Be Aware of Text Message Credit Card Scams

If you are a credit card holder then it is almost certain that you are at least vaguely aware of the fact that you are at some risk of identity theft based on someone stealing and using your credit card information. While there are some instances of people specifically hacking into your information and stealing it, it is much more common for identity theft to be caused by scams which entice you to give out your personal credit card information to thieves. There are a myriad of different credit card scams out there which allow people to steal the identity of card holders. One of the most common ones that has emerged recently is the use of the unsolicited text messages to get you to provide credit card information to scammers

The way that the scam works is essentially that you receive a text message from a source that appears to be legitimately linked to your bank or credit card lender. The text message informs you that there is some sort of problem or discrepancy with your credit card account. It tells you that you need to text message or call a phone number that is provided in the message in order to be able to clear up the confusion. When you do so, you are asked to enter your credit card account information including the security code on your credit card. You may also be asked to provide other identifying information. Of course, the scam is that this text message isn’t coming from your bank at all but rather is a phishing scam designed to get you to provide credit card information to someone who then plans to use that information to steal your identity and use your credit cards.

The most important thing to remember to avoid becoming the victim of a credit card scam like this is that you should never give out your credit card information to someone who has contacted you with an unsolicited message. This is particularly true when you are being contacted in an unorthodox way such as through a text message. After all, do you really think that your credit card company is going to text you to request card security information from you? Even when you are contacted through more legitimate forms such as phone calls or letters, you should double-check the source of the contact to make sure that the request is legitimate.

It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with credit card security. The truth is that if you use some common sense, you can significantly reduce the likelihood that you are going to become a victim of identity theft. Most people who do become victims are involved in a scam that convinces them to give away their credit card information. Be a smart consumer and don’t give out that information to anyone and you should find that you never have to worry about the problems associated with identity theft.

Related Posts:

• Beware of IRS Phishing Scams - If you’re one of the millions of people who qualified for tax rebates as a part of the government’s economic stimulus package, you need to...
• Ten Ways People Might Steal Your Identity - You are probably well aware of the fact that there is some risk that your identity might get stolen. The most common...
• Holiday Scams to Watch Out For - With the holiday season well upon us, one of the unfortunate downsides of any holiday season is that scam artists are out there...
• Vishing Scams Taking Advantage of Innocent People - Residents of Jefferson City, Missouri were recently taken advantage of by a new twist on old phishing scams that are starting to...

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 3:35 pm and is filed under Card Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.