‘Worst scam ever’: Police mock hoax fraud letter warning victims their debit cards will EXPLODE after thousands share it on Facebook
- Internet warnings claimed faulty Barclays debit cards are likely to explode
- The fake letter said it was due to a fault in the factory in ‘Molton Keynes’
- Continued use of the cards could create a ‘pocket fire’ causing terrible injuries
- Cheshire Police in a Tweet said the fraud attempt is the ‘worst scam ever’
Police today mocked a letter purporting to be from fraudsters looking to con Barclays Bank customers by claiming their debit cards were at risk of exploding.
The letter, which was being shared widely online claimed those with the affected cards should post them immediately to an address in Bangalore.
However, Cheshire Police said it was unlikely anyone was at risk of falling for the letter, but provided details of their anti-fraud advice.
The letter, which claims to be from Eric Smith, Debit Card Safety Manager, presents a dramatic warning about the dangers posed by the company’s debit cards.
Unfortunately for the fraudsters, the spelling in the letter is somewhat suspect, with the recipients described repeatedly as ‘costumers’.
Fraudsters have been trying to convince people to send off their ATM cards and PIN details by claiming the plastic card was at risk of exploding due to a fault at their facility in ‘Molton Keynes’
Cheshire Police described the attempt as ‘the worst scam ever’ in a warning about fraud
The fraudsters claimed continued use of the cards ‘could create a pocket fire at any given moment, burning your legs and stomach terribly’
Continuing use of the cards, according to the scam ‘could create a pocket fire at any given moment, burning your legs and stomach terribly’.
Gloriously, the fraudsters claim the exploding debit cards were sent out from their facility in Molton [sic] Keynes.
As well as the debit card, the fraudsters want the victims to supply their PIN details which are for ‘verification porpuses [sic]’ and will be destroyed ‘immediately upon a rival [sic].
Reassuringly, the victims are told ‘your private details will not be compromised at any time’.
Cheshire Police sent out a warning about this scam this morning although they suspect nobody would be foolish enough to fall for it.
However, they do suggest anyone who suspects they might be at risk of online fraud should check out this advice guide.
According to the letter: ‘Dear costumer, [sic]
‘Many of our bank costumers [sic] have reported that their debit cards have caught fire while they are in wallets and purses, so as a precushion [sic] we are issuing an URGENT safety recall.
‘This is a matter of the uppermost emergency as your card could create a pocket fire at any given moment, burning your legs and stomach terribly. This is because of a fault in the factory process at our debit card facility in Molton [sic] Keynes.
‘Therefore, for your own safety and verification, please complete the bottom of this form, and return it with your debit card to the safety manager at the following address.’
A Barclays spokesperson said: ‘A number of customers have reported receiving letters pertaining to be from “Barclays Bank Debit Card Factory” in “Molton Keynes”. These letters are a scam and customers should ignore the instructions given. Your bank will never ask for your card to be returned*, PIN number or account details.
‘If any customers are concerned that they have been a victim of a scam or have noticed suspicious activity on their account, we urge them to report this to the bank as soon as possible – either by calling our Fraud team directly or visiting their local branch.
‘We have no higher priority than the protection of our customers’ funds and have invested significantly in fraud and scam prevention initiatives. Alongside our prevention work we also do more than any other bank to help arm the public with information and tools to spot and stop fraud and scams. We have committed more than £18m over the past two years to raising awareness through our Digital Safety campaigns, running a series of adverts about the most common types of scams that customers and the wider public should be aware of. More information can be found on our Digisafe website: www.barclays.co.uk/digisafe/’
‘*Would only ever instruct customers to cut up and dispose of the card.’