Fraud Alerts
Simple Steps to Identity Protection.
It's likely that you have heard a lot about identity theft lately, and for good reason; it hit one in 50 people during the last year. The Federal Trade Commission reported that identity theft was its number one source of consumer complaints and cost the average victim more than $1,000 to cope with the damage from it.
What is identity theft?
How can I prevent identity theft?
What should I do if I am a victim of identity theft?
What are some fraudulent activities I should know about?
What are the latest scams and where can I learn more?
Links to helpful sites
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, address, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.
How can I prevent identity theft?
Here are some tips to help protect you from identity thieves:
- Review your credit report once a year through one of the major credit reporting agencies:
- Equifax: 1-800-685-1111
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: 1-800-888-4213
- You can have access to one free credit report every 12 months from these credit-reporting agencies by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Do not carry important documents like your Social Security card, birth certificate, and passport in your purse or wallet unless necessary.
- Shred all personal or financial information before throwing it in the garbage.
- Do not put your Social Security Number on checks or use it as your driver's license number.
- Don't leave outgoing mail in your mailbox.
- If your mailbox doesn't lock, consider investing in one that does, or rent a post office box. At the very least, become familiar with the billing/statement cycles of your bills, accounts, etc.
- When possible, opt to receive bills and statements electronically.
- Don't give personal information to anyone over the phone, unless you initiated the call and are familiar with the company and its practices.
- When shopping online with a trusted company, make sure the page where you provide your credit card is located on a secure server (look for the lock icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen).
- When shopping, carry just the credit cards, cash, and checkbooks you need.
- Try to keep your credit card in sight at all times when presenting it for payment while shopping. If you dine at a restaurant where you pay at the table, you may want to pay with cash rather than a credit card.
- If you don't use a credit card very often, consider canceling your account since you may not notice if it's missing.
- Carefully review monthly credit card statements for unauthorized purchases.
- Next time you visit an South Carolina Federal branch, ask to have your ID scanned. This image will be indexed to your account. Each time you make a transaction, branch staff can verify that it's actually you.
What should I do if I am a victim of identity theft?
The Federal Trade Commission recommends:
Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.
TransUnion
1-800- 680-7289/ TDD 1-877- 553-7803
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634-6790
www.transunion.com
Experian
1-888- 397-3742/ TDD 1-800-972-0322
P.O. Box 9530
Allen, TX 75013
www.experian.com
Equifax
1-800-525-6285/ TDD 1-800-255-0056
(ask the operator to call the Auto Disclosure Line at
1-800-685-1111 to obtain a copy of your report)
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
www.equifax.com
Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.
File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on their website using the ID Theft Complaint Input Form. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps them learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so they can better assist you.
Take action immediately and keep detailed records of your phone calls (follow up on these in writing within 30 days) and correspondence. Also, keep track of the amount of money and time it takes to deal with the issues related to your identity theft.
What are some fraudulent activities I should know about and what should I be looking for?
Telemarketing Scams
These type of scams have been around for years, but the recent arrests of more than 135 people in cases involving more than 5 million victims remind us of the widespread damage they can cause, especially to the elderly. The Associated Press reported that this particular case caused victims to lose $1 billion and included such schemes as bogus lotteries, fake sweepstakes and credit cards, offers of nonexistent investments and tax fraud. Some cases involved so-called "recovery rooms" in which people posing as law enforcement officials offer to help victims recover losses for a fee. Review tip #9 above to help prevent losses due to a telemarketing scam.
Email Scams
There are several email scams in circulation. Some rely on victims' compassion in order to rob them of money. Others promise a large amount of money in return for an initial "fee" or "investment." A good rule to keep in mind when someone approaches you for money is, "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn't true."
Phishing
This type of e-mail scam is growing in popularity. Phishing is when you receive an unsolicited e-mail that appears to come from a legitimate company you may do business with. It provides a link to a fake website and asks you to input personal information that can be used to support fraudulent activity. Because the website appears to be legitimate, many consumers are falling prey to this scam. If you receive this type of e-mail, contact the company directly by phone (look up the number in a directory) to verify whether or not it's legitimate. For more information, you can view the NCUA's brochure on phishing.
Skimming
Another activity of concern is "skimming." Skimming occurs when you present your credit or debit card for payment. The payment is made, and then the person making the transaction runs it through a small device that stores your card's information. It is likely to happen in an environment where your credit or debit card is not in your sight at all times (like at a restaurant where you pay at the table). In instances like these, you may want to consider using cash instead.
General questions to ask yourself when depositing a check into your account or making a transaction:
- Are the check proceeds for an item you sold on the Internet such as a car, boat, or jewelry?
- Is the amount of the check more than the selling price of the item?
