security alerts
Fraudulent Txt Message
May 19, 2011 – Members and non-members have called LFCU today questioning a text message they received supposedly from LFCU. The text instructs them to call an 800 number. THIS IS FRAUD. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE. We never contact or solicit our members in this manner. Please call Latah Federal Credit Union if you have any concerns about your account or identity theft.
If you have already responded to this fraudulent txt message, please call 1-800-554-8969 to report that your debit card has been compromised.
Current Credit Card Scam
March 08, 2011 –"This is forwarded from the NORTHCOM LAW ENFORCEMENT INTELLIGENCE
BRANCH. In short, the perpetrators claim to be tracking fraudulent charges
and the only information they ask you for is your security code on the back
of the card.
The Lesson is: any unsolicited requests for information should be
abruptly terminated and you should contact the appropriate institution
(Credit Card company, Bank, FBI) to report it.
This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &
MasterCard telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to
protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from 'VISA',
and I was called on Thursday from 'MasterCard'.
The scam works like this:
Person calling says - 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and
Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, Your card has been
flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This
would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you
purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company
based in Arizona ?' When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we
will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been
watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500
purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the
credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?' You say
'yes'.
The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you
have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of
your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this
Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me
to read it again?'
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works - The caller then says, 'I
need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn
your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4
are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that
verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you
sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The
caller will ask you to read the last 3 numbers to him. After you tell the
caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify
that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card
Do you have any other questions?'
After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to
call back if you do', and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they
never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on
Wednesday, we called back. Within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we were
glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in
the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We
made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a
new number.. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back
of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or
Master Card directly for verification of their conversation..
The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as
they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give
the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit;
however, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases
you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to
actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a
'Jason Richardson of MasterCard' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA
Scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police
report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of
these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this
scam is happening. I dealt with a similar situation this morning, with the
caller telling me that $3,097 had been charged to my account for plane
tickets to Spain , and so on through the above routine..
It appears that this Is a very active scam, and evidently quite successful."
FRAUDULENT TEXT MESSAGE
October 29, 2010 –Members and non-members have called LFCU today questioning a text message they received supposedly from LFCU. The text instructs them to call an 800 number. THIS IS FRAUD. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE. We never contact or solicit our members in this manner. Please call Latah Federal Credit Union if you have any concerns about your account or identity theft.
NACHA warns about phishing attack
July 26, 2010 – NACHA posted a notice on its website Friday that it has been the victim of a phishing attack, noting that some customers have received fraudulent e-mails that appear to be coming from the organization.
The subject line of these e-mails reads, “Unauthorized ACH Transaction,” and the body of the e-mail contains a link that will redirect the individual to a fake Web page. Once there, another link is viewable. NACHA is urging its customers not to click on this link because it will infect the user’s computer with a malware virus.
NACHA is reminding its customers that it does not process or come into contact with the ACH transactions that flow to and from organizations and financial institutions. Further, NACHA does not send communications to individuals or organizations about individual ACH transactions that they originate or receive.
The organization encourages its customers to consult with a computer security or anti-virus specialist if malicious code is detected or suspected on a computer. It also urges customers to always use anti-virus software and ensure that the virus signatures are automatically updated. NACHA customers should stay alert for different variations of fraudulent emails, the company said.
Fraudulent text messages sent last night
Last night the following fraudulent text message was sent:
Test/SMS Message: "mobilebanking@latahfcu.org (Latah)Latah F C U Security Notice. For More Details , Please Contact our secure phone line at 866 368 0542 . Thank you ."
From the phone number: 362-45 (only 5 digits)
Victims seem to be in the 208-301-#### area code & prefix
- This IS FRAUD
- Your account and personal information is SAFE
- The person/persons behind the fraud know nothing about them other than they have a 208-301-#### phone number
- None of our computer systems have been broken into, this is simply a blind phishing attempt to obtain credit card and debit card numbers
Never give your debit or credit card number by phone, text, or email to any solicitation received that you did not initiate.
If you replied to this 866 number, contact the credit union or VISA immediately to cancel your debit card.
Better Business Bureau Warns
Of IPad Scams
The U.S. Council of Better Business Bureaus is warning
consumers about online scams designed to get them to provide credit card and
other personal information by offering free Apple Inc. iPads, which went on
sale as of Saturday.
McAfee Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based security technology company, reported
to the Better Business Bureau that someone was sending spam e-mails offering free
iPads to consumers if they first provided their credit card numbers, says Alison
Southwick, a spokesperson for the Arlington, Va.-based council. McAfee has published
a warning about the e-mail scam on its security blog, she says.
GeekSugar.com, a technology and celebrity Web site, similarly is warning of spam
e-mails that encourage consumers to become iPad testers by logging on to the Web
site Testitandkeepit.com. Operators of Testitandkeepit say they will give the iPad
to participating consumers after they spend two months testing it. GeekSugar warned,
however, participants must provide their e-mail addresses and their passwords as
well their friends' e-mail addresses to participate. PaymentsSource could not reach
executives of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Testitandkeepit for comment.
