“Phishing for Information”

Fraudsters looking to gather financial information have developed a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go “phishing.”  Phishing, also called “carding” or “brand spoofing” is the creation of email messages and web pages that are replicas of existing legitimate sites and businesses. These emails are used to trick users into submitting personal, financial or password data. 
 
These emails often ask for information such as credit card numbers, bank account information and passwords that will be used to commit fraud.

Don’t be a victim. Be alert.

Cardholder security is a Visa priority and we work closely with law enforcement authorities to track and shut down any source of fraudulent Visa emails and sites.  Visa has many safeguards and detection systems in place but prompt action by alert cardholders is one of the most important means of stopping such criminal activities.

Visa does not solicit personal details via email

• Visa does not initiate contact with cardholders by email or phone to seek personal or confidential information.
• Visa does not request information through links embedded in an email.  Only visit Visa's website directly for information.
• Do not respond to emails requesting your credit card details such as account number, ATM PIN, or other personal identifiers such as your mother’s maiden name.

Report email fraud

If you think you have received a fraudulent email claiming to be from Visa, let us know at phishing@visa.com.  Please attach emails or web addresses received that you suspect are fraudulent.    
 
If you think you have given away your account details to a fraudulent site, call the customer service number printed on the back of your payment card.