|
Privacy
| Identity Theft |
Fraud Alerts
Fraud Alerts
The information on this page is provided to assist Columbus Metro
members in protecting themselves from identity theft and other types
of fraud. Some of the scenarios below were reported by our members,
while others are warnings sent out by consumer watchdog groups or
government agencies. Since identity thieves are dreaming up new
schemes all the time, we recommend you visit this page frequently
so that you are familiar with the latest scams.
E-mail Scam - 05/27/10
The National Credit Union Administration is warning credit unions
and their members about fraudulent e-mails that appear to come from
the NCUA. The e-mails solicit credit union members' participation
in a survey and promise $40 for responding. The NCUA does not solicit
such information from members, and warns that the latest e-mails
may be an attempt to obtain members' confidential account information.
Anyone receiving these e-mails should not respond to them. Questions
may be sent to the NCUA at pacamail@ncua.gov.
Mortgage Scam - 05/11/10
The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about a new scam
aimed at homeowners struggling to keep their homes. In the scam,
so-called "forensic loan auditors," "mortgage loan
auditors" or "foreclosure prevention auditors" offer
to review your mortgage loan documents to determine whether your
lender complied with state and federal mortgage lending laws. The
"auditors" require an upfront fee of a few hundred dollars
in exchange for a report that they say can be used to avoid foreclosure,
accelerate the loan modification process, reduce your loan principal,
or even cancel your loan.
Nothing could be further from the truth. According to the FTC and
its law enforcement partners:
- There is no evidence that forensic loan audits will help you
get any sort of foreclosure relief.
- Some federal laws allow you to sue your lender based on errors
in your loan documents, but even if you sue and win, your lender
is not required to modify your loan to make your payments more
affordable.
- If you cancel your loan, you will lose your home and you will
have to return the money that you borrowed to your lender.
If you're behind on your mortgage payments, the most important
thing you can do is communicate with your lender. You can also call
1.888.995.HOPE for free personalized advice from housing counselors
certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
To learn more about home mortgages and other credit-related issues,
visit the FTC Web site at www.ftc.gov/MoneyMatters.
Check Scam - 05/08/10
The Ohio Department of Insurance is warning against a new version
of an old scheme, this time involving the use of the names of large
insurance companies including Nationwide and Progressive. Consumers
report receiving counterfeit checks that appear to be from an insurance
company. The checks are for $3,500 to $4,900 and are accompanied
by a letter stating that the consumer has won between $150,000 and
$250,000 in a drawing from the publisher of Reader's Digest
or a similar company.
The letter instructs the recipient to cash the check, then wire
between $2,000 and $4,000 to a specific address to cover taxes on
the prize. Later, consumers find out they have been defrauded when
their bank informs them that the check did not clear, leaving them
on the hook for the amount of the check and associated fees.
ODI urges consumers to be skeptical of mailings from companies
that they don't do business with or that offer a large amount of
money in exchange for a fee or for the disclosure of personal information.
More information on these types of scams can be found at www.fakechecks.org.
Work-At-Home Scam - 02/18/10
Several companies, including Cincinnati-based Job Line, Inc., are
accused of scamming job-seekers and now face legal action as part
of a state and federal crackdown. The targeted companies promise
work in the federal government, as movie extras or mystery shoppers
or at home stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments. The companies
are accused of failure to deliver on promises and making misleading
statements in violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.
According to the Ohio Attorney General's office, job-hunters can
avoid falling prey to such scams by following these tips:
- Don't pay for help finding work. Be suspicious of companies
that want you to pay for exclusive information, mandatory training
sessions, starter kits or other materials, especially if they
ask you to wire money to a foreign country.
- Don't trust unrealistic salaries or vague job descriptions.
Demand a detailed description of the work involved before you
commit to a job.
- Beware of lengthy contracts, and don't sign anything without
reading it. Scam artists might slip in certain clauses, hoping
you won't read them. Written contracts generally are binding,
so take the contract to a lawyer or trusted friend to review and
don't sign the agreement unless you understand what you're agreeing
to.
- Don't give in to high-pressure tactics. If a company doesn't
give you time to review a contract or make a decision, don't do
business with it.
Phishing Scam - 12/03/09
Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray warns that a scam playing
on fears about the swine-flu virus is spreading a computer virus
that could lead to identity theft. There are bogus e-mails circulating
that appear to come from the federal Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention announcing a state vaccination program for H1N1 flu.
The message encourages recipients to click on a link and download
instructions for creating a personal vaccination profile. The download
actually infects the recipient's PC with a virus capable of sending
their personal information back to the scammers. If you receive
such an e-mail, do not click on the link and delete it immediately.
