Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft
Never REPLY TO such an e-mail.
What to watch for:
Poor spelling and poor grammar are often indicators of a fraudulent e-mail solicitation.
Any request to submit your account information or personal identification information, such as a Social Security number, indicates potential fraud.
Scams that use unemployment, financial stress and social engineering are listed in the FBI scam alert.
Identity Theft scams
PhishingAttempts are made by unknown criminals to solicit information in an effort to illegally obtain personal data. The e-mail address and the website address may appear identical to those of legitimate financial institutions and other companies. These websites, however, are fraudulent.
The phony e-mails, pop-ups or websites ask for confidential information such as Social Security number; date of birth; credit, ATM or debit card number(s) and their related Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). The intent of these fraudulent sites is to obtain information illegally to access consumer accounts and/or commit identity theft. Get more information on fighting identity theft from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency by downloading the Phishing Brochure.
Internet banking threats
Malicious computer programs may be hidden on internet sites, within e-mails, in electronic greeting cards or in programs downloaded through the internet. Once on an individual’s computer, the program goes to work determining what banking sites you conduct business with, obtaining online banking log-on and passwords, or stealing debit/credit card numbers and PINs. If the information is provided, the fraudster can gain access to your online banking account, use your debit/credit card to make purchases, or even steal your identity.Securing your computer
- Make sure to always use the latest version of your Internet browser
- Use a current spam filter
- Use up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus software.
- Run multiple anti-spyware software at least weekly.
- Save known addresses to your safe senders list so that legitimate messages are delivered.
- Don’t post your e-mail address on public sites
Phone calls
Don’t provide personal information, account data or card numbers to unknown callers. When in doubt, call us at 1-800-397-6767 to verify. Several different scams occur via phone calls. The callers are very good at convincing you they are from your bank and can easily persuade individuals to give them personal and/or banking information. Don’t rely on caller ID as this can be altered with today’s technology. The caller may ask to verify some information they have in an attempt to gain further personal or bank information. The caller may indicate your card or account has been cancelled and they need your information to reinstate it. The caller may indicate that they have your bank or personal information and for a fee can keep it from being shared. The caller may offer to remove your personal or bank information from the internet for a fee. These calls may be made by a person or an automated recorded message. For more information on phone scams, visit the FTC’s educational Website.International lottery scams
Scam operators use the telephone, direct mail and e-mail to entice U.S. consumers to buy chances in high-stakes foreign lotteries from as far away as Africa, Australia, Europe, even Canada. These lottery solicitations violate U.S. law and cost consumers more than $120 million each year.To read what the Federal Trade Commission has to say about international lottery scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission Website.
Advance Fee scams
Claiming to be a Nigerian (or other country) official, business person or the surviving spouses of former government officials, or a person wronged by some political oppression, con artists offer to transfer millions of dollars into your bank account in exchange for a fee. Typically, the victim is asked to provide bank account numbers, as well as money to cover transaction and transfer costs and legal fees.This scam is also used (in variation) on internet auction, internet classified and job websites.
More information about fraud and scams is available from the following sources:
If you receive an offer via e-mail from someone claiming to need your help getting money out of Nigeria, or any other country, forward it to the FTC at [email protected].