Fraud Education

HELP US KEEP EVERYONE SAFE!
We live in an amazing, connected world. An event can occur half-way around the world and not only will we know about it in a few minutes, but we'll have live reports and be able to see it as it happens. Unfortunately, everything seems to have a potentially dark side and that is also true with computers, the internet and the digital world in which we live.

Thieves are using technology to attempt to steal identities, access accounts, and even hoodwink you into giving them the information they need to earn their dishonest living. With the wide-spread increase in consumer fraud, we think it is important to have a place you can go to find out about the latest schemes to steal your identity or illegally access your accounts.

On this page, ISU Credit Union will post the latest stories about fraud and identity theft and provide you with links to learn more about the topic. If you have something to contribute to our page, let us know by emailing it to us so we can share it with all of our members.

Fraud Examples
Protect Yourself
Helpful Resources

Text Messaging
The latest scam to steal your personal, non-published information uses the latest communications technology. Here is an email warning from CO-OP Financial Services, the provider of our ATM Network.

"CO-OP Financial Services has notified our credit unions in the past about email phishing scams and deceitful attempts to obtain cardholder information with the intent of committing fraudulent activity against member accounts. Multiple member credit unions have recently reported a phishing scam they are experiencing.

This fraudulent attempt to capture card numbers is done with an automated text message referring to themselves as CO-OP Services Credit Union Customer Services Department from a four digit phone number.

The text message indicates that the member’s credit or debit card has unusual activity on their account. In order to restore the member’s account access, the message asks the member to call and enter their 16-digit credit or debit card number along with three additional pieces of information that is linked to the member’s account.

CO-OP Financial Services would never refer to themselves as CO-OP Services Credit Union Customer Services Department, and would not send text messages to cardholders about their accounts. When our staff makes or receives calls from cardholders, we identify ourselves as the Card Member Security Department.

There are so many ways for perpetrators to attempt to get personal information, including the use of auto-dialers and text messages. It is important to remind members to limit the release of personal information in order to protect themselves from fraud.

Please contact Client Services at 800.782.9042, option 2, with any questions or concerns."

E-Mail Scams
March,2009-- Here is the text of the email message received by one member attempting to solicit personal financial information. Note that the word NetTeller is not spelled the way we spell Neteller.

Dear NetTeller Banking Customer,
This letter is addressed to you as your Bank provides NetTeller Banking Service.
Please notice that a new version of a NetTeller Confirmation Form has been released. This form synchronizes Customers’ data with its account entries on a central NetTeller banking server. Each NetTeller Banking user is required to fill in the NetTeller Confirmation Form.

Please, click the link below to access the NetTeller Confirmation Form.
In order to fill in the form correctly, please follow the instructions on the website.

http://cm.netteller.com/login2008/Authentication/Views/Form.aspx?fi=CONFIRMATIONFORM

NetTeller apologizes for the inconveniences caused to you, and is very grateful for your cooperation.

NetTeller Banking

VISA Scam
Increasingly, scammers are relying on attempts to gain credibility by posing in emails, phone calls and letters as anti-scamming authorities. Here's a story from Snopes.com related by a person who received a call from a scammer purporting to be from VISA, monitoring a fraudulent scam company.

Nigerian Scams
A number of internet and email scams originate in the African country of Nigeria. Like most scams, they seem to be too good to be true, and they turn out to exactly that when the victim realizes they have been taken.

Counterfeiting
Plain, old-fashioned check counterfeiting is still going on today and is getting harder to catch because the scam artists are very good at using today's computers and software to duplicate checks. Here is a brief description of two of the most common schemes.

ATM Safety
The internet can often quickly spread "urban myth" stories but few stories gain such rapid appeal with so many potentially negative impacts on cardholder safety and confidence as the misleading stories circulating the internet regarding PIN reversal to signal duress. PIN reversal technology is a concept based upon the possibility that a cardholder could remember (and reverse) his or her PIN at an ATM to draw attention to a dangerous situation like a kidnapping or a robbery. Critics say that it is unlikely that anyone under duress could successfully employ this technique without compromising personal safety.

Financial institutions within the United States have not deployed this technique despite several well circulated email chain letters that have mis-stated this fact. ISU Credit Union has never used this process at our ATM locations. Don't be mislead by false emails.

Romance
Even romance is being used to scam people out of money. Internet chat rooms and web sites that attempt to match compatibilities are sometimes used to encourage 'loans' and outright gifts of money. Here's a web site that lists several types of romance scams.

