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I live in Lebanon and I made an account on Linkedin. I got a work offer from a company from Canada. They asked me questions about my education, marital status and if I have 12,000$ in my account to support myself if I were to go to Canada. They asked if I have a credit card as well as what the first 6 digits are.

Why would they ask for the first 6 digits and is it safe to give him those digits?

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  • That's a lot of digits for a 10-11 digit number. Everything else seems legit-ish (unless they're asking you to TRANSFER any of that money, then its not), but I'd be worried about them requiring so many digits from such a short number. I don't know enough myself to help out though. :/
    – Satanicpuppy
    Feb 21, 2019 at 22:20
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    The first six digits of a MasterCard or Visa card identify the institution that issued the card and what kind of card it is (debit or credit), as well as any special properties or restrictions (cf. this answer), and so your prospective employer is wanting these numbers to get this information. E.g., some debit cards issued in India are valid only for charges made in Indian rupees, and if your Lebanese debit card has a similar restriction to Lebanon, then the $12,000 is useless as far as your using it to support yourself in Canada is concerned.
    – Dilip Sarwate
    Feb 21, 2019 at 22:50
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    Why does it matter that it's in a Visa card? I know Canada has proof-of-fund requirements for certain (immigration) visas, but what they need is a letter from the bank. Sounds like a eventual scam to me.
    – user71659
    Feb 21, 2019 at 23:46
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    Is this not about an immigration visa number?
    – quid
    Feb 21, 2019 at 23:57
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    When you say you "got a work offer from a company in Canada," do you mean you applied for this job and got a response, or do you mean someone sent you an email out of the blue?
    – Steve-O
    Feb 22, 2019 at 16:13

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This sounds like a scam to me. The first 6 digits of a Visa card number identify the issuing bank, who they can now call, and armed with the other identifying information you have given them, can try to social engineer into transferring money out of your accounts.

You should look in a reputable Canadian phone directory for the main office number for the company you think you're talking to, and call them to see if the person you've been emailing there actually exists, works there, and has the authority to offer you a job. I also think you'll find that immigrating to Canada is a lot more involved and drawn out (some people wait years) than the process you're describing.

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Its a scam: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/12/thieves-can-guess-your-secret-visa-card-details-in-just-seconds/

The numbers can also be inferred by combining your first six digits—which are based on the card brand, issuing bank, and card type—with a verification formula known as the Luhn Algorithm.

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