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Privacy | Identity Theft | Fraud Alerts Fraud AlertsThe 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. 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. |
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