspicious charges on my Visa account that had been made overnight. It came on my home phone and I don’t have caller ID on that phone, so I can’t track the number. When it asked if I had made any charges overnight to an international gift card company, I pressed “2” for no and was immediately transferred to a live “agent”. He repeated the information about the fraudulent charges and was going to ask me more questions (trying to get me to give up sensitive info) and I jumped in and asked which bank he was phoning from. He immediately hung up. Definitely a phishing scam.
Hey Cheryl,
You’ve learned the second rule of handling phone scammers: if they can’t answer a simple question themselves, then they’ll usually buzz off. The first rule is to always assume that a phone call to you about your accounts is fraudulent, since banks will get in touch some other way. They’ll also only ask you for identifying information if you’re the first to make the call! Good job staying alert.
GreedyRates
Seems they’ve moved down east now. Same call this morning here in NS from ‘VISA fraud’, heavy accent. Just replied with ‘No you’re not, have a nice day’, click!
Just had a similar call. Said my card , which he quoted the number, had been stopped because it had just been used to transfer $600 to India via Western Union. Also had my home address. I said I was unsure if he was from Visa and he said to call the 1 800 number. Just as I was about to call he rang back and gave me what he said was his employee number.
I dialed the Visa number and when asked for my card number it would not accept it which gave me pause, had my card been stopped? However I got through to a rep and established that the info was false and that she would stop my card and issue a new one.
Seems he already had lots of info about me, very worrying. But seems everyone knows a lot about everybody these days!
Hi David,
Wow, you ran into quite the convincing fraudster! Usually it’s relatively transparent when a scammer rings you up and asks some suspicious questions, can’t provide easily refutable information, or has a strong accent. That your scammer was seemingly credible, even in their responses to your inquiries, strongly supports our recommendation that you NEVER talk to anyone who initiates the call to you about your own financial products. You’ll always be the one to call, not the other way around.
Case in point: you were able to easily get in touch with VISA via their 1-800 number and get the job done with a real agent. Nice work! Remember if you live with anyone else to warn them about the incoming calls as well; we wouldn’t want to see your progress defending against these exploiters ruined in a single call.
GreedyRates
received call from 181-589-1415. this was a recorded message regarding charges to a visa card.
I simply hung up. I tried to do a google search on the number. no success.
Hey Bert!
You won’t have much luck hunting down the numbers calling and attempting to scam you. These outfits usually set up VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology that either masks their real number with a fake one or generates random phone numbers to call you with, which aren’t associated with any geography or identity. You’re better off ignoring them and hanging up again if you ever get another call—same for the others in your household! You seem to be informed but if a child or unsuspecting spouse were to get tricked, it wouldn’t much matter. Stay vigilant out there.
GreedyRates
my phone just lit up with the identical number that you’d normally call to report fraud on my credit card (wont mention name) . No messages were left so I call the number back (which is same # of my crdit card co.) and the rep said theres no record of any calls made to me or any suspicious activity on my account . I asked if fraudsters can mask their phone number with the credit card company number and she said ”yes , they are really good” . So heads up , even if its a security number your familar with I’d still call back instead .
Hey Buddy,
Great advice. Scammers are often able to spoof telephone numbers that are similar to ones you know (from the local area code, or with digits nearly matching “official” numbers) using voice over internet protocol tools (VoIP). Their numerous tricks are why it’s recommended to combat them with a single universal rule: You shouldn’t ever give information to anyone who calls you first. Calling back is surely an option but remember that if there were really an issue they’d mail and email you instructions on which department to call yourself. Nice save!
GreedyRates
I actually had one of them call me using my own phone number.
They can spoof any number.
Received call from 14163678472 . ( Visa Fraud Dept) .Searched the number and it is attached to several names . Montreal and Toronto. They did not say which Visa account.
Hi Joan,
Thanks for the comment. Beware when you get a call from a number that resembles Visa’s Fraud Department, as fraudsters are increasingly able to spoof their phone numbers using VoIP technology. They can pretend they’re a representative from your bank or issuer, a local company, or other familiar entities to get you to let your guard down. Usually, when you pick up the phone it’s best to give no information, as a rule, even to those fraudsters who manage to sound convincing (very few).
