Member Alerts

FBI Fraud Alert | Fighting Cyber Crime | Don't Get Phished
E-mail and Internet Fraud (Adobe PDF 101 kbs) | Warning: It's  Scam - Fake Checks

FBI FRAUD ALERT

In  you can answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you could be involved in a FRAUD or about to become SCAMMED!

• Is the Check from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car , boat, jewelry etc.?

• Is the amount of the check more than the items selling price?

• Did you receive the check via an overnight delivery service?

• Is the check connected to communicating to someone by e-mail?

• Is the check drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?

• Have you been informed that you are the winner of a lottery, such as Canadian, Australian, El Gordo, or El Mundo that you did not enter?

• Have you been instructed to either "WIRE", "SEND" or "SHIP" money as soon as possible to a large US city or to another country such as Canada, England or Nigeria?

• Have you been asked to PAY money to receive a deposit form another country such as Canada, England or Nigeria?

• Are you receiving PAY or a COMMISSION for facilitating money transfers through your account?

• Did you respond to an e-mail requesting you to CONFIRM, UPDATE or PROVIDE your account information?

TELL BRANCH PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY!!!

Workshops Fighting Cyber Crime

The following information is being brought to you by the Fulton County Federal Credit Union in an attempt to help members avoid becoming victims of Internet scams. In an attempt to address the rising cyber crime threat, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) on January 10, 2006 unveiled an online tool designed to help consumers avoid becoming victims of Internet scams. At the website, www.onguardonline.gov , consumers can take interactive quizzes designed to enlighten them about identity theft, phishing, spam and online shopping scams. If the consumer selects a wrong answer, the program explains why that particular misconception about Internet security can lead to trouble. Elsewhere on the site, consumers can find detailed guidance on how to monitor their credit histories, use effective passwords and recover from identity theft. Five federal agencies and 13 private organizations partnered to sponsor the OnGuard Online website.

Don't Get Phished

Theres a new type of Internet piracy called phishing. Its pronounced fishing, and thats exactly what these thieves are doing: fishing for your personal financial information. What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards. In the worst case, you could find yourself a victim of identity theft. With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even drivers licenses in your name. They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel. But if you understand how phishing works and how to protect yourself, you can stop this crime. Heres how phishing works: In a typical case, youll receive an e-mail that appears to come from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial institution. In some cases, the e-mail may appear to come from a government agency, including one of the federal financial institution regulatory agencies. The e-mail will probably warn you of a serious problem that requires your immediate attention. It may use phrases, such as Immediate attention required, or Please contact us immediately about your account. The e-mail will then encourage you to click on a button to go to the institutions Web site. In a phishing scam, you could be redirected to a phony Web site that may look exactly like the real thing. Sometimes, in fact, it may be the companys actual Web site. In those cases, a pop-up window will quickly appear for the purpose of harvesting your financial information. In either case, you may be asked to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes: your Social Security number, your account number, your password, or the information you use to verify your identity when speaking to a real financial institution, such as your mothers maiden name or your place of birth. If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself the victim of identity theft. How to Protect Yourself

1. Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or over the Internet. E-mails and Internet pages created by phishers may look exactly like the real thing. They may even have a fake padlock icon that ordinarily is used to denote a secure site. If you did not initiate the communication, you should not provide any information.

2. If you believe the contact may be legitimate, contact the financial institution yourself. You can find phone numbers and Web sites on the monthly statements you receive from your financial institution, or you can look the company up in a phone book or on the Internet. The key is that you should be the one to initiate the contact, using contact information that you have verified yourself.

3. Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request. A financial institution would never ask you to verify your account information online. Thieves armed with this information and your account number can help themselves to your savings.

4. Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, call your financial institution to find out why. If your financial institution offers electronic account access, periodically review activity online to catch suspicious activity.