WATCH OUT: Text Messages Claiming Credit Card Fraud Could Be Fake

Nothing switches your mind to 'panic mode' like an ALERT text from your credit card company that there may have been some fraudulent charges. The message made me feel safe and protected but that was con all along.

Scam Alerts

You see them online all the time, story after story of someone's data being compromised and before long you imagine that's when the fraudulent expenses begin and hopefully the credit card company catches it early and contacts you for verification.

In my life, that scenario has played out just like that 3 different times. Each time, they were quick to notify me, and all 3 situations were resolved with no money issues whatsoever.

There was no reason for me to believe that this most recent text below was any different than the occasions before.

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Looking at it now, there are some little red flags in that text, but I was driving out of town and using Google Maps and the text popped up on my screen.

My phone started to ring shortly after I replied "No", but I didn't think it was related as it was a call from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. I ignored the call until coming to a red light and saw this follow-up text.

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They called back once I was home and asked my if I had mde the $629 purchase. They asked if I had been traveling recently. They also shared that the fraudulent charge was made in Kansas.

The woman on the phone then began walking me through the process of of cancelling the card and giving me a temporary password for account restoration. None of that seemed like a red flag e either, not even the "Happy200" temporary password she gave me.

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Here comes their big con move to get my credit card info.

I asked which card it was as I have more than one with this company and she said she couldn't tell me on the phone but that an email would include those details.

Now she asked me to watch for a text message that would include 2 questions I needed to answer to fully confirm my identity.

It was that text (below) that confirmed it was a scam all along.

I told the woman there was no way I'd be answering those questions and certainly not in a text message. I told her she needed to come up with some other questions to verify my identity.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone and then a male voice in the background shouted,

"F*** You *****! and hung up.

Those words were like winning a prize. Not this time you two!

Be sure to study any message you receive about credit card fraud before responding. I got lucky this time. And you know there will be a next time.