It must be time for General Conference again, because anti-Mormon propaganda is in nation wide circulation.
If you aren't familiar with what I'm referring to...well, I hate to bring attention to it, because the best way to fight against a bully is to flat out ignore it. What I'm talking about is an anti-Mormon DVD being distributed, 300,000 copies of this particular pontificating garbage.
The group "Concerned Christians" (ironic name, isn't it) created this DVD in order to sway "Mormons" to leave the LDS church in efforts to help "save" us.
First off, when did it become anyone's duty to "save" us "Mormon's"??? I thought this country was a place where religious freedom was a privilege. I guess for everyone but the "Mormon's."
Second, when did producing deceitful fountains of mis-information fall in line with "love thy neighbor as thy self"? I guess Concerned Christians feel that they are doing us a..."favor"??? They are determined to ensure they can take the credit for correcting the brain-washing 12 million people have been through. I guess they can help us see where we've all gone wrong.
This is just plain laughable and annoying. Why are the LDS always getting singled-out? Why are we the only ones that get chosen to be shown how incorrect our beliefs and doctrine are? I would never condone this treatment for anyone else, but why aren't they sending DVD's around to Jew's Buddhist's or Muslim's? Surely if a Christian sect can be so blindly wrong, well non-Christian religion's must also be just as false, why not be equal opportunity faith-destroyers?
The people behind this behavior are just as bad as Caiaphas and all that sought the life of the Savior. People aren't bad, it's their decisions that are poor.
I look forward to the day when people can more sincerely seek to know if the LDS church is true, because I know they'll find it is.
They'll come to find that there is more than just what is contained in the Bible, that a loving Heavenly Father is not a mysterious being without parts or passion's, that He literally is our father and he wants us to return to him.
That he's provided a Savior for all mankind to overcome sin and death.
That he has provided prophets throughout all time and didn't just stop with Jesus christ, he continues in this dispensation...even today, March 30, 2007 he has a prophet on the earth today: Gordon B. Hinkley who leads and guides His church on earth, even as Adam, Enoch, Moses, Noah, and Jesus did, so does President Hinkley do so in our day.
I would encourage all to listen to President Hinkley and the other General Authority's during this weekends conference address, which can be found at www.lds.org.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
New credit card scam?
Snopes.com cannot verify if this is a false e-mail going around, but what the hey, why not be ready for anything?
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "Master Card".
The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"
You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". ; There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.
Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. [B]The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card![/B]
If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other.
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "Master Card".
The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"
You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". ; There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.
Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. [B]The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card![/B]
If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other.
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