BBB Issues Nationwide Warning
July 5, 2012
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a nationwide warning about a new scam claiming that President Obama will pay consumers’ utility bills through a federal program.
How the Scam Works:
Consumers are being contacted via telephone, fliers, social media and text messages and various other means with claims that President Obama is providing credits or applying payment to utility bills.
To receive the money, scammers claim to need the consumer’s Social Security Number (SSN), financial institution routing number and account number. In return, the consumers are given a fraudulent financial institution routing number to use in order to pay their utility bills through an automated telephone service.
The payment service initially seems to accept the payment but then declines it within a few days of finding the banking information to be invalid. The consumer’s bill has not been paid and his/her SSN and personal financial information have been compromised.
Helpful Tips:
The BBB offers the following tips to help consumers avoid becoming victim of this scam:
• Never provide your SSN, credit card number or banking information to anyone who calls you, regardless of whom they claim to be representing.
• If you receive a call claiming to be your utility company and feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up and call the customer service number on your utility bill.
• Never allow anyone into your home to check electrical wiring, natural gas pipes or appliances unless you have scheduled an appointment or reported a problem. Also, ask the employee for proper identification.
• Think safety first, always. Do not give in to high pressure tactics for information over the phone or in person.
For more information about scams in your area, check out BBB's complete scam directory at www.bbb.org.
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Epsilon Email Scam Alert
July 1, 2011
An email regarding a data breach at Epsilon and mentioning Capitol Federal’s name has been received by some customers recently. Capitol Federal states that it is not associated or affiliated with this email and advises caution whenever unsolicited emails are received. If you have received an email, such as this one, please forward it to scam@capfed.com. Anytime you are unsure of an email claiming to be from Capitol Federal, call us at 1-888-8CAPFED.
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Canadian Bail Money Scam Alert
April 1, 2011
The Better Business Bureau warns of a phone scam that targets seniors, often referred to as the Grandparent Scam or the Canadian Bail Money Scam.
The scam involves a frantic phone call to a senior citizen, allegedly from his or her grandchild. The person on the phone explains that he's in trouble -- often in Canada -- and needs the grandparent to send money to help. The caller asks the grandparent not to tell his parents about the situation, and asks that thousands of dollars be sent for bail, lawyer, car repair, hospital bills or a similar set of reasons.
If you receive a call from an individual claiming to be a family member in trouble, verify the facts before you act. Contact the family member, or his parent(s) or spouse at a number you know to be valid, such as home or cell phone. Verify that he or she was traveling in the area where the caller is requesting funds be sent. To further verify the call, directly contact the jail where your loved one is allegedly being held. Jails will release the names of any adult inmates to callers, regardless of affiliation. Report any suspicious calls to your local law enforcement agency.
For more information about the scam and tips on how to avoid being a victim, download this PDF from the Better Business Bureau.
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Consumer Alert
from Sandra L. Thompson, Director of the Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
January 12, 2011
Emails fraudulently claiming to be from the FDIC are attempting to get recipients to click on a link, which may ask them to provide sensitive personal information. These emails falsely indicate that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports from consumers who received an e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The e-mail informs the recipient that "in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, federal, state and local governments…" the FDIC has withdrawn deposit insurance from the recipient's account "due to account activity that violates the Patriot Act." It further states deposit insurance will remain suspended until identity and account information can be verified using a system called "IDVerify." If consumers go to the link provided in the email, it is suspected they will be asked for personal or confidential information, or malicious software may be loaded onto the recipient's computer.
This email is fraudulent. It was not sent by the FDIC. It is an attempt to obtain personal information from consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should NOT access the link provided within the body of the email and should NOT under any circumstances provide any personal information through this media.
The FDIC is attempting to identify the source of the e-mails and disrupt the transmission. Until this is achieved, consumers are asked to report any similar attempts to obtain this information to the FDIC by sending information to alert@fdic.gov.
For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2011/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.
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Consumer Alert:
Do not give out personal information over the phone
July 1, 2008 -- Attorney General Steve Six today reminds Kansans not to give out personal information over the phone or in response to unsolicited emails.