- Is the check from an individual you have communicated with via e-mail?
- Was the request to do business with you unsolicited (i.e. did you place an ad)?
- Is the check drawn on a business or individual different from the person buying your item or product?
- Have you been asked to assist in the distribution of money from another country?
- Have you been instructed to wire funds out of the country as soon as possible?
- Have you been informed that you were the winner in a lottery that you did not enter?
If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, please contact South Carolina Federal. Remember, you are responsible for the checks you deposit. If you have any doubts about a check, contact South Carolina Federal prior to depositing it. You can also keep up with the latest scams by viewing the web sites listed below.
What are the latest scams and where can I learn more?
NCUA Email Phishing Scam Attempt (Septemeber 16, 2009)
Recently, there have been multiple fraudulent e-mails and telephone calls directed to the general public and credit union members that appear to be from NCUA. False e-mails ask recipients to click on a link to confirm, verify or approve financial account information. If the recipient proceeds, the link directs them to a false website to verify or re-submit confidential information such as account and credit card numbers, Social Security number, password, and personal identification number, or to complete a member satisfaction survey and receive $80.
A variant, "vishing" uses telephone systems. A vishing scam occurs when a consumer receives a recorded message telling them a credit card and/or financial institution account has been breached and to immediately call a number provided in the message. The phone number leads the consumer to a fraudulent call center where people are asked to supply or verify pertinent financial account, social security or credit card information.
NCUA does not ask credit unions members for personal information. Anyone who receives a supposed e-mail or phone call from NCUA that asks for account information should consider it a fraudulent attempt to obtain their personal account data for an illegal purpose and should not follow the instructions in the e-mail or phone call.
If a member informs us of a telephone, text message or email phishing scam, please remind them NEVER to provide any of the following:
- Account Number
- Social security number
- Three digit security number on back of credit card
- Private information
South Carolina Federal Credit Union or any of our business partners acting on our behalf would never call or email our members requesting such information.
Computer Virus (March 31, 2009)
Many security experts are warning of a computer virus that is expected to impact many personal and business computers starting on April 1, 2009. Known as the Conficker Worm, this virus has the ability to spread across many computers automatically. Be sure to have updated virus protection on your computer to reduce the risk of losing your personal information and secure data. To learn more about how to best protect your computer from this virus, please review Microsoft’s advice on the matter.
Email Phishing Scam Attempt (September 29, 2008)
South Carolina Federal Credit Union has been notified of a recent phishing scam that is directed at Digital Insight client financial institutions and their end users.
A phishing scam is now targeting end users by sending e-mails that appear to be from official Digital Insight sources or from financial institutions. The scam is designed to trick recipients into clicking a link in the fraudulent e-mail for the purpose of acquiring sensitive data, such as passwords or financial information.
Sample Phishing E-Mail:
Subject: Attention - Important Customer Information
Body: As a [Name of Financial Institution] customer, your privacy and security is a primary task for us. We have been dedicated to customer safety and protection and our mission remains as strong as ever. We inform you that your Net Banking account is about to expire. It is strongly recommended to update it immediately. Update form is located here: [LINK]
Please remember to NEVER to provide any of the following:
- Account number
- Social security number
- Three digit security number on back of credit card
- Private information
South Carolina Federal Credit Union or any of our business partners acting on our behalf would never call, text message, or e-mail our members requesting such information.
Email & Vishing/Text Messaging Phishing Attempt (September 25, 2008)
Important Notice: Our technology and security partners have reported that phishing emails and text messages have been sent to some credit union members and bank customers this week. Both the emails and text messages state that your account is about to expire, or about to close, or is closed. The text message asks you to call a phone number and the email asks you to update information using a form provided by the phisher.
The email may appear to be from an official Digital Insight source (for example, “Digital Insight Administration,” “Digital Insight Updates,” etc.), and is designed to trick the recipient into clicking a link in the email for the purpose of acquiring sensitive data, such as passwords or financial information.
Please do not respond to any of these attempts. Neither South Carolina Federal Credit Union nor any of our business partners acting on our behalf would ever call, text message, or e-mail our members requesting such information.
If at any time you suspect you have received a phishing email or text message, you may contact us as information, or to verify the legitimacy of the message. You may also file complaints related to Internet scams on the Internet Crime Complaint Center site at www.ic3.gov
Here are links to some helpful sites:
Consumer Sentinel http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/
Deter, Detect, and Defend ID Theft Prevention Kit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov/
eConsumer.gov http://www.eConsumer.gov/
Federal Trade Commission http://www.ftc.gov
Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov/
Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/
U.S. Department of State http://www.state.gov/
U.S. Secret Service http://www.secretservice.gov/index.shtml
South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs http://www.state.sc.us/consumer/