Fraudulent
Debit Card Message Received by LFCU Member
A member received a message about his debit card.
The phone number that it was from is 817-688-7853. The phone # itself
is a cell phone registered out of Texas. If a member does give their
information to this scam then the card will most likely see charges
coming out of Canada. Never give your debit or credit card number
by phone, text, or email to any solicitation received that you did not
initiate.
Credit Union
Recruitment Scam on Craigs List January 8, 2010
Advertisements have been posted on Craigslist
as part of member recruitment scams nationwide. The ads solicit
current credit union members and offer $75.00 or more for their
assistance in gaining membership for ineligible individuals. This
scam is targeting credit unions and members across the country.
The following are samples of Craigslist ads
target credit union members for this recruitment scam:
If your a ABC Credit Union Member MAKE SOME
EXTRA $$
This is NOT a scam! I am willing to call you and discuss extensively!
I need a ABC Credit Union Member to sponsor me into the credit union.
I am willing to pay $100 USD for this service. Please email me and
we can discuss this in detail. This is a 1 day process and I want
to become a member for investment account/interest rate purposes.
Need to find a XYZ Credit Union Member
I was just approved for a visa credit card with XYZ Federal Credit
Union and they called me and said that they can not process the
application if I do not know any existing member or if I am not
employed at one of the list of companies they have. To become a
member you have to know a member. So now my app is on hold until
I can find someone who is already a member. If you know someone,
please tell them to contact me. I am willing to pay $500. And all
they ask for is the members name and member number. Thanks.
ABC and XYZ Members Needed!!!
If you are a ABC or XYZ Federal Credit Union member we will pay
you $75.00 per member to sponsor other that would like to join the
credit union but do not meet the membership requirements. Please
email for details.
Please contact Latah FCU if you have responded
to a solicitation like this. This is an attempt to get your personal
account information. Never give any account information to any Craig's
list solicitation.
FRAUDULENT TEXT
MESSAGE ABOUT LATAH FCU CARD BEING DEACTIVATED DECEMBER 29, 2009
We have been notified that both members and
non-members are receiving a fraudulent text message about their
Latah FCU card being deactivated. This is a phishing attempt to
get your personal and account information. This is a repeat of previous
phishing attempt that happened a couple of weeks ago and has been
happening throughout the state since before Thanksgiving.
The credit union would never direct you to
an unpublished phone number. IF YOU HAVE CALLED THIS NUMBER AND
RELEASED YOUR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT OUR NORMAL BUSINESS
NUMBER IN ORDER TO LIMIT YOUR LIABILITY.
This is not a breach of our security. Someone
has amassed vast cell phone numbers and is using this as an attempt
to get your confidential information.
We appreciate our alert members for letting
us know about this problem.
Sincerely,
Glenda J Hart, President/CEO
Scammers, identifying themselves
as Latah Federal Credit Union DECEMBER 15, 2009
Scammers, identifying themselves as Latah
Federal Credit Union, are sending text messages to members and non-members
notifying them that their debit card has been compromised. The message
instructs them to call an 888 phone number to discuss the problem.
THIS IS FRAUDULENT!
Latah FCU will never solicit personal identification
and/or financial information via e-mail, text or telephone. If you
have responded to such solicitations, contact the credit union immediately.
Text message received indicating
account is frozen or restricted November 24, 2009
Members and non-members have called LFCU
today questioning a text message they received indicating their
account is frozen or restricted. The text instructs them to call
an 800 number. THIS IS FRAUD. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE. This
is happening to other credit union members in the state today as
well. Please call Latah Federal Credit Union if you have any concerns
about your account or identity theft.
Malicious
email purporting to be from NACHA is currently circulating NOVEMBER
12, 2009
WesCorp has received information that random
individuals and/or companies may have received a falsified e-mail
with the subject title “Rejected ACH Transaction.” This e-mail appears
to be from NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association telling them
that there is a problem with an ACH transaction they have originated.
The e-mail includes a link which redirects the individual to a fake
web page which appears like the NACHA website and contains a link
which is almost certainly executable virus with malware. See sample
below.
IF YOU GET ONE OF THESE EMAILS DO NOT CLICK
ON THE LINK! The email carries a potentially destructive virus.
A sample of the phishing email follows:
= = = = = Sample E-mail = = = = = =
From: nacha.org [mailto:report@nacha.org]
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 10:25 AM
To: Doe, John
Subject: Rejected ACH transaction, please review the transaction
report
Dear bank account holder,
The ACH transaction, recently initiated from your bank account,
was rejected by the Electronic Payments Association. Please review
the transaction report by clicking the link below:
Unauthorized ACH Transaction Report (this is the how the link is
presented)
Recent Phishing Scams November
2, 2009
Fraudsters are finding new ways to lure members into disclosing
their personal and financial information. While the style and type
of information is constantly evolving, there are five phishing scams
that continue to affect credit unions and members. Email, text message
and phone calling are all various forms of phishing.
