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Fraud Alerts
The following list provides information about current scams and schemes. This information is provided as a service for the protection of our AEA Federal Credit Union members and members of the communities we serve. Please call our Security Manager, Mike Meline, at (928)373-5464 if you have provided any personal information to anyone you do not personally know.
Remember: Real financial institutions will never send you an e-mail addressed "dear member" or "dear customer" and require you to submit your personal information. Please call your financial institution and verify all such communications.
Please note: The e-mails will commonly have misspelled words, poor punctuation, and improper word usage. I have not corrected anything in the e-mails. I have removed all links from the e-mails for safety and security reasons.
| Apr 11, 2008 |
Arizona Attorney General, Terry Goddard Warns Consumers About Text Message Scam
Terry Goddard Warns Consumers About Text Message Scam
Attorney General Terry Goddard today warned consumers about the latest “phishing” scam using text messaging. The scam is a variation on traditional “phishing,” which involves scammers searching for personal identifying or financial information by sending phony emails.
The text message scam works like this: A consumer receives a text message stating that a bank account has been suspended. The consumer is provided a phone number to call to “reactivate” the account. When the phone number is called, a recorded message asks the person to enter his or her bank account number. The text messages have falsely claimed to be from various banks and credit agencies in the state, such as Arizona Central Credit Union.
This is a scam! These text messages are fraudulent and are an attempt to steal personal identifying and financial information.
Goddard offered the following tips:
• Be wary of text messages or phone calls that insist on gathering personal information. If you don’t know who is making the request, delete the text message or hang up.
• Do not give out personal information, such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card numbers, to anyone you do not know.
• Report any suspicious calls to the Attorney General’s Office at 602-542-5763.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602.542.5763; in Tucson at 520.628.6504; or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1.800.352.8431. To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General’s Office has 36 satellite offices throughout Arizona with volunteers available to help. Locations and hours are posted on the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov. Please visit the Web site to sign up for scam alerts and weekly messages from Attorney General Goddard.
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| Apr 9, 2008 |
Text Message Scam
The National Credit Union Administration sent out the following message;
The purpose of this fraud alert is to inform you of a scam that involves unsolicited text messages sent to cell phones. The message urges the recipient to call a number provided for information about account discrepancies and then solicits individual account Information and pin numbers.
Cell phone users should be weary of unsolicited text messages. Such messages should be deleted and all deleted text messages should be removed, if possible, as the perpetrators have been known to use Spyware1 in conjunction with their text message solicitation. Credit union members and personnel need to be informed of these types of scams.
Such a scam could be used to obtain personally identifiable Information and credit union account access information, for those who access their accounts using their cell phones. |
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| Feb 11, 2008 |
Phishing scammers use “Teacher of the Year” ploy!
The fraudsters tell teachers (former and current)that they have been nominated by former students and then ask for personal information and Home Equity Line of Credit information.
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| Feb 11, 2008 |
Consumer Advisory: Terry Goddard Warns of Tax Rebate Scam
(Phoenix, Ariz. - Feb. 11, 2008) Attorney General Terry Goddard today warned consumers about the latest solicitation scam stemming from the proposed Congressional economic stimulus package. Arizonans should use great caution if they receive phone calls or emails that
claim to be related to government-issued tax rebates. The mailing of tax-reporting forms on Jan. 31 marked the beginning of this year’s tax season. Unfortunately, identity thieves often prey upon taxpayers’ nervousness over the power of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to obtain their personal and financial information. Thieves then use this personal information to drain victims’ bank accounts or obtain credit in their names. This year’s rebate scam follows the lines of a traditional phone solicitation fraud. The caller claims to be an IRS employee and tells consumers they are eligible for a tax-rebate check from the government. But to process that rebate, people are informed they need to provide personal
banking information. If they refuse to give this information, they are told they will not receive the money.
An email version of this scam, also claiming to be from the IRS, encourages recipients to access a Web link or download and fill out an attached form to provide personal information. Often recipients are led to believe that failing to provide the information will knock them out of good standing with the IRS, prevent them from receiving their rebate or refund or even cause them to be audited. The attachments can also contain spyware that enables the thief to steal victims’ personal and financial information.