Online Donations
Tips to members donating online:

Ensure you are dealing with legitimate organizations.
Contact these organizations on your own. Go to their Web site rather than clicking on a link in an email sent to you.
Remember that legitimate organizations will not aggressively approach people for money and donations.
Be mindful of groups reporting to be affiliated with legitimate organizations asking for donations or requesting you to visit their Web site. They may be fraudulent or hosting malicious code designed to steal personal financial information.
Be wary of online auctions that claim to support the donation effort.
Report suspicious Internet sites and emails to the government and for additional protection tips visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or the Federal government's consumer information center at www.consumer.gov/Tech.htm

Summary
A financial institution will never call you to ask for credit card or account information. They already have your information and don't need to call you or send you an email or letter to verify the information. If someone is offering you free money, it is probably really is too good to be true.

If you experience a case of fraud involving your ISU Credit Union accounts, we would like to know so we can issue a warning to other members and help you protect your accounts. Call us immediately at 208 235-7100.

Fraud Education

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	Auto Center Home Center LPL Financial Fraud Education Calculators Life Events	Fraud Education HELP US KEEP EVERYONE SAFE! We live in an amazing, connected world. An event can occur half-way around the world and not only will we know about it in a few minutes, but we'll have live reports and be able to see it as it happens. Unfortunately, everything seems to have a potentially dark side and that is also true with computers, the internet and the digital world in which we live. Thieves are using technology to attempt to steal identities, access accounts, and even hoodwink you into giving them the information they need to earn their dishonest living. With the wide-spread increase in consumer fraud, we think it is important to have a place you can go to find out about the latest schemes to steal your identity or illegally access your accounts. On this page, ISU Credit Union will post the latest stories about fraud and identity theft and provide you with links to learn more about the topic. If you have something to contribute to our page, let us know by emailing it to us so we can share it with all of our members. Fraud Examples Protect Yourself Helpful Resources Text Messaging The latest scam to steal your personal, non-published information uses the latest communications technology. Here is an email warning from CO-OP Financial Services, the provider of our ATM Network. "CO-OP Financial Services has notified our credit unions in the past about email phishing scams and deceitful attempts to obtain cardholder information with the intent of committing fraudulent activity against member accounts. Multiple member credit unions have recently reported a phishing scam they are experiencing. This fraudulent attempt to capture card numbers is done with an automated text message referring to themselves as CO-OP Services Credit Union Customer Services Department from a four digit phone number. The text message indicates that the member’s credit or debit card has unusual activity on their account. In order to restore the member’s account access, the message asks the member to call and enter their 16-digit credit or debit card number along with three additional pieces of information that is linked to the member’s account. CO-OP Financial Services would never refer to themselves as CO-OP Services Credit Union Customer Services Department, and would not send text messages to cardholders about their accounts. When our staff makes or receives calls from cardholders, we identify ourselves as the Card Member Security Department. There are so many ways for perpetrators to attempt to get personal information, including the use of auto-dialers and text messages. It is important to remind members to limit the release of personal information in order to protect themselves from fraud. Please contact Client Services at 800.782.9042, option 2, with any questions or concerns." E-Mail Scams March,2009-- Here is the text of the email message received by one member attempting to solicit personal financial information. Note that the word NetTeller is not spelled the way we spell Neteller. Dear NetTeller Banking Customer, This letter is addressed to you as your Bank provides NetTeller Banking Service. Please notice that a new version of a NetTeller Confirmation Form has been released. This form synchronizes Customers’ data with its account entries on a central NetTeller banking server. Each NetTeller Banking user is required to fill in the NetTeller Confirmation Form. Please, click the link below to access the NetTeller Confirmation Form. In order to fill in the form correctly, please follow the instructions on the website. http://cm.netteller.com/login2008/Authentication/Views/Form.aspx?fi=CONFIRMATIONFORM NetTeller apologizes for the inconveniences caused to you, and is very grateful for your cooperation. NetTeller Banking VISA Scam Increasingly, scammers are relying on attempts to gain credibility by posing in emails, phone calls and letters as anti-scamming authorities. Here's a story from Snopes.com related by a person who received a call from a scammer purporting to be from VISA, monitoring a fraudulent scam company. Nigerian Scams A number of internet and email scams originate in the African country of Nigeria. Like most scams, they seem to be too good to be true, and they turn out to exactly that when the victim realizes they have been