Consumers warned about new smart card scams

Advanced technology in credit and debit cards are helping in the fight against identity theft and consumer fraud, but local experts caution that even the new smart cards are not completely foolproof. The Utah Division of Consumer Protection warned consumers to beware of suspicious emails or text messages that may ask for their personal identity or account information using recent changes to smart chip credit and debit card accounts as a trap. The federal government required retailers to adopt over a billion Europay, MasterCard and Visa — or EMV — smart chip enabled cards by Oct. 1 in an effort to combat fraud.