# Visa card restrictions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990 "2008-12-13T05:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990/21 "2008-12-14T18:53:58Z")
I recently received an email from the transaction company that processes my online utility bill payments. The email indicated a possible computer virus contamination for anyone who used their bill pay services on a particular day and within a time window. The email really sound strange. I went to the utility web site and they confirmed the email from the transaction service was legit. I spoke to someone at the utility company who said the transaction company had had a “problem” on their site within the date/time in their email to me. I was unaffected. Even though you received an email allegedly from your card issuer, and the phone number is legit, have you bother to contact them by phone to verify the legitimacy of the email? Have you been to their web site as well? Scam artists are getter more clever every day. It would not surprise me in the least if scam artists moving into a higher level bait/switch these days where they send out email with completely legitimate, but erroneous information, just to bait you, only to follow through a few weeks later with the switch email where the scam actually takes place (if you fall for it). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990/22 "2008-12-14T19:02:18Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Any reason not to contact the purported sender to determine whether it’s legit? Any evidence from the purported sender’s website to support the legitimacy of the e-mail? From the credit union’s website: > [@](#): > > Important Notice for XXXXX Classic VISA Cardholders If your XXXXX Classic VISA transaction is declined at a merchant this holiday season, please contact our Credit Card Decline Assistance Line, toll-free, at 1-888-xxx-xxxx. They will assist you with your transaction or help determine the reason for the decline. The phone number is the same as in the email. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990/23 "2008-12-14T19:28:37Z")
That’s a start, but how about the rest of it? Google has no hits for the first 32 words of the e-mail, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990/24 "2008-12-14T19:39:57Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > AFAIK, they are all national chains. They’re not. Big!Lots, KMart and Wal-Mart are, obviously, but the supermarket chains are local to California. Robin ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990/25 "2008-12-14T20:01:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > From the credit union’s website: > The phone number is the same as in the email. Your credit union should have a main number that you can get from the phone book or a recent statement; anywhere but from the e-mail you got. Follow the phone tree until you get to their credit card department, then ask for a human being and get a name. Or you can go to a physical branch; they should have the information there, as well. At this point, I wouldn’t trust information from the Internet. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990/26 "2008-12-14T20:02:57Z")
The number in the email is correct. I use it once a month. Obviously I can’t call today (nor could I yesterday). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-card-restrictions/476990.md?page=1)