There are concerns by local banking officials that a credit card scam that came to light in the Maritimes, and Newfoundland in particular, may be coming to Bruce County.

The RCMP is warning of a sophisticated credit card scam that's spreading across the country and involves people being asked to hand over their security information to fraudsters.

An officer with the commercial crime section in St. John's, NF., said Thursday that several people have contacted police in the province to report suspicious calls from supposed credit card agents.

The caller is looking for the three-digit security number on the back of their MasterCard or Visa — a critical piece of information that would allow them to make purchases with the card.

Cpl. Vicki Chalker said the difference with this ruse is that the callers already have the person's address, phone number and credit card number, and claim that they're investigating unusual purchases.

"This is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the most sophisticated schemes I've seen," she said.

"They're really doing a remarkable job at fraudulently obtaining our information, so the public needs to be very vigilant in securing their personal information."