If you’ve been shopping online and made a purchase only to be told your card has been declined, don’t bother – you may have fallen victim to a new scam.
Several victims reported that after their card was declined, they tried a different card or two, only to receive the same error message. But the site wasn’t a legitimate e-commerce site. The site was designed to look like a well-known retailer’s site, but was run by scammers.
Each time the victim entered their credit card details, the scammers would steal their credit or debit card information and make a series of fraudulent charges. To make matters worse, before entering their credit card details, the victims were also instructed to enter their personal details, such as their name, address, and phone number.
While you may be able to dispute the fraudulent charges, the damage is already done: Any cards that have been “declined” because they were compromised will need to be replaced, and your personal information may have also been stolen and is now for sale on the dark web.
How to avoid this scam
To avoid falling victim to this scam, make sure you are on a legitimate website. If you have an account with a site like Amazon, you won’t be asked to submit any personal information. If they have your credit card information on file, you won’t be asked to submit it again.
Be wary of emails, text messages and pop-up advertisements, especially if they are unsolicited, and never click on links contained in these messages.
Some victims are lured in by low prices and great offers. However, unbelievably low prices are usually a scam and will turn into a scam.
If your card is declined when you try to make a purchase, don’t use a second card. Instead, call your bank or credit card company to see if there’s a problem. They’ll also tell you if there was a recent charge so you can dispute it right away.
Reporter Mark Huffman
Mark Huffman has been a consumer news reporter for ConsumerAffairs since 2004. He covers real estate, gasoline prices and the economy and has reported extensively on negative option selling. He previously worked as a reporter and editor for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C., and was a correspondent for Westwood One Radio Networks and Marketwatch.
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