GreedyRates
Call this morning saying it was Visa security, and I had two suspicious charges on my card, both online. They wanted me to give the first four numbers, which are standard on Visa. I told her the bank usually called about my card, and that I feared she was trying to scam me. Silence followed. How did she have my name and number? Her number 583883570
Hey Melanie,
Good job – it can’t ever hurt to ask questions, and a real banker knows how to answer them. You’ll never be met with silence or reaching questions for other details that the bank should already know. These scammers most likely got your name and number from some dark web database, compiled using information gained from legitimate means or breaches of other services that also contained your data. Scary, but most services only store fragments of your full profile for this very reason—to make it hard to find the missing pieces required to do real damage. This is why they simply call, and literally ask you for them. Stay attentive!
GreedyRates
Can we not get the TV stations to do Public Service announcements and saturate Winnipeg with news about this type of thing. I know had my mother been alive she would have gladly given her information to these people. I had told her NUMEROUS times to give NO information over the phone regardless of who they claimed to be. However, she ended up buying a cell phone for an exorbitant price, life insurance she didn’t need, and donations to the Cancer Society, which didn’t come from the Cancer Society!! That lot cost around three thousand dollars!! I was at a loss. If these type of thing had been on TV, she wouldn’t have had to “take my word” for it and saved herself money.
Hey Elizabeth,
We’re right there with you. The unfortunate truth about these scams is that they simply wouldn’t exist if they didn’t work on some people, and it’s even more unfortunate that those who are most vulnerable are also the most damaged by this type of fraud. When talking to an elderly family member, it’s not worth explaining the nuances of telephone fraud, number spoofing, or the way their information exists in digital fragments online already (and that these scammers are asking “harmless” questions to fill in the blanks). Simply explain that no bank will ever call and ask for information, so if anyone does, hang up without answer any questions whatsoever.
GreedyRates
I received a call from these people this morning. I was told there were strange purchases on my Visa card and they were just checking to make sure. I was asked to read off my credit card numbers for them, so they could make sure I was who I said I was , I suggested they read off the numbers they had instead. She said she couldn’t do that for privacy reasons!! I then asked her what my name was, and she stated, “Well I know your name because I called you.” So I told her my name was Ethel Floon and I didn’t own a Visa card. My name, of course is not Ethel Floon, but I bet it got her wondering.
Hey Elizabeth,
Or should we say, hello Ethel? It’s sometimes pretty entertaining to mess with the obvious scammers like this. What’s sad, however, is that despite how transparent the scammer seemed to you, others might fall for the same thing simply because they aren’t informed. Make sure you warn the others in your household that someone might call and continue the attempts at a later time, and thanks for the post.
GreedyRates
1-647-495-0898..claiming to be from Visa Security….massive call centre, I called back and spoke to a Richard, with a very thick accent , which of course most Richards have…asked which bank they represent, he says visa…ya but which bank , as they come from banks..oh TD..he says again having to ask three times to repeat, because that Richard accent is a strong one..Said thanks I don’t use TD bank..wrong number..and hung up…so they are answering the phone..why can’t that number be stopped since they are obviously picking it up, it’s a land line..track it down and disconnect it or go raid the office….
Hey Chris,
Looks like you received “the call” and dodged it expertly! Nice work. The scammers’ attempts might have seemed pretty obtuse to you, but keep in mind others are more easily fooled! Make sure others with access to your phone or line are kept informed as well, and perhaps next time “Richard” will think twice before calling. Best of luck.
GreedyRates
Today I received a call saying that my credit card (no mention of which one) has been charged illegally and I should press one to discuss it. The number that was used was +10695993976. I let it go to answering machine and listened to it later. I believe this to be a scam and want to warn others!
Hey Barb,
Thanks for leaving your comment with us! We’re 99% certain that the call was indeed an attempt to scam you; you recognized all the signs and identified it correctly. It’s good you want to warn others but start with your own household first, of course, given that a family member might not be so vigilant. If they were to go along with the scam it would spoil your earlier premonition. Best of luck and nice work.