The CDC does not send e-mails directly to consumers.
Phishing Scam - 10/29/09
Consumers are being warned about e-mails that appear to be from
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation but are in fact a scam.
The subject line of the e-mail says, "Check Your Bank Deposit
Coverage". The body of the e-mail says that the recipient has
an account with a bank that has failed and been taken over by the
FDIC. The recipient is asked to click the link that is included
in the e-mail to "check your Deposit Insurance Coverage."
Both the e-mail and the associated Web sites are fraudulent. The
e-mail is an attempt to collect information that may be used to
gain unauthorized access to a bank account or commit identity theft.
Phone Scam - 09/03/09
A Columbus woman received a phone call from a Jamaican man who told
her that she had won $200 million because she paid her bills on
time. The caller said that all she had to do was send $200 by Western
Union to cover delivery. The woman refused and hung up. Still, she
has received three more calls from Jamaica. Statewide, Ohio Attorney
General Richard Cordray's office has received 51 complaints from
consumers who received phone calls promising sweepstakes or prize
winnings. Twelve complaints involved phone calls from Jamaica. Nationally,
Jamaican phone scams are believed to have collected more than $30
million last year. Wyatt Wilson, a Columbus police detective in
the fraud and forgery unit, says the top four sources of such scams
are Jamaica, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Phishing Scam - 08/24/09
The Federal Reserve Board warns consumers about fraudulent solicitations
that appear to be made with the approval or involvement of the Federal
Reserve or other U.S. government officials. The solicitations promise
bogus financial services or large sums of money in exchange for
either payment or personal information that can be used to access
a consumer's bank account.
The Federal Reserve is advising consumers that it has no involvement
in these solicitations, and consumers are strongly urged to verify
the legitimacy of potential service providers before entering into
a business transaction. More information is available at www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo.
Check Scam - 07/16/09
A member received a letter from Unitrust Investment Corporation
of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in regards to a "loan trial
package". The letter included a check drawn on International
Bank of Commerce for nearly $8,900. The letter advised the member
to call a certain person at an 800-number to "validate"
the check. The member deposited the check to his account, but it
was returned due to forgery. An Internet search turned up a Better
Business Bureau rating of F for Unitrust.
Work-At-Home Scam - 07/14/09
The Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio warns Twitter users to
beware of work-at-home and get-rich-quick schemes. "So many
Ohioans are out of work and are looking for a way to bring home
a paycheck," says BBB spokeswoman Joan Coughlin. "Work-at-home
schemes have often preyed on unsuspecting job hunters, and now Twitter
is being used as one of the newest ways to convince cash-strapped
individuals that they can make quick and easy money."
One scam the BBB has identified involve companies that promise
to pay Twitter users up to $873 to tweet after they sign up for
a CD-ROM training kit. Users sign up for the "free" kit,
unaware that they are actually committing to a membership. If they
don't cancel the membership within seven days, they'll be charged
large monthly fees, according to the BBB's Coughlin. What's more,
Web links in some tweets may lead to sites that install software
that steal personal information.
Two companies identified by the BBB as engaging in these practices
are EasyTweetProfits.com, based in Surrey, England, and TwitterProfitHouse.com,
based in Burbank, California.
Check Scams - 06/02/09
The Consumer Federation of America warns that phony-check scams
are getting more sophisticated, and more consumers are falling for
them. In a recent survey, the CFA found that nearly one-third of
U.S. consumers have faced this scam, in which con artists provide
consumers with a fake check to cash and then ask them to return
some of the money to them. About 1.3 million consumers nationwide
have fallen for the scam, and victims lost an average of $3,000
to $4,000 per occurance because they wired the money to con artists
only to find out that the checks they were given were no good.
Consumers can avoid losing money to fake-check scams by heeding
these tips:
- Never agree to wire money to anyone you haven't met in person
or haven't known a long time.
- Never agree to cash checks and send money somewhere as part
of a home-based job.
- Never agree to pay for grants from the government or foundations.
- Never agree to pay to claim a prize.
- Check with the Better Business bureau, your state attorney general's
office, the Federal Trade Commission or the U.S. Postal Inspection
Service if an offer seems suspicious.
- Remember that there is no legitimate reason for anyone to give
you a check or money order and then ask you to send money anywhere
else in return.
Source: Consumer Federation of America
For more information, visit www.fakechecks.org.
Phishing Scam - 05/28/09
A member reported that she had received multiple calls from 1.866.902.8199
indicating that they had the last four digits of her Columbus Metro
credit card number. A Google search of the phone number turned up
numerous complaints about repeated phone calls from the same number,
which supposedly belongs to a company called Platinum Marketing.
