‘Important Information About Your Credit Card’
This email, which is supposedly from credit card provider Visa, claims that the company has detected problems regarding your credit card and needs you to “verify some information” before you can use the card again.
The email, which has the subject line “Important Information about your card”, claims that your card has been temporarily locked for your security. It includes logos for both Visa and rival card provider Mastercard.
However, the email is not from Visa or Mastercard and has no connection to either company. Instead, it is a phishing scam designed to steal your credit card numbers and other personal information.
If you click the “re-activate my card” button, you will be taken to a fraudulent website that asks you to fill in a verification form. The form asks for your name and address details, your contact details, your credit card numbers, and other identifying personal information.
After you submit the fake form, you may see a message claiming that you have successfully verified your account and unlocked your card.
But, the criminals who sent the scam email can now harvest the information you provided and use it to commit credit card fraud and steal your identity.
Phishing attacks like this are common. Be wary of any email that claims that you must click a link or open an attached file to verify your credit card details. Credit card providers such as Visa and Mastercard will not send you emails of this nature.
Always login to your online accounts by entering the address into your browser’s address bar or via a trusted app rather than by clicking an email link.
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