GreedyRates
I recieved 3 calls early this morning 7:00 , 7:30 a.m.( didn’t answer those two as I am recovering from surgery) and again 9:05 am which I did answer, I was told that there were two suspicious purchases made early this morning on my Visa card on for E-bay for 1400.00 and and an another for a similar amount but couldn’t quite get what he was saying as he spoke rather quickly with a foreign accent and I could hear a lot of chatter in the background….so my response was which I had to repeat multiple times is “I will check with my bank and my online bank account” which he quickly hung up!! Next time I will just answer the call and leave the phone hanging and walk away..lol..these defrauders have no mercy!!
I just had a call from 904-129-0615 saying they were the Visa Fraud Dept and there was a suspicious charge on my card at 4.36 this am for $636 dollars for music equipment …. asking if I made this purchase or if anybody else could have made this purchase. I then asked which credit card to which he said your CIBC card …. I knew it was a scam because I don’t have a card with CIBC … beware!
Hey M,
Awesome job! Apparently, their scam guessing game didn’t fool you, but if they had provided information on a card you own, would you have complied? Of course not. Remember this for the next time someone calls—it’s best to simply hang up without messing around. Sometimes people have found themselves accidentally confirming details when they didn’t mean to, so just hang up after you hear their spiel and warn the others in your household to watch out.
GreedyRates
My call started with they knew my name, said my card was used for illegal purchases on eBay and other purchases totaling $1.400.00. They had the first two numbers on my card but asked me to verify with the next numbers. I told them if they were the CC company they would already have my number, I said I was calling the card company myself and that’s when he hung up on me.
Call early this morning @ 6.27am purporting to be from VISA Fraud @ (877) 406-0417. Since I didn’t recognize the number, I let it go to voice mail. Claims there’s a suspicious charge of $600 to my VISA card, press “1” to speak to agent. Checked both my CC accts, no unauthorized charges, also checked phone #s on back of cards, nothing similar. What made me really suspicious was them calling so early in the day – who the heck makes/gets business calls at 6:30 in the morning?
Hi Barbara,
Who indeed decides to make phone calls to “customers” at 6:30am? Scammers is a likely guess, and the early morning routine may be intentional, to catch people in a sleepy haze or a rush to get to work and therefore with their guard down. Regardless of this postulation, we recognize all the signs that have come be known as the calling card for this ruse and commend you for your vigilance and evasive skills. Now just warn the rest of your household of the threat, teach them how to respond (or rather, how not to respond) and ensure they don’t give a birthdate or maiden name, and compromise it all. Best of luck.
GreedyRates
I received a phone call at 7:11 A.M., and had I been asleep at that hour, it would been worse if there had been a live person on the other end, rather than a computer.
I probably would have given them a piece of my mind.
All the time I was growing up, it was a “Family Rule” never to phone anyone between midnight and 8 A.M., unless there was a death in the family, and one person had been elected to do the phoning.
That is acceptable.
What ISN’T acceptable, is we have allowed these companies to be able to block their numbers, rendering “Call Display” useless, so that we don’t know who it is, until it’s too late.
Something needs to be done. This is an invasion of my privacy, and yours, too
Hi Deirdre!
We agree wholeheartedly. The scammers’ life blood is the technology allowing them to disguise themselves as a local caller, to hide their caller ID, and to access phone numbers they shouldn’t have. Not calling between midnight and 8am is a pretty polite, and common idea. Unfortunately, these fraudsters don’t care about waking you up, and indeed do this intentionally so that you’ll be groggy and more susceptible to being tricked. If you got an official-sounding emergency call in the early morning, you likely would have less available energy for scrutiny.
In the end, all you can do is prove to them that a call to your house is a waste of time. Don’t answer, and if you do, hang up immediately. Warn the other people in your house as well—a child or unsuspecting adult might compromise you without even knowing it. Best of luck!
GreedyRates
I got a call today following the same pattern, they just asked me my relationship with the owner of the credit card I was paying, when I got the card, my phone, and internet provider. No other information. No extra charges made so far. Am I in danger now? do they have a time frame to begin to take the money?
Hey Edwin!
