[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Intrepid: But how did they get your number in the first place? and realise that the person who lives at your address has your credit card? That is pretty clever if you ask me. EDIT: i just read that snopes.com website and i see how they got the number, that whole scam is a bit of a long shot but i guess if the caller was really authorative, personally whenever i get a call like that i try to verify their details, or even ask for their number and call them back.

Actually, it's not a very long shot at all, Intrepid. You receive a call from somebody that claims to work in the Security and Fraud Department of your credit card company and they ask if you made a specific purchase for a specific price. They then ask you to prove that you are still in possession of your card by providing just a portion of your credit card number {If it were a scam, they would want the whole number, right?}.

If you read over the description of how the scam works, you can see that it would actually be very easy to fall for it if you weren't aware of the scam. They don't ask you to provide any personal information nor do they ask for your whole credit card number...so the info they request seems safe.

To illustrate the seriousness of the scam, I recieved a copy of the same e-mail Lady Z posted...but mine came from a friend who works for the Charlotte Police Department. This email was sent to her supervisor by from a Sargeant at another Police Department (can't remember where he worked).

So - yeah - the scam is real.