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Christmas credit card con

At least one Yukon senior has fallen for the latest credit card fraud. Here's how it works: A very official sounding person will call, saying they are from the Security and Fraud Department of Visa or Mastercard.

At least one Yukon senior has fallen for the latest credit card fraud.

Here’s how it works:

A very official sounding person will call, saying they are from the Security and Fraud Department of Visa or Mastercard.

They’ll say that your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern and that they’re calling to verify that everything is OK.

There’s a questionable company that they’ve been monitoring and they’re wondering whether you purchased anything for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona.

You didn’t? Well, then they’ll be crediting this amount to your card.

The scam artists usually have most of your information already.

They’ll tell you your card number, which bank it was issued by and your mailing address.

The information that they don’t have (the information that they want) is the security code on the back of the card.

The caller will say that they want to verify that you are in possession of your card and ask you to flip it over and read out the security number.

Do not give away this number.

If you do, the caller will tell you, “That is correct,” and ask if you have any further questions.

They will then politely hang up and, within 15 minutes, $497 will be charged to your card.

This scam has been occurring across Canada, with cases reported daily in the Toronto area.

If you are unsure about a call from your credit card company, hang up and call the customer service line directly.

The number is usually on the back of your card.

For more information on this and other scams visit www.phonebusters.com.

Contact Chris Oke at

chriso@yukon-news.com