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Chilliwack man warns of Visa phone scam

Floyd Martin says it was only by chance that he realized the phonecall was a scam
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Chilliwack’s Floyd Martin says it should’ve been the funky number on the call display that was his first clue something wasn’t right when he picked up the telephone Wednesday morning.

“They woke me up,” said Martin. After answering his ringing phone, Martin says he was met with the voice of a man claiming to be a VISA representative.

READ MORE: Chilliwack woman warns of tax evasion phone scam

“‘We’re checking to see if there’s been fraudulent activity on your credit card,’ he said, and I believed him,” Martin continued. “He had just enough information to confuse me.”

After giving him the first four digits of his credit card, Martin says the man on the other end asked him to confirm the rest of his card number to prove his identity.

Having received calls like this before from his credit card company, Martin says he wasn’t alerted to the possibility of it being a scam until the end of the call.

“He told me, because there’s an active investigation into my card activity to not report it to police and that’s when I thought, ‘Ah-ha!’”

READ MORE: Revenue Canada scam swindles $3,000 from B.C. resident

Hanging up the phone, Martin says he immediately called his credit card company, verified they had not been trying to contact him, that there had not been any recent suspicious activity on his account, and had them put a note on his file to hold any suspicious activity.

“I compromised my own credit card number, and I just want others to know how easy it can be (to be scammed),” added Martin.

“Never give anyone your information,” he warned. “Make them give you your information.”

For more information on protecting yourself from being scammed, or to learn what sort of telephone and email scams are currently working on Canadians, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.


@SarahGawdin
Sarah.Gawdin@theprogress.com

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