Fraudsters have found yet another way to scam you. This time they call you up and ask you to cut your payment 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 instead hang up right away!
KBC Brussels will never ask for you PIN, nor will it ask you to cut up your payment 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.
They get you worried by telling you that your payment card has been ‘compromised’ and that you need to replace it as quickly as possible.
The first thing they ask you to do is to cut your card in half for ‘security reasons’, supposedly to make it unfit for further use.
They then ask you for the card's PIN
and tell you that a staff member 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, as long as the chip is undamaged, fraudsters can still use it to make transactions and steal money.
How to outsmart scammers
- Use the ‘Check who’s there’ button in KBC Brussels Mobile or KBC Brussels Touch whenever you interact with a KBC Brussels staff member, whether that’s over the phone, in a video call or during an appointment at your home (see how it works on our website).
- 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 payment card to anyone else and never send it off in the post. KBC Brussels will never ask you to do this.
- 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 payment card PIN and your card reader codes a secret. KBC Brussels will never ask you for your PIN or these codes.
- If you suspect fraud, hang up and immediately call Secure4u on 016 432 000.
- If you receive a notification from ‘Check who’s there’ that you’re not talking to a KBC Brussels staff member, don’t agree to anything and notify Secure4u right away by calling 016 432 000
