Identity thieves are constantly looking for ways to make scam emails more plausible, so they are now attempting to add credibility to such emails by including a “Verified by Visa” scheme.The wording may be something like this: “Your credit card (specified) has been automatically enrolled in the Verified by Visa program. To ensure your card’s security, it is important that you protect your card online with a personal password. Please take a moment to activate Verified by Visa now.”
According to Bill Moak, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Mississippi, “Verified by Visa is a legitimate service that adds an additional layer of security to online credit card transactions. It is unfortunate that it has begun to appear as a topic of phishing emails.”
These scam emails contain links to bogus sites, under the control of the hackers, that prompt consumers to enter their credit card information. The messages usually end with a threat that failure to respond may temporarily disable the credit card in question. “Such threats should be a dead giveaway that the emails are scams,” Moak continued. “Consumers should always be on guard when sharing their personal information in any way.”
The BBB urges consumers to continually be vigilant whenever they receive solicitations for identity verification by phone, mail or email. To block solicitations, consumers should register on:
According to Bill Moak, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Mississippi, “Verified by Visa is a legitimate service that adds an additional layer of security to online credit card transactions. It is unfortunate that it has begun to appear as a topic of phishing emails.”
These scam emails contain links to bogus sites, under the control of the hackers, that prompt consumers to enter their credit card information. The messages usually end with a threat that failure to respond may temporarily disable the credit card in question. “Such threats should be a dead giveaway that the emails are scams,” Moak continued. “Consumers should always be on guard when sharing their personal information in any way.”
The BBB urges consumers to continually be vigilant whenever they receive solicitations for identity verification by phone, mail or email. To block solicitations, consumers should register on:
- National Do Not Call Registry: 888-382-1222 or www.donotcall.gov
- Opt Out Mail Registry: 888-567-8688 or http://www.optoutprescreen.com/
The BBB of Mississippi has been serving consumers since 1964 by providing Reliability Reports on businesses and charities, assisting with business complaint resolution, monitoring advertising, and offering alerts on current scams. The BBB may be reached by calling 800-987-8280 or online at http://www.ms.bbb.org/.
