Scams

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.  

Identity Theft

Identity thieves posing as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service are sending spam e-mails promising government economic stimulus packages. The message tells the user to download an attachment that is masked as a form they must fill out and send to the IRS to receive their check. However, the document really is an identity theft tool that steals the personal information entered in the form.
Another scam being used promises more information on how to get “economic stimulus grants.”  They tempt users with 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.”  It leads to a marketing-type site in which you enter personal information such as salary range, e-mail address, mailing address, and date of birth purportedly to get a free CD that shows you how to claim one of these grants. To order the CD, you must enter credit card information for the postage and handling costs. You never get the CD—only a stolen identity.

Stimulus Check Fraud
 
You may get a stimulus check for as much as $7000.00 in the mail soon, but it wont be from President Obama.
 
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs recently uncovered a scam in which potential victims receive an official-looking check in the mail along with the promise of thousands of dollars in the form of a "second stimulus check" if they register by calling the toll-free number. The recorded message on the other end of the line explains how callers can make money selling foreclosed homes to the US government. The catch is that they have to spring for the cash to buy an informational packet.
 
People hear news about foreclosures and the stimulus all the time. So they call the toll-free number and give their bank and social security numbers to these con artists.They never think to themselves, "Why would the government want to buy foreclosed homes in the first place"
 
Ask yourself the following:
 
Where is the check from?
If you don't recognize the name listed on the check, there is a chance that you may have been targeted by con-artists.
 
What is the money for?
If anyone asks you for additional information or expects you to purchase something, you may want to shred the check and move on.
 
Is there a timetable?
Checks issued by businesses or government entities tend to be good for as many as 180 days after issue. If you see any message that says "Act now in order to receive your money" that could be a red flag.

Phishing Scam #4

If you receive a phone call or text message from 1-877-732-2151, stating they are from cuna.org, please know that this that this is a scam.  Below is the information they request. 

·       Welcome to Credit union card services

·       Our records indicate that your account is restricted

·       Please stay on the line to remove the restriction

·       Please enter you account number followed by the # sign

·       Please enter your card expiration date followed by the # sign

·       To protect your security and privacy please enter your pin number associated with your card followed by the # sign.

 Again….this is NOT a valid company.  It is part of a scam to obtain your personal banking information

Phishing Scam #3
 
We have just been made aware of a new phone scam concerning text messages. This particular scam involves Empower Federal Credit Union, NY. A text message is sent via cell phone, informing the member to contact the Credit Union about fraud on their account. The phone number left as text to call is 1-800-409-1819. The caller asks the member to enter their credit card number.
 
Please do not respond to any of these text messages or give out any personal information.

Phishing Scam #2
 
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 this scam, a telephone call is placed to a legitimate cardholder. The caller claims to be a representative from VISA or MasterCard informing the cardholder of suspicious card activity. The caller provides details of an unusual transaction and asks if the cardholder made this purchase, which, of course, the cardholder did not. The cardholder is then asked to verify possession of the card. To do so, the cardholder is asked to read the three-digit security code on the back of the card. The fraudster then provides a control number in the event the cardholder needs to call back with questions, making the call seem legitimate.
 
The caller does not ask for the credit or debit card number, and that is why some members are fooled into believing the call is legitimate. But the fraudster already has the card number, what they don't have is the three-digit security code from the back of the card, and that is what they are after in this scam.
 
The three-digit code on the back of the VISA or MasterCard card is a security toll used for non face-to-face transactions. When conducting transactions that are not face-to-face, many merchants will ask the shopper for the three-digit code to complete a card authorization. If the criminal obtains this three-digit number and already has your member's card number, card expiration date, and billing address, the criminal ,may be able to obtain authorization for fraudulent transactions.
 
Never respond to any e mail, telephone call, voice message, or letter received through the mail that requests personal and financial information, including the three-digit number on the back of the card.

Phishing Scam#1

A new e-mail “phishing” scam seeks to plant malicious software on the computers of recipients who open an attachment purportedly related to the purchase of an airline ticket.
The fake e-mails use the names of various U.S. airlines including Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, US Airways, Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Midwest Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines.
The e-mail messages urge recipients to confirm a ticket purchase they never ordered. The e-mail requires an entry by thanking recipients for buying the tickets using the “Buy flight ticket online” service offered by the airline. Giving fake details of the purchased ticket, it asks them to confirm the purchase by printing the invoice and the ticket after clicking on an attachment in the mail.
However, when unsuspecting recipients click on the e-mail, a malicious software program downloads onto their computers. This “malware” enables the fraudsters to gain confidential information such as credit card access codes, Social Security numbers, and net banking passwords by allowing them remote access to the computers..
Airlines say there are a couple of things inside the mail that should warn people of the scam. The e-mails contain mistakes in spelling and grammar, and the formats in which the itineraries are presented are different than those used by the airlines.
You and your members should be aware that these e-mails are not coming from the airline. If the format does not look familiar to you, and you have not recently purchased a ticket, do not open the attachment. Delete the e-mail right away.

Secret Shopper Scam
 
Another scam that is circulating again is the Secret Shopper's Scam. Consumers are sent a letter along with a check for just under $3000.00. The letter indicates the consumer is being paid for a training assignment as a secret shopper and instructs the consumer what to do with the money. Again, this is another scam. This scam has already affected several credit unions in Niagara County.

Telephone Scam

We have been made aware of a telephone scam that recently targeted Auburn Community FCU and is circulating throughout the country. Targeted credit union members are receiving an automated message claiming that their credit union has suspended their VISA card and instructing them to call an 800 number to reactivate the card. When the member calls the number, they are prompted to dial in their account number, expiration date and PIN number. They are then instructed to press "1" to reactivate the card. Duplicate cards are being created in Spain and used to withdraw cash or make purchases.
 
Currently, this scam is targeting credit unions across the country.