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Fraud Alerts
Phone Scam
Security breach at Heartland Payment Systems
VISA Security and C V V 2 numbers
Phishing is just like fishing
Internet scam using NCUA
Phone Scam – 2/17/2009
Diligent members and non-members have informed us of a “vishing” scam which uses telephone recordings to lure unsuspecting consumers into disclosing their personal account information.
Random calls are being made to members and non-members telling them their credit or debit card account has been compromised and that they will need to provide their account number and PIN verification.
YOUR CREDIT UNION WILL NEVER CALL OR EMAIL YOU ASKING FOR YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION.
Other credit unions are experiencing similar scenarios. Findings suggest that fraudsters do not know if the household is actually a Credit Union member. They count on the volume of false calls to produce their desired results. Unfortunately, this is a widespread problem affecting financial institutions around the country.
If you inadvertently respond to one of these calls and provide your confidential information, please notify us immediately.
Security Breach at Heartland Payment Systems – 2/17/2009
The Baltimore County Employees Federal Credit Union has learned that there was a security breach at Heartland Payment Systems, a card processor for retail merchants based in Princeton, New Jersey.
Information that may have been compromised includes debit and credit card numbers, cardholder names, and card expiration dates. According to a press release issued by Heartland, no personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, PINs, or social security numbers was exposed.
These types of breaches sometimes occur through no fault or involvement of your Credit Union. Please be assured that we have sophisticated plastic card monitoring programs in place and have increased the monitoring of all accounts. Your Credit Union receives alerts of unusual account activity and potential fraud on a daily basis, and will contact you directly should this occur.
For this reason, the Credit Union does not intend to cancel or reissue any member cards at this time. We encourage you to review your statements and if you notice any discrepancies or suspicious activity, please contact our VISA Department at 410-828-4730 or 1-800-234-4730, option 3.
VISA Security Alert
Criminal seeking account information are at it again!
New techniques are being applied to previously used schemes.
In a new twist on traditional forms of "phishing," criminals
are now targeting your C V V 2 information.
C V V 2 (Card Verification Value) is a three-digit code on
the back of your card used during telephone or internet-based
transactions. C V V 2 was implemented by credit card companies
as a way to authenticate the actual card with the cardholder
and reduce fraud.
In these new schemes, criminals posing as representatives
of credit card companies communicate to you with urgency
about a possible fraud scenario involving your card. During
this process, you are then duped into revealing your C V
V 2 number.
Your Credit Union will never ask you to reveal your C V
V 2, PIN, or any other number because we have your account
information on file.
Your Credit Union will never send you an email telling you our website is down and suggest that you access your account from an alternate website provided through a "convenient" link. These are examples of outright scams.
Today's technology offers great convenience for members in handling their finances. It also offers criminals countless ways to creatively scam unwary consumers.
"PHISHING"
is just like fishing.
An alarming trend in internet piracy is called "phishing"
(pronounced fishing)... which is exactly what the thieves
are doing—fishing for your personal financial information.
"Phishing" thieves are desperately in search of
account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other
confidential information that they can use to loot your checking
account or run up your credit card bills. If these individuals
are successful, you could find yourself a victim of identity
theft. With your identity, a thief has the ability to take
out loans, obtain credit cards, and even acquire a driver's
license in your name. This can result in serious damage to
your financial history, cost thousands of dollars to repair,
and can take years to correct.
There are many ways in which a thief may try to "phish"
out your personal information. One common avenue is by email.
Typically you receive an email that appears to come from a
reputable company, a government agency, or even the Credit
Union. It may warn of a serious problem that requires your
immediate attention. Often, by following their instructions,
you are redirected to a phony web site that looks exactly
like the real thing. The unsuspecting person, desiring to
remedy the problem with their account will start to provide
their personal information. Now, the internet thieves have
pertinent information about you to continue their scam on
your personal finances.
Remember these
helpful hints:
| 1. |
Never provide your personal
information in response to an unsolicited request. |
| 2. |
If you believe an email could be
legitimate and have concern about an account problem they
have brought to your attention, contact the financial
institution or agency yourself. |
| 3. |
Never provide your password over
the phone or to an unsolicited email request. |
| 4. |
Review your account statements regularly
to ensure the accuracy of all charges, transactions, and
balances. |
Report all suspicious email contacts to
the Federal Trade Commission through the internet at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT.
We
have been alerted to an Internet scam
targeting credit union members.
The e-mail message fraudulently shows that it is from the
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). It is addressed
to credit union members advertising that they have been selected
to take part in a quick and easy 5-question survey and that
their responses will enable the credit union to provide improved
and expanded online services.
The members are advised that their replies will be kept confidential
and that in return for responding to the survey questions,
$50.00 will be credited to the member's credit union account.
To receive the $50.00 award, the member is asked to provide
their account number and PIN so that the $50.00 may be credited
to the member's account.
The message is a scam. It is not from the NCUA. It is an attempt
to obtain enough personal information relating to the member's
credit union account to enable the swindlers to steal money
from the account.
We have been told that the NCUA is in the process of having
this phony website closed down. However, until it is closed,
please be aware that it is a scam and should not be responded
to by any recipient.
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