The reports on the purpose of the calls vary somewhat — some
call recipients say they were offered a free gas card if they signed
up for an automobile membership program, while others said they
were offered a "free" gift card if they paid for shipping
and handling. At any rate, Columbus Metro is not associated with
this organization in any way, and we do not provide any of our members'
card information to third parties for marketing purposes. We have
reported our member's experience to the FTC; consumers can contact
the FTC directly at www.ftc.gov or 1.877.FTC.HELP.
E-mail Scam - 04/30/09
The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued an alert warning
of a number of e-mail scams related to the swine flu. The attacks
arrive via an unsolicited e-mail message typically containing a
subject line related to the swine flu. The e-mails may contain a
link or an attachment. If users click on the link or open the attachment,
they could be directed to a phishing web site or exposed to malicious
code.
Experts are also warning consumers to be highly skeptical of unknown
web sites with the words "swine flu" in the domain name.
Dozens of new swine flu domain names have been registered in the
last few days. To stay informed about the swine flu — and protect
your computer — rely on trusted sources of information, such
as the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control.
Sweepstakes Scam - 04/01/09
The Better Business Bureau is warning about letters that appear
to come from Publishers Clearing House telling the recipients they've
won a $1 million prize. The letters come with fraudulent checks
for as much as $5,900, and the goal is to con victims into cashing
the checks and wiring most of the funds back to the sender. That
money cannot be recovered.
Joan Coughlin of the Central Ohio Better Business Bureau says the
scammers are trying to capitalize on a New Jersey woman's recent
win in the real Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes. People have
reported receiving the letters since early March in 19 states, including
Ohio.
Smishing Scam - 03/20/09
"Smishing" is similar to deceptive e-mail and phone
scams. The term is derived from the SMS technology used for text
messages.
A Columbus Metro member reported that she received a text message
on her cell phone indicating that her account was frozen. When she
called the phone number included in the message, she was asked for
her debit card number, which she refused to provide. Remember, we
will never call, e-mail or send you a text message about your account
status and then ask you to provide us with your account information.If
you receive a message that is supposedly from Columbus Metro, do
not call the number in the message. Instead, call us directly at
614.239.0210 or 800.986.3876 or e-mail us at cmfcu@columbusmetro.org.
Money Order Scam - 03/16/09
The Columbus Dispatch reported that a local woman wanted to sell
a Leapster Learning Game her daughter had outgrown. She listed it
on Craigslist.com, a free online classified listing, with an asking
price of $100 and received a quick response from someone who wanted
to buy it. A few days later, she received two money orders from
the buyer for $932 each. Then she received an e-mail from the buyer
saying that there had been a mistake. He asked her to keep $200
(twice her asking price for the toy) for her trouble and wire the
remaining money back to him. She deposited the money orders and
wired the funds, only to find out after the fact that the money
orders were fraudulent. She now owes her bank the $1,729 that was
wired plus wire transfer fees.
Columbus Metro warns members to be extremely suspious of any checks
or money orders that are sent to you — especially if the sender
asks you to wire a portion of the funds back to them. If you bring
these items to the credit union for deposit, they will not be available
for immediate withdrawal, which protects both you and the credit
union from loss if the items turn out to be fraudulent.
Phishing Scam - 02/12/09
A new e-mail scam promises information on "economic stimulus
grants." The scammers use fake testimonials such as, "I
found the grant I needed and filled out the forms and sent them
in, and in about two weeks I received a check in my hand for $100,000."
A link in the e-mail leads to a site where you enter personal information
such as your salary range, e-mail address, mailing address and date
of birth in order to get a free CD-ROM that will show you how to
get a grant. To order the CD, you must enter credit card information
to cover postage and handling costs. Unfortunately, victims never
get a CD—only a stolen identity.
Phishing Scam - 01/23/09
The Columbus Dispatch reports that the latest scam circulating throughout
Ohio is an e-mail that appears to be from the Internal Revenue Service.
It looks like it's on U.S. Department of Treasury letterhead and
informs consumers that, "After the last annual calculations
of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible
to receive a Stimulus Payment." The e-mail instructs the recipient
to submit an online form in order to get their payment and contains
a link for consumers to download and forward.
In fact, the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mail to taxpayers
and does not ask for personal information such as passwords, PINs,
or financial account information by e-mail. Consumers should not
open any attachments and should forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov
for further investigation.
Phone Scam - 12/01/08
The Ohio Department of Insurance is warning about a telephone scam
targeting auto insurance customers. Victims are receiving calls
saying that their insurance payment can't be processed and they'll
need to provide their bank account number as well as other personal
information to resolve the problem. The department warns consumers
to be very careful when anyone other than your insurance agent contacts
you about your policy. If you're suspicious about a caller, insist
on getting a name and telephone number and don't give the person
your financial or other personal information.