taken. Counterfeiting Plain, old-fashioned check counterfeiting is still going on today and is getting harder to catch because the scam artists are very good at using today's computers and software to duplicate checks. Here is a brief description of two of the most common schemes. ATM Safety The internet can often quickly spread "urban myth" stories but few stories gain such rapid appeal with so many potentially negative impacts on cardholder safety and confidence as the misleading stories circulating the internet regarding PIN reversal to signal duress. PIN reversal technology is a concept based upon the possibility that a cardholder could remember (and reverse) his or her PIN at an ATM to draw attention to a dangerous situation like a kidnapping or a robbery. Critics say that it is unlikely that anyone under duress could successfully employ this technique without compromising personal safety. Financial institutions within the United States have not deployed this technique despite several well circulated email chain letters that have mis-stated this fact. ISU Credit Union has never used this process at our ATM locations. Don't be mislead by false emails. Romance Even romance is being used to scam people out of money. Internet chat rooms and web sites that attempt to match compatibilities are sometimes used to encourage 'loans' and outright gifts of money. Here's a web site that lists several types of romance scams. Online Donations Tips to members donating online: Ensure you are dealing with legitimate organizations. Contact these organizations on your own. Go to their Web site rather than clicking on a link in an email sent to you. Remember that legitimate organizations will not aggressively approach people for money and donations. Be mindful of groups reporting to be affiliated with legitimate organizations asking for donations or requesting you to visit their Web site. They may be fraudulent or hosting malicious code designed to steal personal financial information. Be wary of online auctions that claim to support the donation effort. Report suspicious Internet sites and emails to the government and for additional protection tips visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or the Federal government's consumer information center at www.consumer.gov/Tech.htm Summary A financial institution will never call you to ask for credit card or account information. They already have your information and don't need to call you or send you an email or letter to verify the information. If someone is offering you free money, it is probably really is too good to be true. If you experience a case of fraud involving your ISU Credit Union accounts, we would like to know so we can issue a warning to other members and help you protect your accounts. Call us immediately at 208 235-7100. There is no guarantee that you'll never fall victim to some form of identity theft. But there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself: Sign up for eStatements and online bill payment. eStatements are convenient and since you receive them electronically you can review activity faster than if you were to wait for a paper statement in the mail. If you need a paper statement, it can be printed from your computer. Secure your postal mail. An unlocked mailbox is a treasure chest for thieves. Credit card statements, convenience checks and solicitations, tax information and account numbers are all at risk. Never mail outgoing bill payments and checks from your home mailbox. Use a USPS mailbox. Keep documents secured. Checkbooks, statements, etc. should be kept out of sight at home. Sadly, identity theft is often perpetrated by friends, roommates, in-home employees or family members. Safeguard your Social Security number. Never carry your card with you. Don't put your number on your checks. It's the primary target for identity thieves because it gives them access to your credit report and bank accounts. Keep your PIN private. Memorize your PIN. Don’t write it on your card or keep it in your wallet for a thief to find. Don’t lend your card to anyone else. Before discarding, shred private documents. A shredder is very effective, especially the cross-cut or diamond-cut type. Don't leave a paper trail. Never leave ATM, credit card or other receipts behind. Know who you're dealing with. Whenever anyone contacts you asking for private identity or financial information, make no response other than to find out who they are, what company they represent and the reason for the call. If you think the request is legitimate, contact the company yourself and confirm what you were told before revealing any of your personal data. Review your credit card statements carefully. Make sure you recognize the merchants, locations and purchases listed before paying the bill. Keep only the cards that you need. Review your credit report. Protect yourself from identity theft and fraud by reviewing your credit report on a regular basis. You are entitled to receive a free copy every year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. When you want a copy of your credit report, be sure to request it from a legitimate source, like www.annualcreditreport.com ID Theft and Fraud Credit Reports – www.AnnualCreditReport.com A service created by the three major credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report each year as required by law. 1-877-322-8228 Federal Trade Commission – www.ftc.gov Federal agency established for consumer protection. 1-877-ID-THEFT / 1-877-438-4338 Internet Crimes Complaint Center - www.ic3.gov A joint venture between the F.B.I., the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Internet and email crimes can be reported here. Federal Bureau of Investigation - www.fbi.gov All things F.B.I. with daily updates with alerts, crimes committed and crimes solved.