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New Franklin Police Chief Jason Wells warns local residents that a credit card scam is active in this area.
Wells reported Friday that he has received at least three complaints from local persons who say they have been called on the telephone and told their credit card interest rates could be lowered. The soliciting caller next asks for the resident's credit card number.
Wells warns consumers to not give out their credit card numbers.
The Fayette Police Department and the Howard County Sheriff's Department have not received such complaints.
The Missouri Attorney General's office issued a news release Thursday warning Missourians of a phishing scam disguised as an offer to lower their credit card interest rate.
('Phishing' is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information'usually credit numbers or passwords'by masquerading as a trustworthy entity.)
Consumers have contacted the attorney general's office
saying a caller claims to be from a company called Card Services, asking them to enter their credit card number to see if they qualify for a better rate. This is simply an attempt by thieves to steal credit card numbers.
In the phone call, consumers are led to believe they are being contacted by their credit card company and they are asked to dial a number, usually 9, if they are interested in trying to get a lower interest rate.
'This is a typical phishing scam, in that it tries to play on consumers' emotions and excitement at the idea of saving money,' Attorney General Chris Koster said. 'But as always, consumers should never give out their personal information to anyone who contacts them.'
Koster says consumers should only give out sensitive information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, when they initiate the contact. He says any call claiming to be a financial institution or other trusted organization asking for personal information should be seen as a scam.
Consumers can report phishing, identity theft or other fraud at Koster's Consumer Protection Hotline, 1-800-392-8222 or his Web site, ago.mo.gov.
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