Phishing Scam - 11/26/08
A new twist on phishing aims to obtain the three-digit security
code printed on the back of Visa and MasterCard credit and debit
cards. The phishers are trying to get enough information to perform
fraudulent card-not-present transactions (Internet, telephone and
mail-order purchases).
Under the scam, a legitimate cardholder gets a phone call. The
caller claims to be a representative of Visa® or
MasterCard® informing the cardholder of suspicious
card activity. The caller provides details of an unusual transaction
and asks if the cardholder made the purchase, which, of course,
the cardholder did not. The cardholder is then asked to verify that
they have possession of the card by providing the three-digit security
code on the back of the card. The fraudster then provides a control
number in the event that the cardholder needs to call back with
questions, which makes the call seem legitimate.
The caller does not ask for the credit or debit card number, and
that is why some consumers have been fooled into believing the call
is legitimate. But the fraudster already has the card number; what
they don't have is the three-digit code from the back of the card.
Remember, you should never respond to any e-mail, telephone call,
voice message, text message or letter that requests personal or
financial information, including the three-digit security number
on the back of your plastic cards.
Phone Scam - 11/10/08
A Columbus Metro member reports that she received six phone messages
over the weekend from someone who said she'd won a prize in connection
with a recent visit to Wal-Mart (she had not shopped there). The
member returned the call and was told that her Columbus Metro Visa®
card number and expiration date was needed to process the prize.
The alert member recognized this as an attempt to get her credit
card information for fraudulent use and hung up. The calls came
from area code 231, which is in northern Michigan.
Loan Scam - 11/05/08
The Federal Reserve Board is warning the public about a scam that
encourages consumers to place large deposits in a bank account in
order to obtain large secured loans through a Fed program that does
not exist.
"Under this fraudulent scheme, targeted individuals are told
that they can work through a broker to access a Federal Reserve
program that extends sizable secured loans to consumers. Consumers
are encouraged to deposit large sums of money into a bank account,
under the guise of a security deposit, in order to receive the purported
loan," the Fed said in a warning issued on Tuesday. The Fed
notes that it does not directly sponsor consumer lending programs.
The Fed recommends that consumers who have questions about this
or any other potentially fraudulent schemes call the Fed's Consumer
Help Center at 888.851.1920 or visit its Consumer Help page at www.federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov.
Credit Card Solicitation - 10/31/08
A member brought in a letter that looked like a credit card solicitation.
The letter from Union Workers Credit Services seemed to offer a
pre-approved Platinum Visa® or MasterCard®
with a credit limit of up to $10,000. To receive the card, the recipient
had to send $37.
However, a closer look reveals that the offer isn't for a credit
card at all. Instead, your $37 gets you a "PLATINUM Card Membership"
and the $10,000 credit line only applies to the purchase of merchandise
from the UWCS catalog. An Internet search turned up evidence of
similar letters dating back several years. Recipients reported that
they sent in the $37 and never received anything in return, while
others said that the merchandise in the catalog was overpriced.
The lesson: Beware of any credit card offer that requires you to
pay a fee before you get more details. And be sure that the credit
card solicitation is from a bank that actually issues Visa and/or
MasterCard credit cards.
Phone Scam - 10/28/08
A Columbus Metro member reports that she received a phone call from
an individual who said that her bank had submitted her name to a
consumer credit agency in order to lower her credit card rates.
All that they needed was the account number(s) for her credit cards,
the expiration dates and the last four digits of her Social Security
number. When pressed, the caller could not provide the name of the
bank that had supposedly submitted the member's name. The alert
member didn't provide any information to the caller and hung up.
Phishing Scam - 10/23/08
Better Business Bureau is alerting consumers and businesses about
a phishing scheme that uses both e-mail messages and blog posts
directing recipients and viewers to register software with BBB.
"The messages and posts are most likely part of a large-scale
phishing scam leveraging the trusted nature of the BBB name to entice
recipients and bloggers to open messages and access attachments
or links," said Joan Coughlin, BBB spokesperson. "Anyone
who receiving an e-mail or viewing a blog requiring the registration
of software with BBB should not click on any links or in any way
respond to the message, because doing so may allow harmful viruses
or spyware to enter the recipient's computer or network."
Phishing Scam - 10/14/08
The Federal Trade Commission is warning that phishers are taking
advantage of the recent upheavals in the financial services industry
to launch attacks on consumers by posing as the financial institution
that recently acquired their institution or mortgage company. E-mails
may ask consumers to update, validate or confirm their account or
other personal information following the acquisition of their financial
institution. The FTC advises consumers to avoid replying to e-mail
or pop-up messages asking for personal or financial information.
