Clark wants to make sure you know about some scams taking place right now that could hurt your pocketbook. With the first one, you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the security or fraud department of your credit card company. They even know your card number and what bank issued your card. How that information is being obtained is unknown. But they will claim that there has been an unusual purchase on your account, and they’ll tell you what the supposed charge is. When you say you didn’t make that charge, they will then offer you a credit and give you a number to call to get it. Then the scam takes place. After all of that, they will verify that you are in possession of your card so they ask for your three- or four-digit secret code. This is the only information they don’t have, so once you say it you’ve given them full access. Unless you’re initiating the order, you never give that number over the phone. And no one should ask for it.

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Clark read about another scam in the Orlando Sentinel involving “skimmers” that steal the information from your credit card or ATM card. It started out at ATM machines, and now the criminals have tapped into pay-at-the-pump gas stations. They put hardware into the credit card scanners that captures your information in a second. It’s especially dangerous if you’re using a debit card to buy gas because you basically have no chargeback rights if a fraudulent claim is placed on your car. Gas station owners don’t even know this is going on, but it’s been reported in Florida and California. Clark tells you things so you are careful out there. It doesn’t mean everyone is a criminal. But you need to check your statements and be cautious.