Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Contributor
Another scam attempt has been reported to be circulating in Madison County. The scammer sends a text message advising a charge has been made from the intended victim’s debit or credit card.
They will ask the victim to respond if the charges were authorized. Once the victim responds no, the scammer will call from the victim’s bank’s fraud department. The number and ID will say the bank name and have the correct number. The scammer identifies themselves as an employee of the bank and advises they are with the fraud department. The scammer will advise the victim of charges that have been used by the victim’s card. The scammer will even provide the victim with the correct card number.
The scammer will provide dates and places where the card has been used. The scammer will ask if these charges are accurate or approved by the victim. Once the victim advises that they are not, the scammer informs the victim that they need further information such as the last four digits of the victim’s SSN. The scammer will provide the victim’s account number and ask if this number is correct. Once the victim confirms the information, the scammer advises they will investigate this and it may take several days to complete. However, the scammer now has access into the victim’s bank account and can move money from that account to another. This is a scam!
Here are some ways to protect yourself:
• If a company, business or agency contacts you, hang up and call the company/business/agency yourself to verify.
• Never click on links or codes that are sent to you.
• Never provide personal or account information or passwords to individuals who are not known.
If you believe you have been a victim of this or any other scam, call the MCSO at (850) 973-4001 ext. 1.