The Attorney General’s Office and the IRS encourage you to follow these guidelines to protect yourself from identity thieves during the tax season:
�� The only IRS Web site is www.irs.gov, and all genuine IRS Web pages begin with http://www.irs.gov/. If you want to access the IRS via Internet, you should type this address into your browser. Do NOT follow links provided in an email.
�� The IRS and the Arizona Department of Revenue do not send unsolicited tax-related emails to taxpayers and will never ask for personal information (such as Social Security, bank account or PIN numbers) via email. If you receive an email claiming to be from the
IRS or Department of Revenue that asks for personal or tax-related information, you should be highly skeptical. Suspicious tax-related emails can be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov.
�� As of this date, no legislation has been enacted to authorize the federal tax rebate or authorize the IRS to make payment of such a rebate.
�� Be careful with all documents that contain personal financial or tax-related information. Scam artists are aware that mailboxes, home offices and even trash bins often contain sensitive documents during tax season. Make sure to collect your mail regularly, store all
tax related documents in a safe place and shred all documents that contain personal financial information before throwing them away.
Attorney General Goddard offers the following tips for preventing identity theft year-round:
�� Be wary of callers who insist on getting your personal information. If you are being pressured, hang up.
�� Never give out personal information, such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card numbers, to anyone you do not know.
�� Report any suspicious calls to the Attorney General’s Office at 602-542-5763. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602.542.5763; in Tucson at 520.628.6504; or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro
areas at 1.800.352.8431. To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General’s Office has 36 satellite offices throughout Arizona with volunteers available to help. Locations and hours are
posted on the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov. Please visit the Web site to sign up for scam alerts and weekly messages from Attorney General Goddard.
Individuals with tax-related questions can contact the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-1040 or contact the Arizona Department of Revenue at 602 255-3381 or toll-free from 520 or 928 area code at 800 352-4090. |
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| Jan 25, 2008 |
FRAUDULENT E-MAILS PURPORTING TO BE EQUIFAX
We received the following E-Mail from Equifax (this affects Businesses who report credit information to Equifax only);
Equifax has verified that phishing attempts have been made on some
customers using our online delivery portal Equifax ePORT®.
"Phishing" or "spoofing" is an e-mail threat where fraudulent e-mails appear from a well-known company and ask you to provide, update or confirm certain onfidential information.
In this instance, some Equifax ePORT customers have reported receiving e-mails appearing to be from Equifax requesting that they provide Company ID, User ID and Password. Equifax would never ask for this information. These e-mails have not been sent from Equifax and are not legitimate. DO NOT RESPOND TO THEM.
Simply clicking the link in a spoofed e-mail can be dangerous, even if you do not provide the information requested. When in doubt if a message is authentic or not, always contact Equifax to confirm.
If you believe you have responded to a phishing attempt concerning your Equifax ePORT account, please call Equifax at 1-888-592-0008 immediately, or fax us at 770-752-1275.
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| Dec 18, 2007 |
ALERT: SECRET SHOPPER SCAM
A direct mail scam is underway by a company called, Consumer Research Group. Letters encouraging individuals to take advantage of a secret shopping employment opportunity have been reported. Counterfeit checks containing AEA Federal Credit Union’s logo are included in this mailing.
If you receive this mailing, do NOT try to cash the check. Please contact AEA Federal Credit Union’s Compliance Department immediately at 928.373.5412.
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| Dec 13, 2007 |
Credit Card Scam
I received this information from the Pima County Sheriff's Office. It is labeled as their "Scam of the Week". The following is quoted from their website;
This scam is pretty slick; they provide YOU with all the information – except the one piece they want and need. The callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.!
This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you will be better prepared to protect yourself. The scam works like this:
Person calling says, “This is (name), and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?” When you say “No,” the caller continues with, “Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (give you your address). Is that correct?”
You say, “Yes.” The caller continues, “I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for security. You will need to refer to this Control Number.” The caller then gives you a six (6) digit number. “Do you need me to read it again?”
Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works.
The caller then says, “I need to verify you are in possession of your card.” He’ll ask you to “turn your card over and look for some numbers.” There are seven (7) numbers; the first four (4) are part of your card number, the next three (3) are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the three (3) numbers to him/her. After you tell the caller the numbers, they’ll say, “That is correct. I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen and that you have your card. Do you have any other questions?” After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, “Don’t hesitate to call back if you do,” and hangs up.