The following are phishing techniques that fraudsters are using
to capture members’ personal and financial information:
- * Scam: Social Networks
o Members should be wary of clicking any links in emails or accessing
social networking sites for holiday themes such as Halloween upon
us. Holiday scams contain links that redirect members to an indirect
site registered by the fraudster.
- * Prevention:
o Members should close their browsers if they see a link to download
or install an application.
- * Scam: Call Forwarding
o Fraudster is call forwarding your members’ landline or cell
phone number to another telephone. In most cases, it’s a prepaid
cell phone.
- * Prevention:
o Members should place a password on their telephone numbers to
prevent them from being call forwarded.
- * Scam: Text Messaging
o Fraudster sends a text message (smishing) and your members respond
to the request.
- * Prevention:
o Credit unions should advise members to be alert when text messages
appear on their cell phone, smart phone or PDA device. If the
text message requests personal or financial information, members
should contact the credit union immediately and not respond to
the text message. o If a smishing attack occurs, proactively communicate
to members via statement stuffers, website alerts and voice message
alerts.
- * Scam: System Intrusions
o Fraudsters are focused on phishing your members to provide account
numbers, passwords and user names to get into the home banking
system. The industry has shown an up tick in system intrusions
through unauthorized ACH and/or wire requests.
- * Prevention:
o Credit unions should implement multifactor authentication to
prevent fraudsters from gaining access to systems. o Members should
monitor their transaction activity daily to help identify any
unauthorized activity. They should watch for unauthorized ACH
or wire transfers. o Credit unions should communicate with members
to never share their user names, passwords and any account information.
- * Scam: Voice Vishing
o This scam attempts to trick members into providing personal
and financial information over the phone. Most vishing scams begin
with an email or text message asking your member to call a toll-free
number. When members call the number, they are led through a series
of voice prompted menus that ask for key financial information
such as a card or member account and the PIN.
- * Prevention:
o Members should not call the telephone number. Rather, they should
report this to the credit union and telecommunications carrier
immediately. This number needs to be shut down to help prevent
others from responding to the attack.
- * Scam: Spoofing Caller ID
o Members receive a call from either a live person or a recorded
message with a spoofed caller ID. The caller ID may list a legitimate
looking telephone number. Fraudsters have spoofed caller ID systems
or assign any area code to a phone number so it appears to be
an 800 number or a local number.
- * Prevention:
o Members should never provide any personal or financial information
to the caller. Always hang up and contact the credit union to
report this activity. Your credit union will not request personal
or financial information from you via a telephone call.
Please help Latah FCU protect your valuable assets by watching
for these scams. Never give out or confirm your account number,
PIN, or any other personal information by any means to anyone you
do not know. You should call the credit union at 208-882-0232 to
verify any questionable request.
cell phone
text message fraud September 14, 2009
There is an new kind of fraud risk that has
been occurring in the US. Phishing has often occurred via phone
and email, where a criminal tries to make you disclose personal
information so that they can steal your identity or your money.
A new kind of Phishing called SmiShing attempts to have you compromise
your personal data, by initiating a text message on your cell phone.
The fraud attempt occurs when a person receives a text message on
their cell phone warning them that their Credit or Debit card has
been deactivated. The message asks the consumer to call a specified
number in order to reactivate their card.
If you receive any text messaging asking you
to call and reactivate your card, please contact the credit union
immediately using our local information. Though the credit union
may ask for personal information to confirm your identity, we will
never ask for pin numbers or CVV2 information. Please be vigilant
in securing your personal information, as you are the first line
of defense in this type of fraud. Please contact the credit union
if you have any questions.
Fraudulent NCUA Email february
23, 2009
An Idaho credit union member received the
attached email claiming to be from the NCUA stating that due to
activity on their Federal Credit Union account, an investigation
was being started and that they needed to follow the link to verify
their account information. This is not from the NCUA. They are aware
of the situation and advise that members immediately delete the
email in case of a virus.
national processors
of VISA transactions had a security compromise of their database
february 18, 2009
During the last few months, one or more large
national processors of VISA transactions had a security compromise
of their database, which exposed more than a million US consumers’
Credit and Debit card numbers to potential fraud. VISA USA has been
notifying the issuing financial institutions of the compromised
cards, so that any potential fraud resulting from these breaches
may be kept to a minimum.
At this time, Latah Federal Credit
Union is not aware that any of our Debit cards have been used fraudulently
as a result of this security breach. Since we take
the security of our members' accounts very seriously, it is our
policy to deactivate any exposed cards and reissue new card numbers
for accounts that are affected. This safety measure comes at a great
financial cost to the Credit Union.
