Fraudsters have found yet another way to scam you. This time they call you up and ask you to cut your debit card in half because it's no longer safe to use. They then suggest calling around to where you live and collecting the cut-up card.
Don’t do what they ask and hang up right way!
KBC Brussels will never ask you for your PIN.
Nor will it ask you to cut up your debit card and then come and collect it from your home address.
How the scam works
The fraudster calls you up, pretending to be a KBC Brussels employee.
He gets you worried by telling you that your debit card has been 'compromised' and that you need to replace it as quickly as possible.
The first thing he asks you to do is to cut your debit card in half for 'security reasons', supposedly to make it unfit for further use.
He then asks you for the card’s PIN and says that a KBC Brussels employee or a courier will call round to where you live and collect the cut-up card.
Be aware that, even if your card has been cut in half but the chip has not been damaged, fraudsters can still use it to make transactions and steal money.
How to outsmart scammers
- Don't blindly believe what you're told when someone calls you up, even if the call seems to come from a trusted or legitimate source. You can never be sure who's on the other end of the line!
- Never give your debit card to anyone else and never send it off in the post. KBC Brussels will never ask you to do either of these things.
- Ensure your payment card cannot be used by cutting through its chip (the gold-coloured or silver-coloured square on your card).. If the chip is not damaged, the scammer can still use it to withdraw cash and carry out transactions online.
- Keep your debit card PIN and your card reader codes a secret and never reveal them to anyone. KBC Brussels will never ask you for your PIN or these codes.
- If you suspect fraud, hang up and call our Secure4u team right away to report it.