That sounds suspiciously like the scam mentioned here. It’s always best not to answer anyone who calls you asking about information connected to debt or credit, and it sounds as if you may have filled in the blanks for someone who may have your credit card information. Don’t panic, just make sure you keep a close eye on your statements and notify the relevant creditors if you see something is up.
It also can’t hurt to call Equifax or TransUnion and have them put a fraud alert on your report. This won’t freeze your account but it will have creditors do a more thorough check into you before extending additional credit, or making changes to the account like increasing the credit limit, getting another card, making a large purchase etc. Good luck!
GreedyRates
Got 2 calls this morning from same automated voice telling me $300 on ebay , $1000 was also charged. Didnt catch what card company it was supposedly was charged to. I hung up on 1st call. Second call I pushed 1. I started to hang up wen I heard the phone ringing afterwards, so I hung up then. I am wondering if by pushing the 1. I was doing the wrong thing?
I checked both my cards immediately after , no extra charges were made to my cards that wasn’t made by me.
By pushing the 1. Will they be able to get any more information?
Hey Nancy,
Don’t worry, you’re safe! You aren’t giving any sort of information to them by pressing 1; If you hadn’t hung up then you’d have quickly been connected with a scammer who “Just needs to confirm a detail with you to resolve your issue…” and then if you complied, you’d be in trouble.
This is where he or she would try to ask for your birthday or some other seemingly-inane fact, which by itself can’t be used to get access to finances, but for them represents the missing piece of a puzzle of information they already possess.
We recommend letting those who share your household know about the scam, so they don’t fall prey if the caller returns. Nice job keeping vigilant and good luck.
GreedyRates
Not sure How this scam works- okay let us say you give out your numbers- all you have to do when you get the fraudulent charge on your credit card is to let you CC company know and they will reverse it.
Hi Jay,
The scam works because people who mistakenly reply to the hacker also give them the “missing puzzle piece” of personal information which is needed to actually start siphoning your money away. Often times, the hackers already have your address and other basic details, and even your credit card number, so all they need is a little bit more in order to crack open the card by passing security questions, and so on. Then they can access your money.
It’s true that there are sophisticated dispute processes which banks use to help victims get their money back, but the process isn’t a walk in the park. No one will find it fun or convenient to have their account locked as the repair and reimbursement process takes place, so the reason to be aware of the scam is generally to avoid this epic pain in the you-know-what. Appreciate you opening up the conversation!
GreedyRates
Did a google search and found this thread. I just had this phone scam. I didn’t press 1 or 2. Instead I left the phone hanging (I got the time and I can spare the phone). It was a bit a revenge on my end. The way I see it, if I am tying up a line, that is one line not being used to scam someone else and hopefully cost them money.
Hi Bob!
Good on you. While this method is particularly vengeful, as you may forcing the scammers to waste precious minutes and dollars by staying on your line, we wholeheartedly approve. They absolutely deserve it, and you are (in some ways) helping to save others from the scam who they would’ve otherwise called. As we’re fond of telling others who’ve received these fraudulent calls, ensure the rest of your household is aware of the danger. If someone had picked up and been prompted to go along with the scheme it could’ve ended much worse than it did.
GreedyRates
419-874-7518 robocall saying my credit card was used this morning on Ebay – I hung up .. funny thing is that number disappeared off of my phone log – hope they don’t continue to call as it was at 7 am.
Hey M. Macdonald,
Looks like you were one of this scam’s intended targets, so good that you were already educated on how to avoid it! It’s funny that eBay is their “lure”, considering that so many people use it, but it ends up working against them for many people who’ve never shopped there. Technically, we suppose its termed “phishing” for a reason: sometimes you catch one and sometimes you don’t! Good on you for being a smart fish—now just make sure the rest of your household is similarly evasive and well-warned.
GreedyRates
I had a recorded phone call this morning, very similar to those listed below, from 965-510-1765. I pressed 2 to have these online charges (“$350 from Ebay and over $1000 from I-tunes”) put on hold for investigation for 30 minutes. Such an obvious scam!!! Why would they be able to use a recording for the amounts and companies? Idiots! When I told the so-called VISA Security Agent who I was holding for, that I had 2 VISA cards from different banks so HE would have to tell ME which card was compromised by giving me the account number, of course he hung up.
