Beware of New Credit Card Scam

By First Coast News Staff

You may want to take a close look at your credit card statements. People all over the country are seeing something strange on theirs.

It's a charge from a company they have never heard of. Authorities are starting to investigate, but the only way to protect yourself is to pay attention.

Your credit card statement may have dozens of charges on it, gas, groceries, and services. You might not even notice this one, $29.99 from a company called Pluto Data with a toll free number.

"I called the number and it was in a heavy foreign accent and you couldn't hardly make out what they were saying. So then I got really suspicious," said Jamey Roe, a fraudulent charge victim.

Jamey spotted the fraudulent charge on his credit card account two weeks ago, and he wasn't alone.

"It's scary now too because you think, if they can get that, what about your social security number and stuff," explains Christa Clark, a fraud victim and mother of two.

The victims appear to be in virtually every state using many different banks and types of cards. The website 'Broadband Reports' lists comments from hundreds of scam victims wondering the same thing. What company is this?

The Secret Service and FBI have opened a joint investigation into the charges. They would not comment on how widespread the fraud may be.

"People's first reaction is 'oh well, it's all that shopping you do online' and this and that. But you're encouraged to do online banking. Everyone's information is out there somewhere," says Nancy Elizabeth Pellegrino, yet another fraud victim.

Neither Visa nor Mastercard could explain how the mystery company managed to get so many working credit card numbers. A Visa spokeswoman would say only that they were aware of the problem.

There doesn't appear to be any similarity between the victims. Some people shop online, some don't. The thing to remember is to check your statement carefully. Law enforcement officials fear that despite hundreds of complaints, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

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