Additionally, the agency cautions that some scammers are sending
pre-recorded telephone messages asking consumers for a return call
to update personal information. In these cases, the agency suggests
consumers call the number on their financial account statements.
Check Scam - 10/03/08
A member received a letter in the mail, supposedly from Publisher's
Clearing House, that said she had won their $1 million third prize.
The letter included a check for $5,340 to "cover any outstanding
fees" necessary to claim the prize. The recipient was directed
to call a toll-free number for further instructions. When the member
called, she was instructed to send a MoneyGram for $3,500 to a certain
address. The check enclosed with the letter is assumed to be fraudulent;
the maker of the check was a company in California, but it was drawn
on a bank in Kentucky and the envelope had a Canadian postmark.
This is a common scam — fraudsters send someone a check, usually
some sort of "prize" for a contest the recipient never
entered, and then ask them to wire a certain amount of money back
to an accomplice.
For more information on recognizing and avoiding fake check scams,
visit www.fraud.org.
Phone Scam - 09/24/08
Recently, an elderly female in Columbus received a letter, allegedly
from Publisher's Clearing House. The letter indicated that she had
won $500,000 but needed to pay state taxes in order to claim it.
In a follow-up phone call, she was asked to wire $2,300 to Israel.
She believed that the offer was a scam, so she did not send the
money. A week later, an individual who claimed to be with the FBI
called the woman and asked her to assist them in investigating a
scam being run out of Canada. The woman agreed to help and wired
$2,500 to Canada. A week later, she was contacted again and told
that an arrest had been made but that her assistance was still needed,
so she wired another $2,500. She then received a call from someone
who claimed to be with the attorney general's office and claimed
that they needed her assistance as well. She initially refused,
but was told that she had no choice because of the ongoing federal
investigation. The woman returned to her bank to withdraw funds
again, at which point bank personnel stepped in and called the police.
Phishing Alert - 09/11/08
Recently, we were made aware of a phishing attempt in which fraudsters
are reviewing obituaries to gain personal information about a member
related to the deceased. They are then contacting the member, posing
as a relative, to request that money be transferred into the fraudster's
accounts. The member is also asked to contact the financial institution
to authorize that the funds be disbursed to the fraudster. The twist
is that the member is authorizing the transaction to have the funds
sent to the fraudster.
E-mail Scam - 09/05/08
A member received an e-mail, supposedly from AOD Federal Credit
Union, stating that his account had been temporarily suspended (the
member does not have a relationship with AOD FCU). The e-mail directs
the recipient to click a link in the e-mail to "update"
his identity. The link undoubtedly goes to a site set up by identity
thieves attempting to get debit or credit card numbers or other
account information. Remember, you should never provide personal
financial information in response to an e-mail like this.
E-mail Scam - 09/02/08
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov)
continues to receive reports concerning the "hit man"
e-mail scheme. This scam has been around since 2006, but two new
versions surfaced in July 2008. The messages vary slightly but are
similar in nature: the e-mail claims that the recipient (or a loved
one) will be kidnapped or killed unless a ransom is paid within
48 hours. In some instances, the use of names, titles, addresses
and telephone numbers of government officials and business executives,
and/or the victims' information, are used in an attempt to make
the fraud appear more authentic.
The IC3 has published two previous public service announcements
on the hit man scheme:
Phishing Alert - 08/19/08
A number of members received text messages stating that their accounts
had been suspended due to suspicious activity. The exact wording
of the message varies, but they all direct recipients to call a
certain phone number, where a recording asks for a credit card number
and other account information. Members should not respond
to or provide any information in response to this text.
If you have already done so, please contact our Card Services department
IMMEDIATELY at 614.239.0210 or 800.986.3876.
Phishing Alert - 08/19/08
A member reported that she had received an e-mail that said that
her membership was about to expire. The message asked her to click
on a link to renew her membership. We assume that the link would
have asked for her account number and other personal information;
fortunately, the site had been shut down by the time she clicked
on it. Columbus Metro will never send you an e-mail prompting
you to follow a link and provide personal information. If
you have provided personal information in response to such an e-mail
or phone call, please contact us IMMEDIATELY for assistance.
Wondering how phishing works or how you can prevent it? Click here
for more information.
Know of a new scam not listed above? Click here to let
us know about it.
|
Home
| About Us
| What's New
| Membership
| Products
| Rates |
ATM Locations |
Forms 
©
2001 Columbus Metro Federal Credit Union