Hey Myrna,
Indeed, it is surprising how obvious the scam is once you think about it. Unfortunately, despite that it isn’t all that sophisticated, it’s still working on many Canadians. It should be pretty obvious that a real debt collections company wouldn’t be able to tell you (through an automated system) where your debts were and how much they total, without any kind of input from your end. Good on you for recognizing and reporting it (many neglect to report and simply ignore these calls), now just be sure to let the others in your household know that it may happen again.
GreedyRates
Same thing – recorded call about fraud on card pressed 1 and they asked me why I called. I said I didn’t you called me and then he launched into call saying that $300 dollars on ebay and $1000 on google play had been charged to my card. They were trying to verify my card and when I said I wasn’t the primary account holder they hung up. 1-415-543-5531 was the Caller ID
Hey G. Greschner,
Nice job – you recognized the signs of the scam and responded accordingly! It’s such an obvious fraud, as they call you and then ask why you called, only to launch into their diatribe about debt. Like we tell other readers who encounter this unfortunate scam on their home lines, be sure to warn the other members of your family or household, so that they don’t pick up the phone and fall prey. Good luck and good vigilance!
GreedyRates
I just received a call from 1699110785 telling me about inline purchases of 300 and 1000 dollars. I stayed on the line until a person came on and asked what they could help me with. I told them they called me, I didn’t call them. I told them they were a scam and being recorded because I don’t own a credit card. They hung up on me.
Hey Dale,
Sounds to us like you avoided victimhood not only from your knowledge and vigilance, but also because you don’t own a credit card! Ironic. Keep your family informed and avoid talking directly to the scammers in the future. If you had any real financial emergencies, the bank would email and send snail mail—scammers just fish among random phone numbers.
If you find yourself needing a credit card in the future, talk to us and we can collaborate on finding one that suits your purchase habits and lifestyle best. It takes credit to get it, and you should always have one even if you don’t like debt!
GreedyRates
I just got a phone call claiming to be Visa/MasterCard. Telling me my card was used on eBay for a $300 purchase and then a charge on it for over $1,000 from somewhere over seas. Phone number that showed up on my caller ID was: 1-417-034-6345. I tried to google it but nothing comes up. Clearly a scam, as I do not have any credit cards.
Hey Jess,
We’re glad it wasn’t a “close call”, given your lack of credit cards, but you should definitely warn the others you live with (if applicable) that your home has been targeted. This will prevent them from picking up and falling for what was clearly an example of this shameful scam. Thanks for your comment and stay vigilant!
GreedyRates
Just received a phone call this morning from fake bank, for reference the phone number called from is: 1-404-827-1542. I have call display. Same old scam. There were two purchases, one for $300.00 and the other for $1,000.00. Press one or two, you know the scam. Just hung up. The other scam for reduce interest rate, I press 1 to talk to an agent. When they answer I just hand up as soon as they talk. These companies are good, as soon as you request to be put on the no call list they hang up.
Hey Tom,
Isn’t it tricky how they ask you to press 1 to connect with an agent? It seems like such a real, banal call from customer service. This is how you know many Canadians are falling for this scam and how unlikely it is that the fraudsters will stop, so the best thing to do is continue practicing good defense. Make sure the other members of your household are also aware of the threat and keep them from picking up the phone on these unfortunate occasions. Nice work—and good luck.
GreedyRates
Just got a recorded message saying 2 charges on my credit card account one for $300 ebay the other for $1000 international and press 1 to speak to someone. I hung up right away. Later I went online to check my accounts to verify and all is well. I also get a recorded automated collection call daily about an urgent message for someone not living at my address, it’s quite annoying, I usually hang up.
Thank you RCMP for your message above.
Saki,
Thanks for reading, and glad you did! If not, we shudder to think what would’ve happened had you unknowingly released sensitive information to these scammers. Ensure your whole family is caught up and knows how to identify these fake calls and messages. Also, thanks for the shout-out and continue being vigilant! It’s improbable that fraud will stop anytime soon, so be grateful that you’re at least prepared.
GreedyRates
I just got a call this morning that showed up on call display as Unavailable. They said they were calling from Visa and that someone had made a transfer from my account to a terrorist sponsored organization in Pakistan. I was not very polite when i told him to take his scam and shove it since I don’t even have a Visa account.
