Is there a Wells Fargo phone scam?

[Sugarcoated]

I got a call on my cell saying, 'Wells Fargo has frozen my bank account, if you don't want it to stay frozen press 1', then proceeded to ask for my 16 digit credit card number, exp date and pin number. I was pretty rushed, shopping for a gift and running late and all I heard was 'freezing your account' and didn't focus on the Wells Fargo part, and stupidly put in the info (all automated). As soon as I hung up, I did a big 'OH NOOOO', called my husband to see if we had any dealings with Wells Fargo (we once did) and he quickly had my card blocked.

I'm still kinda angry at myself for acting so impulsively. I've checked our checking account numerous times for suspicious activity, but still I have this nagging feeling that maybe the info could still be used somehow.

If it was a scammer he must've been sorely disappointed when he saw the balance of our account.
:D

[7wo7rees]

1. The ultimate payback for getting scammed

is scamming the scammers by giving them a box of noth.

[hobbit709]

2. I'd say you got lucky.

[whistler162]

3. Is there a sun in the sky... is there water in the oceans?

[Chan790]

4. Yes, that was a scam.

No bank will ever ask you for you PIN. In-fact, if I accidentally discovered your PIN in the course of my work at the bank (I didn't work for W-F, I worked for a competitor), I was required to inform you both verbally and in writing...and arrange to have it changed. (This is done in branch with a keypad thing. Looks like the offspring of a remote control and a calculator. Technically, you could change it to the exact same # it was before, I wouldn't know...and thus operational security guidelines are met.)

I'd suggest that you cancel and reissue the cards...both cards on the account. (I know it's a PITA...card-blockage is really a feel-good measure though...if someone wants to bad enough, it's easily circumvented.

Also, change the PINs. Really change the PINs, don't go in and change them to the same # they were previously.

Important: Did they ask you for any personal identifying information? SS#, DOB, Maiden name, mother's Maiden name, first school, first boyfriend, street you grew up on, first pet, etc.? This information is frequently sought because people get so caught up on the credit card that they don't realize the real target is often identity theft. Con artists and grafters of this sort are professionals and know that the card information they've obtained is usually only good for about twenty minutes before reported. Most people do what you did and immediately go "Oh shit...I just got scammed." and call their bank.

[Sugarcoated]

5. Yes, they asked for one of our SS#'s

or the 16 digit card #, which I gave instead.

How can they get into my acct if I change my card? Is it something they can do now that they have the info I gave them, or could they circumvent the safeguards anyway? And how could they get in through my husband's card, he has a different card # and pin? I will definitely change the pin #, however, I thought it got automatically changed when a new card is sent. IIRC it comes in an envelope a day before the card.

One slightly odd thing: We changed the online banking ID and password to a very hard to figure out word/number combos just last week.

Thank you so much for your help, btw

[Chan790]

6. Two ways...

They make and take the card someplace that runs the cards manually...you know, with the old-school validator like this:



The bank has no way to know when it was done, only when it was submitted; they're dated but the date can be easily forged. (Often the crooks have the damned thing, you can buy them on eBay...I wish we'd auto-contest every manually-validated CC ticket (nobody legitimately uses them anymore...we had one in the branch because we legally had to be able to process card-withdrawals in the case of natural disaster, power outage or system-offline. Most non-bank places just put up a "no debit or credit" sign in that scenario) but Visa/MC says that's too merchant unfriendly.) So, SOP is to assume all receipts dated before the card-loss as valid until contested.

Or they use whatever ID-faking they can (meaning they use the information I asked you if they asked for, to obtain legitimate IDs...because the best fake ID is a real one obtained illegally.) they go into a branch (and look for the newest, nervousish, gullible teller they can find) with a sob-story about someone f**king with them ("My separated-husband reported my cards stolen because I filed for divorce" being a popular one) and the teller, after looking at it in the system, asks for ID and rather than doing what they're supposed to do (refer to branch management) they force-approve the transaction because the ID is real and valid and they think they're doing the right thing.

On your card, you've done as much as you can. The bank is responsible now for any subsequent issues. Just watch the statements for the next few months for anything unusual. Also, you're entitled 1 free yearly copy of your credit report. Wait 60+ days and have that run (you want to run it as soon as possible but after they're likely to have used the information...you don't want to run it tomorrow and find out a year from now they opened a no-limit Visa Black card on your immaculate credit one day after you ran the report and bought a jet. You're not responsible but it'll be a pain to fix and screw you up for months while it's being fixed.)...the bank can do it or there are websites maintained by the three major credit bureaus that can do it. (Information here*) Don't use the ones you see advertised on TV...they're for-profit companies. They'll give you what you're entitled to but they often use small print to get you to agree to subscription or credit-monitoring services (up to $24.99/month!). Your report will show you if they've managed to compromise your ID and use that information to open accounts or cards with your information.

As for how they access the other cards on the account...that's a bit tougher...usually doing that requires a lot more effort than they're going to put in and it's high-risk for them. (When they get caught, it's being this dumb.) Just watch his card too for suspicious activity.

*-http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.shtm

[woo me with science]

8. What a great post for everyone to read.

Thank you, Chan.

[RebelOne]

7. I had a phone call from my bank telling me that my

debit card had been frozen because of suspicious activity. I did not give any info on the phone and called the bank to verify it, and unfortunately, it was true. Never did find out what that suspicious activity was, but had it unfrozen over the phone. If anyone had gotten my debit card number, I would have been in deep shit because that card can access both my checking and savings accounts. I suspect that the bank thought a check I wrote to my son for $500 was a suspicious activity because I rarely write checks, much less any for large amounts. My accounts are with Bank of America. And though many here do not like BoA, I cannot complain, as I have always had excellent customer service.