Recently, many Kansans have received automated phone calls claiming that their bank account information had been compromised. The automated caller then requests access to personal account information. Consumers should never provide personal information over the phone without first confirming the identity of the caller. Consumers should hang up and contact their bank directly.
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and uses it to commit financial fraud or other crimes. Personal information includes your name, address, driver's license number, Social Security number, mother's maiden name, birth date, bank account, credit card, or PIN number.
How to Protect Yourself:
- Never provide personal financial information, including your Social Security number, account numbers or passwords, over the phone or the Internet if you did not initiate the contact.
- Never click on the link provided in an email you believe is fraudulent.
- Do not be intimidated by an email or caller who suggests dire consequences if you do not immediately provide or verify financial information.
- If you believe the contact may be legitimate, contact the financial institution yourself. You can find phone numbers and websites 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 and contact them directly.
- Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited phone or Internet request. A financial institution would never ask you to verify your account information on the phone or online.
- 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.
- Report suspicious emails or calls to the Kansas Office of Attorney General at 1-800-432-2310 or at http://www.ksag.org/.
What to do if you fall victim to identity theft:
- Contact your financial institution immediately and alert it to the situation.
- Call the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your file, preventing thieves from opening a new account in your name.
o Equifax, 800-525-6285
o Experian, 888-397-374
o TransUnion, 800-680-7289
- Call the security numbers located on the back of your stolen credit cards. These numbers can also be found on your credit card billing statements.
- Report the theft to Attorney General Steve Six's Office at 1-800-432-2310 or at http://www.ksag.org/.
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"Vishing attacks"
Posted January 28, 2008
The FBI is warning of a dramatic increase in the number of so-called 'vishing' attacks that entice mobile phone users into giving up personal banking details. Vishing works in much the same way as phishing. An e-mail or text message is sent to a user asking them to call the target bank to reactivate a credit or debit card. When a user calls the telephone number, they are greeted with an authentic sounding message and prompted to enter their card number to resolve the issue. Many users are familiar with similar tactics with e-mails containing links however, this newer scam has the potential to be devastating because of the change in tactics by criminals and the use of a 'real person" on the other end of the phone. The FBI is advising users to look up their bank's phone number and call them directly if they believe they have a question on their account or if they have been a victim of a vishing attack.
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FDIC Special Alert: Fraudulent EMail Claims to Be From the FDIC
May 4, 2007
The FDIC has received a report of an email, originally sent on September 11, 2006, that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. However, instead of a typical phishing email that might ask the recipient to click on a hyperlink to a spoofed website, this e-mail appears to deliver malicious software on to the recipient's computer.
After describing the FDIC and deposit insurance, the email describes "a small client utility" that bank customers are asked to install on home and business computers "which is used to open Online Banking sessions." The e-mail goes on to state that "[t}his utility only starts whenever an online session is opened with a Financial Institution insured by the FDIC, thus it will never interfere with any programs installed on your computer. Please help us combat fraud by installing, ProBank on any computer that is used to open an Online Banking session."
The email also asks institutions to "advertise and market the ProBank's existence to employees, suppliers, third-party service providers and customers." It suggests channels, such as "bank newsletters, memoranda, written policy, and internal and external bank websites." This email is a fraudulent attempt to obtain personal information from consumers and businesses. Consumers and businesses should NOT click the link provided within the body of the email or install any software on their computer which is unfamiliar.
Additionally, financial institutions should not "advertise and market the ProBank's existence" to anyone as the email suggests.
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A Fraud Alert From the FDIC
June 13, 2006
FDIC Consumer Call Centers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., have begun receiving a large number of complaints by consumers who received an email that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The email informs the recipient that Department of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has advised the FDIC to suspend all deposit insurance on the recipient’s bank account due to suspected violations of the USA PATRIOT Act. The email further indicates that deposit insurance will be suspended until personal identity, including bank account information, can be verified.
This email was not sent by the FDIC and is a fraudulent attempt to obtain personal information from consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should NOT access the link provided within the body of the email and should NOT under any circumstances provide any personal information through this media.
The FDIC is attempting to identify the source of the e-mails and disrupt the transmission. Until this is achieved, consumers are asked to report any similar attempts to obtain this information to the FDIC by sending information to alert@fdic.gov.
Information related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.
For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2006/index.html.
To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through email, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.