Hi P!
Good for you. We’re happy that articles calling attention to this deplorable scam highlighted by us and other online destinations are helping people become more aware. Now that you know the threat is real, make sure other members of your household are keen on the risks of picking up the phone and falling prey—lest they succeed in the future!
GreedyRates
Just got a call at 8pm, recorded message saying 2 charges on my account one for 322.00 the other for 1500..
Because of the information given by police, I hung up and called a friend just to be sure I was disconnected.
Thank you to the RCMP..I am quite gullible and may have fallen for this..
Hey D!
Awesome job. We’re glad that you were aware of this particular scam and had the wherewithal to realize you were about to become a victim—scary! Good on you for hanging up and then calling a friend to ensure you were disconnected as well, very savvy. Keep it up, and also keep reading to stay informed of the latest potential scams going around. Thanks again for the comment!
GreedyRates
I’ve had several of these calls, the first one I called back assuming they had the wrong phone number for someone’s credit card and wanting to do the right thing I called to notify them. When I spoke to the scammer I explained I received the call in error because I had no credit cards, he hung up. But the recording while waiting for a agent/scammer was effective, they say they will never ask you for your credit card number or any personal information. Just called again a couple of days ago.
Hi Louran,
Good comment—and good on you for wanting to do the right thing. It’s not a good idea to talk to scammers at all, just to be safe, so if they continue to call simply ignore them. If your bank actually had an emergency, they would a) not call you directly without also sending a matching email, and b) not ask you to give any sensitive personal information. If you call the bank, then that’s the only time you should give personal information because then you can be sure you’re talking with a real representative. Thanks again for your comment and for its valuable warning to other readers—have a good day.
GreedyRates
Got a similar call as Zoe’s at 6: a.m. this morning. Recorded message claiming 2 charges were made to my credit card, one internationally for $1.500+ the second $500 in North America. Only had the option to press “1” for more info, being annoyed I did just that, immediately person came on with a monologue repeating my card had been used, asked what card, reply Visa, asked so what do you want me to do about it, and went on to say I was not impressed being called at this time of day, he hung up before I finished my rant. He never had a chance to ask for any info.
Hey M!
Wow, it sounds like you were almost a victim of a potential scam! We’re glad you had read our article beforehand and were cognizant enough not to provide any valuable information to this “fraud protection agent”. They were probably trying to throw you off balance by calling during off hours in the hopes that in your tired state, you’d simply affirm the information they had on you and provide what they’re missing. If they didn’t ask you for information (like the 3 security digits on the back of your card) then it was either a lazy scammer, someone trying to sell something, or a real customer service agent who was having a bad day. Did you try calling the issuer yourself and confirming the “issue”? This is what we’d recommend, but otherwise, keep practicing vigilance and make sure to warn your close family members and friends as well.
GreedyRates
got a call at 4:48am this morning. same speech as above, but the did not want my CVV, they asked me to press 1 if I verified the purchases ($300 on Ebay and $1000 in international Apple music cards) or 2 if I did not make the purchases. When I hit 2, the recording went on to say that we only had 10 minutes to dispute the purchase, then let me know they were putting me through to an agent and he/she would need remote access to my computer as that is where they think my card was comprimised. It was at that point I hung up – no one is getting remote access to my computer, and I don’t use my Visa card for on line purchases.
Hi Zoe!
Wow – it looks like you saved yourself a major headache! One should always be wary of the many roundabout ways that a fraudster will try to obtain their information. These include phishing emails and convincing phone calls from fake bank representatives or credit bureaus that try to scare you into giving out basic account information. Even with your mother’s maiden name or address, they can do serious damage. They’ll often say that something is urgently wrong with your credit and make you believe that by not immediately giving your account details, you’re losing money or being hacked. Don’t believe it!
Thankfully, with a little patience and skepticism, it’s not difficult to spot a fake. The best rule is simply to never trust a call that you didn’t initiate. Another scam is to sell you a product at a price that is “too good to be true”, and then ask you verbally for your credit information. Great job being vigilant—other readers take note!
GreedyRates