Scammers already targeting those without chipped credit cards

PHOENIX — The deadline for merchants to install machines that accept the more secure chipped credit cards was barely a week ago, but scammers are already targeting people who have yet to make the switch.

Scammers are sending e-mails posing as a consumer’s credit card company. The e-mails tell consumers to click a link to receive a new card with the chip and may ask personal information.

But Amy Nofziger with AARP’s Fraud Watch Network said credit card companies will not send you information on how to get a new chipped card via e-mail.

“They will automatically send you your new chip card in the mail and they will not email you any information about that,” she said.

Nofziger said consumers should be on the lookout for e-mails asking for personal information. Most of them will contain poor grammar and misspellings because a lot of the scammers are overseas.

“It’s hard to pinpoint sometimes where they are actually located, but we do know that a lot of the cybercriminals are international,” she said.

A CreditCards.com survey said 60 percent of Americans are still without chip technology in their card. Businesses and credit card companies were required to transition to chip technology by Oct 1. Those that have not done so are liable when credit card fraud occurs.