by Nailgunner
Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:45 pm
Summary:
This relates to a recent scam in which victims are targeted in an attempt to compromise their bank accounts.
The victim will be contacted by telephone by someone claiming to be a representative of Sky TV. They will tell the victim that they are due a refund on their account, and asked to provide a bank account to pay into as well as other personal information. The victim will then be sent a PIN code reader by post "in order to accept the payment". A second phone call after delivery will request that the victim put their bank card into the reader and enter their PIN, then read back the code displayed on the reader.
Subsequently the victim may find that their bank account has been emptied.
Mechanism
What seems to happen here is that the scammers are well prepared with enough information on their target to conduct the scam successfuly; setting up an internet banking account to their account after the first call and obtaining access to it with the code produced by the card reader.
The card reader is sent by the bank when internet banking is set up and is a proper card reader as opposed to a criminally produced device.
Impact:
This scam has operated succesfuly in what appears to be a test shot in the Scottish Highlands, cleaning an undisclosed sum from an elderly victim's bank account.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-19518533
Other incidences may follow so be alert. The trend seems to be toward targeting the elderly as they are less likely to have internet banking already set up and may not be familiar with the implications of giving a stranger the PIN reader's output code.
Detection and prevention:
If someone claiming to be from Sky TV contacts you offering a refund, be very wary. Sky have offered the advice that you should ask the caller what make and model of set top box you are using, as only Sky will know this. Alternatively, and perhaps safer, simply hang up and call Sky customer services using the number printed on your most recent bill. They will then be able to tell you if you are due an unexpected refund (which is unlikely anyway knowing Mr. Murdoch). If you are, they already have your bank details if you pay by Direct Debit.
PIN code reading machines are issued by banks to facilitate secure internet banking. The secure code they generate is only ever used to access internet banking sites. It has no other purpose. Never give this information to anyone.
Please pass this information to anyone you believe would be a likely target for this scam.
Thanks
Nailguner.
This relates to a recent scam in which victims are targeted in an attempt to compromise their bank accounts.
The victim will be contacted by telephone by someone claiming to be a representative of Sky TV. They will tell the victim that they are due a refund on their account, and asked to provide a bank account to pay into as well as other personal information. The victim will then be sent a PIN code reader by post "in order to accept the payment". A second phone call after delivery will request that the victim put their bank card into the reader and enter their PIN, then read back the code displayed on the reader.
Subsequently the victim may find that their bank account has been emptied.
Mechanism
What seems to happen here is that the scammers are well prepared with enough information on their target to conduct the scam successfuly; setting up an internet banking account to their account after the first call and obtaining access to it with the code produced by the card reader.
The card reader is sent by the bank when internet banking is set up and is a proper card reader as opposed to a criminally produced device.
Impact:
This scam has operated succesfuly in what appears to be a test shot in the Scottish Highlands, cleaning an undisclosed sum from an elderly victim's bank account.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-19518533
Other incidences may follow so be alert. The trend seems to be toward targeting the elderly as they are less likely to have internet banking already set up and may not be familiar with the implications of giving a stranger the PIN reader's output code.
Detection and prevention:
If someone claiming to be from Sky TV contacts you offering a refund, be very wary. Sky have offered the advice that you should ask the caller what make and model of set top box you are using, as only Sky will know this. Alternatively, and perhaps safer, simply hang up and call Sky customer services using the number printed on your most recent bill. They will then be able to tell you if you are due an unexpected refund (which is unlikely anyway knowing Mr. Murdoch). If you are, they already have your bank details if you pay by Direct Debit.
PIN code reading machines are issued by banks to facilitate secure internet banking. The secure code they generate is only ever used to access internet banking sites. It has no other purpose. Never give this information to anyone.
Please pass this information to anyone you believe would be a likely target for this scam.
Thanks
Nailguner.
Are they who they say they are? Google their email address or mobile phone number and see where else they've been. Use Google Images to see if they have stolen somebody elses' photographs.
