Hacker News Reader

Comment by ranger207 | Hacker News Reader

If you get a message (text, email or call), it's best to not trust the contents of the message until you verify it by logging in or whatever yourself. If crates.io says you have a problem, close the email and go to crates.io yourself. If your bank calls you, hang up and log in or call their support number yourself. Don't trust anyone contacting you for sensitive stuff

View on HN

> If your bank calls you, hang up and log in or call their support number yourself.

And don't trust the number you see on Google. Google is known to show scammers' phone numbers in featured snippets or in their new "AI Mode". Click on the link and make sure it's the correct site before trusting the number.

Call the number on the back of your card. You do still have a physical card, right? You don't just have a banking app? Apps can be... uhhh... wrong...

Phone number on the card? My latest card doesn't even have the card number itself, validity dates or CVV number on it anymore, just the bank logo, some background graphics and some words about how safe it is and that it was made with recyclable materials.

Have you checked the other side? My newest bank cards are very minimal on the front, but all the information was printed on the back.

That is the backside :) The front just have graphics and no text at all.

Wow. That seems... less useful. Like, the huge embossed numbers weren't really necessary because the machines those are for no longer are popularly used so who cares (I have used one, but it was last decade and it did not feel like they'd have turned me away if it didn't work). But a CVV must still actually be useful to some fraction of your real customers, and likewise the expiry date.

> But a CVV must still actually be useful to some fraction of your real customers, and likewise the expiry date.

The CVV code of this card changes once every 10 minutes, so I understand them not printing that. Yet yeah, could have put the card number there with the dates, but I guess if the CVV already cannot be printed, why not just avoid all of it?

Regardless, doesn't really matter much anyways as I don't think I've used a proper card for months, everything around me supports NFC mobile payments since years back.

Sounds like you need to call your bank and make a formal complaint about it

I do this religiously, and last time I got a fraud alert call for my Barclays-issued credit card, I called them back on the number on the card. They seemed amused and didn’t know what to do :(

Always good advice for anything. A variation of this is that you should also not answer the negative: that you definitely did not do something, if someone asks you that on a phone call. This is meant to spread harm to others.

I was speaking to a pharmacist yesterday. Apparently certain pharmacy insurance companies in the US have set up call centers that randomly call people and ask.

"We are from the fraud check department. Did you ask for receiving XYZ medication that your insurance paid $$$$$$ for?". The guy who does who's salary is an order of magnitude smaller, immediately panics and denies he ever asked for XYZ, even though they are obviously taking the medication. The purpose is of-course for pharmacy insurance companies to challenge/deny claims for on ALL XYZ orders the pharmacy made.

Of course checking insurance payouts is a hassle so most people reach for panic first and shortly thereafter denial.

That's just icky.

And sadly true for most small pharmacist.

Definitely. I get scammers calling me from a caller id that claims to be my bank asking about suspicious charges, and they know my name and have my account info, but they ask for my full credit card number to "verify" it. Yet, they give different suspicious charges every time you ask.

The worst part is that when I call the bank to see if its legit, they are much less pleasant to deal with than the scammers...

> The worst part is that when I call the bank to see if its legit, they are much less pleasant to deal with than the scammers...

This is so true. I just never realized that is why I'm always tempted to not bother doing the right thing.

I've stopped trying to call - if I think there's a problem I go into my local branch. Much harder to put me on hold for 40 minutes and then hang up in person.

I just realized that's an excellent opportunity for "reverse phishing:" you can mangle the first 4 digits of your card [or make one up wholesale] and if they say "thank you, sir" you know they are fake. The real bank will spot that mistake instantly since that prefix is per financial institution

They know about bank prefixes and will ask you to check the number again.

Same applies in person. I’ve had people knocking on my door offering a discount on my electric bill.

— You just need to do accept <whatever, I forget> and you’ll pay less.

— But I don’t want to switch providers, I’m happy with the current one.

— Oh no, you’ll stay with the same provider, we’re with them, that doesn’t change.

— Alright, then I’ll call the company to discuss this further and get the discount.

— Unfortunately, this is only valid this way. Not by calling or online.

— Then I’m not interested. Bye.

One of my neighbours was tricked at a different time by a similar scam, forcing them into a contract with a different company.

>> Don't trust anyone contacting you for sensitive stuff

For not sensitive either. If something is a good deal - they will not be calling me, it's me who should call to find and get the best deal.

The spammy calls I've gotten lately are for "tax help from the IRS" ... I really feel there's a special place in hell for people that do that.

Sage advice

Reply on news.ycombinator.com