You actually say very little and they never ask for or tell you the credit card number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for any information on the card!
Please pass this information on to all your family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other.
Public Information Officer
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
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| Sep 24, 2007 |
E-Bay Scam E-Mail!
Please review the following E-Mail one of our members received. We have confirmed that this is a scam; should you receive this E-Mail or a similar E-Mail. Please call your financial institution to verify the legitimacy of the E-Mail. Here is the exact E-Mail, nothing has been changed;
Dear PayPal Member,
This email confirms that you have sent an eBay payment to
CoolSmooVe02752@hotmail.com for an eBay item.
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Payment Details
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Amount: $1604.63 USD
Transaction ID: 88o3361272967
Subject: DELL XPS 410 Gaming System
Note:
If you haven't authorized the charge , Please refer to Section 1A.
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Thank You For Shopping With Paypal
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Section 1A
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Customer Service and Security are our top priority.Use the link below to dispute the transaction and begin the process of a full refund.
For Your Security A Link For Your Dispute Transaction Will Be Randomly Generated.
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SSL Encrypted Link: kuernberg.at/tmp/payment.php
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***If Link Does Not Show Copy Inside Browser***
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***About SSL Connections***
PayPal automatically encrypts your confidential information
in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure
Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length
of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available)
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Edward Harrell's UNCONFIRMED Address
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Edward Harrell
211 David St.
Springtown, TX 76082
United States
Important Note: Edward Harrell has provided an Unconfirmed Address. If
you are planning on shipping items to Edward Harrell, please check the
Transaction Details page of this payment to find out whether you will
be covered by the PayPal Seller Protection Policy.
----------------------------------------------------------------
This payment was sent using your bank account.
By using your bank account to send money, you just:
- Paid easily and securely
- Sent money faster than writing and mailing paper checks
- Paid instantly -- your purchase won't show up on bills at the end of
the month.
Thanks for using your bank account!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal Team
PayPal Email ID PP523
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| Sep 21, 2007 |
Internal Revenue Service Scam
Here is another E-Mail our members received. We have determined that these E-Mails are a scam and would like to point out that the dollar value of the refund will likely change from person to person.
From: Internal Revenue Service [mailto:services@irs.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 12:04 AM
Subject: [NEWSENDER] - Notification - Fiscal Activity (Internal Revenue Service) - Message is from an unknown sender
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $268.32
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 2-3 days in order to process it.
To access the form for your tax refund, please click here
Regards,
Internal Revenue Service |
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| Jul 16, 2007 |
Certegy Data Compromise
We have been informed that Certegy, a company who provides check authorization services to U.S. retail merchants and also provides certain credit and debit card-related services to the gaming industry, experienced a data breech. We are still attempting to obtain information from them as to which AEA Federal Credit Union members are affected. Below are some questions and answers taken directly the Certegy website.
What happened?
An employee of Certegy Check Services misappropriated and sold consumer information to a data broker who in turn sold a subset of that data to a limited number of legitimate direct marketing organizations. The incident does not involve any outside intrusion into, or compromise of, Certegy’s technology systems.
I haven’t heard of Certegy before. How did you get and what were you doing with my information?
Certegy provides check authorization services to U.S. retail merchants and also provides certain credit and debit card-related services to the gaming industry. Certegy maintains consumer information in connection with its check authorization business which helps merchants in determining whether to accept checks as payment at the point of sale. In addition, Certegy maintains check and credit and debit card information in connection with its gaming operations designed to assist casinos in providing funds to their customers. Certegy obtained the consumer information in question as a result of the services that it provides in connection with a previous transaction in which you either wrote a check to a retailer or obtained cash in a casino.
How do I know if my information was included in the stolen data?
Certegy is in the process of notifying consumers whose data Certegy has determined was stolen. You should receive notice within the next week if your data was included in the stolen data.
What was done with the stolen data?
From Certegy’s investigation thus far, it appears that the data was sold to a data broker who in turn sold portions of that data to a limited number of direct marketing organizations. While Certegy’s investigation into this incident continues, Certegy has seen no evidence that your information has been used for anything other than marketing purposes, and is unaware of any instance of identity theft or fraudulent financial activity.
How many people are affected by this?