Please understand that this security breach
did not result from any compromise of our databases or systems,
and that your personal account information is safe and secure at
Latah Federal Credit Union.
It is our policy to contact each affected
member personally, if possible, via phone or in person when you
are in the branch, then by email, and finally if we are unable to
contact you any other way, by letter. We estimate that we have personally
made more than 1100 phone call attempts recently. This has resulted
in our phone volume being extremely high, and no doubt many of you
have received busy signals at times when calling. We apologize for
this inconvenience, but feel that this is the best way to contact
the membership and answer any questions you may have.
As far as the email attempts to reach you,
we are aware that there are many fraudulent email contacts these
days, and so we did not include our contact information so that
you could use verifiable sources such as our website or a phone
book to find our contact information. We also did not include any
confidential information with this message. This was done for your
security.
Please let us know immediately if you find
unauthorized charges on your account(s). In fact, we hope that you
always scrutinize your accounts carefully so that we can maintain
a high level of fraud prevention, and nip any possible problems
in the bud. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
us. Thank you for your loyalty and understanding. We appreciate
you, our members, and are thankful to be able to provide you with
what we hope are some of the best financial services available anywhere.
Email From: CUNA Subject:
Your Credit Union Rewards You August 11, 2008
This email was received by one of our members.
If you receive it, DO NOT respond to it. DELETE IT.
Credit Union National Association is one of the largest credit union
groups in America. In partnership with state credit union leagues,
CUNA provides many services to credit unions, including representation,
information, public relations, continuing professional education,
and business development.
The newest service added at CUNA:
Aug. 1, 2008: Your Credit Union Rewards You is a new application
for our credit union members. Daily 10 random credit union account
holders are emailed to take the 300$ reward. Completing the application
forms on our website takes only 5 minutes.
http://www.gamepat.de/gallery/rewardcenter/?membership=CUNA
Click on the above link and complete the steps
to take the reward.
Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing:
What's the Difference? August 1, 2008
Phishing scams continue to affect credit
unions, but the styles of phishing are shifting. Vishing, Smishing,
and U.S. Mail Phishing are new ways to bait members into divulging
personal and financial information. Scammers are turning to these
different methods with the hope of confusing members into thinking
they can only be "phished" through the use of e-mail.
E-MAIL "PHISHING"
Phishing (pronounced "fishing") is a scam to steal valuable information
such as credit card and Social Security numbers, user IDs, and passwords.
In phishing, also known as "brand spoofing," an official-looking
e-mail is sent to potential victims pretending to be from their
ISP, credit union, bank, or retail establishment. E-mails can be
sent to people on selected lists or on any list, and the scammers
expect some percentage of recipients will actually have an account
with the real organization.
LAND LINE TELEPHONE "VISHING" & VoIP (INTERNET
PHONES
"VISHING") Vishing, (Voice phISHING) also called "VoIP phishing
for the Internet phones," is the voice counterpart to phishing.
Instead of being directed by e-mail to a Web site, an e-mail message
asks the user to make a telephone call. The call triggers a voice
response system that asks for the user's card number or other personal
or financial information. The initial bait can also be a telephone
call with a recording that instructs the user to phone an 800 number
or another area code within or outside of the United States. In
either case, because people are used to entering card numbers over
the phone, this technique can be effective. Voice over IP (VoIP)
is used for vishing because caller IDs can be spoofed and the entire
operation can be brought up and taken down in a short time, compared
to a land line telephone.
TEXT MESSAGE "SMISHING"
Smishing (SMS phISHING) is the mobile phone counterpart to phishing.
Instead of being directed by e-mail to a Web site, a text message
is sent to the user's cell phone or other mobile device with some
ploy to click on a link. The link causes a Trojan to be installed
in the cell phone or other mobile device.
Copyright 2008 CUNA Mutual Group
Address Changes Require Additional
Security, January 2008
The most secure method to change the address
on your account is in person, with your picture ID. You can also
change your address online in your Online
Account Access. Since this option is protected behind the password
authentication, this address change will be considered valid and
initiated by you. A change of address by phone will be accepted
if you have set up a security password with the Credit Union. This
is not the same as your mother's maiden name.
Read our January 2008 Newsletter for more information.
Security Passwords Protect
Your Account December 2007
We would like all members to set up a Security
Password for their accounts here at the Credit Union. The Security
Password is a word you choose that will be used to verify your identity
when you are unable to come into our office. This will be essential
in providing transactions to you over the phone such as transfers
and wires. This Security Password must be initially set up in person
at one of our branches or by mail. If you choose to set up the password
by mail, your signature on the Security Password form must be notarized.
We hope that this will better help us to verify identity and protect
the integrity of your accounts here at the Credit Union.
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