The Wisconsin Bankers Association has issued a warning to all residents to beware of a phishing scam presently doing the rounds in the state. This scam, they point out, is slightly out of the ordinary. Usually phone scams raise an alarm to potential victims by claiming their account security has been compromised. The scam just uncovered, lures victims by offering to lower their interest rates to as much as half the present.
The scam visits on residents as an automated phone call. It chimes in:
Your credit card is secure and has not been tampered with. We can lower your interest rate to 6.99 percent. Press 1 to continue with a live operator or 3 to stop receiving these messages.
After delivering the offer, it leads them gingerly to give away such confidential information as their bank account numbers, Credit or Debit card numbers, ATM PIN numbers, and Social Security numbers.
The live operator who takes the call will be vague if asked about the company. If you persist, they will claim to be a credit servicing agency.
President and CEO of WBA, Kurt Bauer, offers this word of advice against the scam:
No credit company, bank or legitimate business will request a customer to give personal information such as PINs, bank account numbers or Social Security numbers over the phone. Unless you initiate the contact, you should never give this information out.