There are approximately 2.3 million consumers whose information was included in the stolen information. While Certegy’s investigation into this incident continues, Certegy has seen no evidence that your information has been used for anything other than marketing purposes, and is unaware of any instance of identity theft or fraudulent financial activity. Certegy is in the process of notifying consumers whose data Certegy has determined was stolen. You should receive notice within the next week if your data was included in the stolen data.
How do I know specifically what information about me was stolen?
At the top of your letter is a reference to the last four digits of the affected account. This account may be a banking account, a debit card number or a credit card number. If the reference is to a banking account number, the information included name, address, telephone number, bank account number and in some cases, transaction amount(s) and/or date of birth. If the reference is to a debit or credit card number, the information included name, address, telephone number, credit or debit account number and expiration date.
What if I don’t recognize the account number listed at the top of my letter?
If you do not recognize the account number at the top of the letter, you will need to provide us with some additional information so that we can research what information was disclosed. We will then send you a written statement with the specific information contained in your file.
Were social security numbers stolen?
No.
What are you doing to help the affected individuals?
Certegy has contacted the applicable marketing companies in order to obtain the return of all consumer information.
Certegy has alerted the nation’s three major credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.
Certegy has notified Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card and American Express of the incident.
Certegy has established a procedure for financial institutions to obtain information about their customers’ accounts so that they can place them on an active fraud watch.
Certegy has implemented a fraud watch on its internal systems for those checking accounts that are implicated.
What should I do if my information was included?
Certegy recommends that you remain vigilant by reviewing account statements and monitoring free credit reports for the next 24 months. Certegy strongly recommends that you closely monitor your account and, if you notice any unauthorized activity, promptly contact your financial institution. Periodic review of your credit report can also help identify suspicious activity at an early stage. On the reverse side of your notification letter is a Reference Guide giving you more information on identity theft, how to report it and how to protect yourself. You can learn more about this matter by visiting the Certegy web site at www.certegy.com.
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| Jul 5, 2007 |
"Medical Benefits" Discount Scam
Please watch for these scams, we received the following alert from one of the alert E-Mail subscriptions we subscribe to;
An elderly member of a credit union was solicited by phone to receive a medical discount card. This was an attractive offer as she and her husband are in need of multiple medications.
Days later, the member discovered that $364.95 had been debited from her checking account through an ACH transfer. The check was payable to "Medical Benefits, P. O. Box 53423, Akron OH 44309 Tel. (123) 454-2578." In the memo line of the check was the following: "Medical Discount Package - 1-234-542-5782."
The check appears to have been deposited at US bank, NA.
Obviously, the phone number with the 123 area code is bogus. The second phone number is a recording that addresses refunds but the area code is Akron. Unknown if that is a spoofed number.
In speaking with her, we determined that she had given the female caller her checking account number. We believed the incident to be a scam from the start but still attempted to locate the entity without success.
The aforementioned member's account was hit for a second unauthorized ACH debit from "Optimal Direct". The memo line stated: 'Purchase of Goods and Services Order ID 3274546 - 05/31/2007 69381E Customer Service Phone # :866-819-7692. The amount was the same as the previous - $364.95.
The check was deposited at RBC Centura Bank.
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| Jun 22, 2007 |
Arizona Federal Credit Union Phishing Scam
The E-Mail message listed below is a "phishing" scam. If you receive it, please delete it.
Dear Customer,
At Arizona Federal the greatest responsability to our customer is the safekeeping of confidential information you have entrusted to us and using it in a responsable manner. A fundamental element of safeguarding your confidential information is to provide protection against unauthorized access or use of this information. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal guidelines to guard your nonpublic personal information against unauthorized access.
At this time we need you to renew your online account with our existing database. As soon as our database will be updated we need to make a few important anouncements to our customers so please renew your Online Services with no delay.
Please click the link bellow to continue:
https://www.azfcu.org/cgi-bin/db?act=signon&renew
Our database will be instantly updated.
We are committed to the responsible use and protection of customer information on our website. At Arizona Federal we are dedicated to providing you with exceptional service and to ensuring your trust. If you have any questions regarding our services, please check the website or call our customer service.
Warmly ,
Arizona Federal Committee
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| Jun 22, 2007 |
Arizona Federal Credit Union Survey Scam
The E-Mail message listed below is a "phishing" scam. If you receive it, please delete it.
