Credit Card Pickup Scam Targets 70-Year-Old Woman

FOUR OAKS, N.C. – A telephone scam took an unusual turn when a 70-year-old Four Oaks woman was convinced to place her credit card in her mailbox so someone could come pick it up.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said the victim received a telephone call in August from someone claiming her credit card had been compromised.

The caller reportedly convinced the woman that she needed to surrender the card to prevent additional problems with her account.

Following the caller’s instructions, the victim placed the credit card in her mailbox. Someone later retrieved it.

The card was subsequently used to make $4,003 in transactions at locations across North Carolina, according to the Sheriff’s Office. None of the transactions occurred in the Johnston County area.

Investigators have not identified the person who picked up the card, and the case remains under investigation.

Similar Scams Use Unsuspecting Drivers

The method used in the Four Oaks case resembles what law enforcement agencies elsewhere have described as courier fraud — scams in which callers pose as bank employees or fraud investigators, tell victims their cards or accounts have been compromised, and arrange for someone to collect the physical cards.

In some cases, criminals have used unsuspecting Uber, Lyft or other rideshare drivers to make the pickup, keeping the actual scammer away from the victim’s home.

There is no indication at this time that a rideshare driver was used in the Four Oaks case.

Don’t Hand Over Your Card

Law enforcement agencies warn that legitimate banks do not send couriers to customers’ homes to collect credit or debit cards. If someone claiming to represent a bank says an account has been compromised, consumers should end the call and contact their financial institution directly using the number printed on the back of the card or another independently verified number.

Consumers should also never provide a caller with a PIN, password or one-time security code. The FBI warns that scammers routinely impersonate financial institutions by telephone, text and email and may claim fraudulent transactions have occurred as a way to obtain account information.

Anyone who discovers unauthorized credit card charges should immediately contact the card issuer, report the transactions as fraudulent and ask whether they can be reversed. The Federal Trade Commission also recommends reporting scams to law enforcement and the FTC.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the Four Oaks case.