No, That's Not Your Credit Card Company Calling to Lower Your Interest Rate

Today I got a call that my phone flagged as "Scam Likely". Of course, being a good cybersecurity practitioner, I like to keep these people on the phone as long as possible, because every minute they're on the phone with me is one less minute they're scamming someone else.

The caller claimed to be from Discover, calling to lower my interest rate. Of course I don't have a Discover card, so I decided to play along. In the past I've always thought these were just credit card companies trying to get you to take out a card with them for a "lower rate". However, now that I know the truth I'm even more horrified.

In the several minutes I was on the phone, the scammer asked me a series of questions including if I knew the balance on my Discover card. I told her no, and said "can't you look that up?" Her response was to ask me for the credit card number of my Discover card. Wanting to keep her on the phone as long as possible, I gave her a test card number that would validate in her system as a real Discover card.  Of course if they try to use that card number at a retailer they're going to instantly get flagged for attempted fraud.

The scammer then asked for the last 4 digits of my social, as well as my billing zip code. I pushed back on the social a little, but she promised it was "just for verification purposes", so I gave her the last 4 digits of the test card number and she didn't even bat an eye. Then I told her I wasn't sure what my zip code was, but that I live in Washington DC. Then I pretended to be having connection issues and asked if she could call me back at another number.  Sadly I think she realized I was messing with her because she ended the call before I could give her a number to call - I was going to have her call the Maryland State Police just for laughs.

I am happy that my phone flagged the call as a potential scam, but I'm still worried that we're still fighting this issue today. For those not aware, scam call centers in India are a huge industry. These call centers prey on victims with various tactics, such as tech support scams, credit card scams, and even scams where the caller pretends to be with a local police department, demanding a bail payment for a loved one.

While many of us won't fall for these scams, some such as the elderly possibly will.  That's why it's important to share with them resources on how to recognize and prevents scams.

Ken is a cyber security professional with over 15 years experience. All opinions are his own, and do not reflect those of his employer or his clients.