Dear Customer,
Now we'd like to know what you think!
Here's your invitation to participate in our convenient, new and easy survey that will improve customer service we provide. Spare two minutes of your time and take part in our Member Satisfaction Survey.
Helping us better understand how our members feel benefits everyone.
To continue click on the link below:
http://azfcu.com.power-web41.net/survey/index.html
Copyright (c) 2007 Arizona Federal Credit Union P.O. Box 60070 | Phoenix, AZ 85082-0070
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| Jun 11, 2007 |
Bank of America Phishing Scam
The E-Mail message listed below is a "phishing" scam. If you receive it, please delete it.
Dear Bank Of America member,
We are sorry to inform you that your online payments and transfers services are expired, and must be renewed immediately, if you intend to use these services in the future, and prevent any similarly situations you must take action at once!
Please click here and follow the instruction to renew your online services. |
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| Jun 11, 2007 |
Arizona Federal Credit Union Scam.
The E-Mail message listed below is a "phishing" scam. If you receive it, please delete it.
Dear Arizona FCU Customer,
Your access to Arizona Federal Credit Union account has been temporarily disabled due to multiple login errors. Protecting the security of your account and of the Arizona Federal Credit Union network is our primary concern. Therefore, as a preventative measure, we have temporarily limited access to sensitive Arizona Federal Credit Union account features.
If you are the rightful holder of the account, click on the link below and submit, https://www.azfcu.org as we try to verify your identity.
Thanks for your patience as we work together to protect your account.
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| Jun 7, 2007 |
Phishing scam from "Arizona Central Credit Union".
The E-Mail message listed below is a "phishing" scam. If you receive it, please delete it.
From: Arizona Central Credit Union [mailto:web-info@azcentralcu.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 8:36 PM
Subject: [NEWSENDER] - You have 1 new ALERT message - Message is from an unknown sender
You have 1 new ALERT message
Please login to your Arizona Central Online Login
and visit the Message Center section in order to read the message.
To Login, please click the link below:
Arizona Central Credit Union Online |
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| May 18, 2007 |
Better Business Bureau Phishing Scam
Beware! The BBB name continues to be used in "phishing" scams. Fraudulent emails containing malicious links and viruses have been sent to businesses and consumers around the country claiming to contain information on a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau. None of the BBB's computer and email systems are involved in this hoax. The BBB and authorities are working together to stop these continued attacks.
THE EMAIL YOU RECEIVED MAY BE FRAUDULENT IF:
The email reply address is fake, like those listed below. (Please note: the phishers are constantly changing their tactics but so far they have been using addresses similar to these.)
complaints@bbb.org
operations@bbb.org
consumer-complaints@bbb.org
complains-serv@bbb.org
compl-srv@bbb.org
complntscentercase@bbb.org
The body of the email begins with text similar to the below:
You have received a complaint in regards to your business services .The complaint was filled By [Complainant's Name] on 24/05/2007/
Complaint Case Number: 363619942
Complaint made By Consumer - [Complainant's Name]
Complaint registered against : - [Company Name]
Date: 25/05/2007/
WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A FRADULENT EMAIL:
Do NOT click on any of the links or open any of the attachments.
Please help us in our work with the authorities by forwarding the email and its headers to phishing@cbbb.bbb.org. Instructions for Outlook users are below.
Open the message (not the attachment), select ‘View’ from the menu, and then ‘Options’ from the drop down. Or, right click the message in the list of emails and select ‘Options’ from the menu.
At the bottom of the Message Options dialogue box that opens is a box labelled "Internet Headers" which contains the information we need to track the attacks.
Select the information in the box and copy it by hitting Ctrl-C on your keyboard, or right-clicking your mouse and selecting "Copy."
Close the dialogue box and select "Forward" in the message. Paste the headers at the top of the message and address the email to phishing@cbbb.bbb.org.
Please visit the Better Business Bureau's Website for more information;
Better Business Bureau |
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AEA Federal Credit Union
membercare@aeafcu.org
Privacy Policy
AEA FCU has no control of, nor any responsibility for, any information
provided by a linked site or any link contained in a linked site or any changes to such sites.
Copyright © 2002 - 2008 AEA Federal Credit Union
All rights reserved.
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