Identity Theft/Fraud Information
ALERT: GenFed logo being used in sweepstakes phishing scam!
Vishing/phishing 'all over state'
DUBLIN, Ohio (8/21/08)--Phishing and vishing are "running rampant" in Ohio, with "people all over the state receiving messages" Tuesday and Wednesday purporting to be from three credit unions, says the Ohio Credit Union League.
"We've taken dozens of calls from credit unions saying they're getting a ton of calls from their members," said Katie Walton, director of member communications at the league.
The messages were sent by e-mails, text messages, and auto-dialers leaving messages on consumers' answering machines. They claim the recipient's account has been suspended for suspicious activity. They provide a toll free number, but recipients who call the number get an automated answer that asks for debit-card and credit-card account information.
"We have an advisory for credit unions set up on our website, (http://www.ohiocul.org/phishing.htm)," Walton said.
Identity Theft is a growing problem in the United States. GenFed Credit Union wants to make sure our members are updated with the latest information to safeguard themselves against Identity Theft.
- When you fall for 'phishing' scams, you risk being victimized by identity thieves. To educate our members on safeguards, we provide these tips and the links below.
- Don't trust e-mail headers. They can be forged easily.
- Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages. You don't really know where the data will be sent. Furthermore, the data can make numerous stops en route to the recipient.
- Contact the legitimate company named in the e-mail to confirm whether the request is from them.
- Always be alert to 'phishing' messages. Reputable companies DO NOT send out e-mails asking customers to verify their accounts or security settings.
GENFED FEDERAL CREDIT UNION regards the security of your information and your peace of mind as our number one priority. NEVER enter personal details including account numbers, PINs or Social Security Numbers into a web page link that has been sent to you via email. GenFed Federal Credit Union will never request personal information from members via email. If you have entered account information from a link in an email claiming to be from GenFed Federal Credit Union, call your local branch.
FBI has great scam awareness resource for members
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains a list on its Web site of today’s common fraud schemes, along with tips for detecting and avoiding the scams. The site includes information about telemarketing fraud, the Nigerian Letter scam, identity fraud, advance fee schemes, health insurance fraud, and more. League Director of Compliance Dave Shoup recommends that credit unions share this information with members through newsletters or a link on their credit union’s Web site. “The knowledge included on the FBI’s site can help many members detect and avoid common schemes, saving them from having to salvage their lives from the disastrous affects of fraud,” said Shoup. See the FBI’s Fraud Schemes Web site at the link below.
http://www.genfed.com/redir.php?siteurl=http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm
Share FBI tips for keeping alert for scams
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued new tips for consumers to detect scams. If consumers answer “yes” to any of its questions, they might be getting scammed warns the agency. Questions include: Are you about to cash a check for an item you sold on the Internet that is from a business or individual account that is different from the person buying the item? Is the check for more than the amount of the item’s selling price? Are you sending money overseas for an international lottery you didn’t enter? Have you been asked to pay money to receive an inheritance from another country? If you answer “yes,” you might be a victim of a scam. Check out the poster at the link below for more information about these scams. The poster includes a Web site to report potential scams. Contact FBI Special Agent Harry Trombitas with questions at (614) 744-2168 or htrombit@leo.gov.
To view the poster, click here.
Fraudulent E-mails
We recognize how important it is to protect your identity from unlawful use, and shield your accounts from fraud and unauthorized access. With that in mind, you can be assured that it's not our practice to:
- Send e-mail that requires you to enter personal information directly into the e-mail
- Send e-mail threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing personal information
- Send e-mail asking you to reply by sending personal information
- Share your name with any contacts outside our firm in a manner inconsistent with our Privacy Policy
- Send e-mail that requests you enter personal information into a website that is linked to the e-mail
With those things in mind, please exercise caution when reading e-mail that may appear to have been sent by us. It's an unfortunate reality that criminals continue to devise ways to exploit technology in an effort to rip you off. One increasingly common scam is called "phishing" (pronounced "fishing"), where your personal information is the "catch of the day."
Fraudulent Screen and E-mails
A phishing e-mail usually takes an urgent or demanding tone, telling you to act immediately to verify or update personal information such as bank account numbers, users names/passwords, credit card account numbers - even your Social Security Number.
Don't do it.
Instead, if you've got what you believe to be a suspicious e-mail bearing our name and logo, please do one the following:
- Forward it to our mailbox at info@genfed.com.
- If you've already responded to the e-mail, please contact your local branch immediately.
To Report Fraud:
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 or write:PO BOX 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
- Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) or write: PO BOX 9532, Allen, TX 75013
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 or write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, PO BOX 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
- Social Security Administration: 1-800-269-0271
Liberty Fraud Education - Provides peace of mind for you. Their fraud-deterrent products and services build awareness of troublesome issues such as identity theft and help you educate your account holders.
'Tips to Safely Conduct Financial Transactions Over the Internet' - Brochure from the National Credit Union Association (NCUA)
'Identity Theft Brochure' - From the NCUA on what to do if you feel you may be a victim of Identity Theft.
'ID Theft' - From the Federal Trade Commission
'ID Theft- What's It All About?' - From the Federal Trade Commission
'ID Theft Affidavit' - From the Federal Trade Commission. The form to send to creditors if you find yourself a victim of Identity Theft.
On Guard Online - From the Federal Trade Commision. Consumers can take interactive quizzes designed to enlighten them about identity theft, phishing, spam and online-shopping scams. If the user selects a wrong answer, the program explains why that particular misconception about Internet security can lead to trouble.
Identity Theft Resource Center - Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is, a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft. The ITRC provides consumer and victim support as well as public education. The ITRC also advises governmental agencies, legislators, law enforcement, and businesses about the evolving and growing problem of identity theft.
