if you would like
to report a fraudulent email or inquire about an
email that you received
(April 11, 2008)
Unsolicited Text Messages to Cell Phones
Members should be aware of a new scam that involves unsolicited test messages sent to cell phones. These messages urge the recipient to call a number provided for information about discrepancies and then solicits individual account information and pin numbers. Such a scam could be used to obtain personally identifiable information and credit union account access information for those who access their accounts using their cell phones.
Cell phone users should be weary of unsolicited text messages. Such messages should be deleted and all deleted text messages should be removed, if possible, as the perpetrators have been known to use Spyware in conjunction with their text message solicitation.
How to Protect Yourself:
Do not assume that the information displayed on your cell phone is accurate. It can easily be spoofed.
Never give out personal or financial information via text messaging.
Never give out personal or financial information over the telephone unless you know EXACTLY whom you're dealing with.
If you have doubts about who's on the phone, disconnect the call and call back a well advertised number of the financial institution or credit card company.
Never give your ATM card PIN number out- there is NEVER a reason the caller/ texter needs it.
In a new phishing scam, con artists are using phony caller ID numbers to solicit personal information and money. Thanks to the phony caller IDs, the "spoofers" are able to convince victims that they're receiving a call from a bank, credit union or credit card company. The scammers use this technique to acquire sensitive personal and financial information, or even money, from their victims.
The frightening aspect of this scam is that few people would ever think that the names and phone numbers appearing on their caller ID screens were not genuine. However, scammers are already using phony caller IDs and are posing as representatives of banks, credit card companies and government agencies. Unfortunately, anyone with Internet access and a few dollars can find a number of legal online services that supply fake caller ID numbers.
How to Protect Yourself:
Do not assume that the information displayed on your caller ID is accurate. It can easily be spoofed.
Never give out personal or financial information over the telephone unless you know EXACTLY whom you're dealing with.
If you have doubts about who's on the phone, disconnect the call and call back a well advertised number of the financial institution or credit card company.
Never give your ATM card PIN number out- there is NEVER a reason the caller needs it.
If you feel you may have been a victim of this scam, contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov to file a complaint.
Letters are being sent to consumers
nationwide, claiming that they have won a certain
amount of money from a lottery or sweepstakes
outside of the United States. Included
with the letter is a check made out for a small portion
of the amount
won. The victim is instructed to deposit the check,
and then wire a smaller amount
of cash to the perpetrator to cover the
processing, surcharges, and/or taxes.
This is where the scam artists make their money.
They take the cash the victim wired
then disappear. By this time the victim's financial
institution realizes the
check is counterfeit, and, in addition to what they
sent the perpetrator, the consumer
usually has spent a good amount of the money they
deposited and are unable to pay the
bank back.
The best way to protect yourself is to avoid
this scam altogether- remember receiving winnings
from a lottery or sweepstakes outside of the United
States you never entered is not only unlikely, it's
illegal! So shred any such letters and do not respond.
If it looks too good to be true, it is! Currently,
there is almost nothing police can do about the crime
- but any information can be reported to the Office
of the Inspector General at www.usps.com as it is
considered a type of mail fraud.
Internet Scam Alert - Meet the Latest Version
of the "Nigerian Scam"
Recently there have been indications of a new,
very persuasive, Internet scam. It's a variation on an
older scam called the "Nigerian scam", mainly because
so many of its early solicitors claimed to be from Nigeria.
In the original Nigerian scam, the victim would
be offered large sums of money to be deposited into their
bank account, in exchange for a small fee, in an arrangement
that would allegedly benefit both parties.
The newest version targets individuals selling goods
on the Internet, more specifically, cars. Here's how
it works:
Vehicle/goods advertised on the
Internet
"Buyer" contacts seller to buy vehicle/goods
Check is sent to seller for larger amount
than the asking price, supposedly to
include shipping charges
Seller deposits
check in bank account
Several days later,
the "buyer" emails the seller,
cancelling the sale and requesting a refund
Seller verifies check has cleared and is
told it has
Seller sends "buyer" refund
Seller later discovers
that the check has bounced
The scam works because banks
typically tell customers that checks clear in 3
days,
when in reality, federal regulations require them to
make the funds available in 3 days, even if it takes
longer for the check to actually clear. Bank customers
are legally liable to the bank for making the check
good in these scam cases. When inquiring as to whether
or not a check has cleared, a better question would
be, "Have the funds
actually been transferred from the source into my
account?".
Best way to avoid this scam altogether:
If a deal sounds suspicious or too good to be true,
don't go through with it. Currently,
there is almost nothing police can do about the crime
- but make it known to the public.
Harford County Fire Departments
Warn of Phone Scam
Harford County, MD residents should be on the
alert for a potential phone scam. The caller is alleging
he/she is soliciting donations on behalf of local volunteer
fire departments. In some cases the caller is identifying
himself as "Fireman Joe". No Harford fire stations
solicit by phone, and only legitimate requests are made
by mail and have detailed contact information attached.
Anyone who receives such a call should not give out
personal information and call 410-638-4700 immediately.
Please be on the alert for a potential phishing
email scam. The email appears to be from an
on-base credit union. The email offers $50 to fill out
a survey, which is a link in the email. Of course, the
link is to a false website that requests the member's
credit union account number and PIN, along with other
personal information, which is a ploy to gather information
that possibly could be used for identity theft or fraudulent
transactions.
THIS EMAIL IS FALSE. Recipients are warned that we would never
send an email asking members for such personal information. Anyone
who receives an e-mail that purports to be from APGFCU and asks for account
information should consider it to be a fraudulent attempt to obtain their personal
account data for an illegal purpose and should not click on the links in the
message, and the message should be deleted.
For more information about email phishing click
here.
Please be on the alert for a potential
phishing email scam. The email appears to be from NCUA
(National Credit Union Administration). The email claims
that because of a recent phishing attack and identity
theft, NCUA is performing maintenance on its security
measures. It then asks the recipient to "verify" their
account information to eliminate any potential risk through
a link provided that appears to be on the NCUA secure
website, or via a form that is attached and requested
to be filled out and mailed in. Of course, both are a
ploy to gather information that possibly could be used
for identity theft or fraudulent transactions.
THIS EMAIL IS FALSE. NCUA warns recipients that it
would never send an email asking credit unions members
for such personal information. Anyone who receives an
e-mail that purports to be from NCUA and asks for account
information should consider it to be a fraudulent attempt
to obtain their personal account data for an illegal
purpose and should not click on the links in the message,
and the message should be deleted.
For more information about email phishing click
here.
