PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PHISHING SCAMS AND IDENTITY THEFT

Telephone and Internet Phishing scams are some of the most aggressive fraud schemes designed for the sole purpose of convincing individuals to divulge personal information such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, security codes, user names and passwords. Phishing involves e-mail or telephone requests from individuals posing as representatives of legitimate businesses, financial institutions, and government agencies. These individuals try to convince the victims that they have monetary or security issues concerning them that cannot be resolved without personal identification. If the imposters succeed in getting this information from their victims, it is much more likely that the imposters will succeed in perpetrating fraudulent transactions and identity theft against their victims.

Many financial institutions, government agencies, retailers and credit card companies have seen their Web site graphics used by con artists intent on tricking consumers in to giving out personal financial information. Although these web sites look official they are only meant to capture information from unsuspecting individuals.

Take some simple precautions:

• Never respond to an unsolicited e-mail that asks you to verify information the company or financial institution should already have. Know who you are dealing with.
• Report anything suspicious to the proper authorities. Alert the company, government agency or financial institution identified in the e-mail immediately through a web site or phone number you know is legitimate.
• You can also contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov —a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center– if you think you received a phishing e-mail or suspect you have been directed to use a bogus website.

Stop, Look and Call

The Department of Justice advises e-mail users to “stop, look and call” if they receive a suspicious e-mail.

• Stop—Resist the urge to immediately respond to any suspicious e-mail, no matter how urgent or exaggerated the claims.
• Look—Read through the e-mail several times and ask yourself why this information would be requested. Remember, any company or financial institution you currently do business with should have this information.
• Call—Telephone the organization identified, using a phone number you are certain is legitimate. If necessary confirm with telephone directory or with directory assistance, 411.

Get Help:

If you believe that you provided sensitive financial information through a phishing scam or telephone con artist, you should:

• Immediately contact your financial institution.
• Contact the three major credit bureaus and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. The phone numbers are as follows:
  Equifax 1-800-525-6285
  Experian 1-888-397-3742
  Trans Union, 1-800-680-7289
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or 1-877-382-4357

Remember:

If you contact your financial institution, they may ask information about you or your accounts to verify to whom they are releasing account information, but they normally would not contact you to get that information.

Always be sure that you know who you are talking to on the internet and the phone. Do not be afraid to ask questions and make notes of names. You may even ask for a phone number to call them back with the information they are requesting. You can then verify that number is valid.

Update - Financial Scam Warning from FinCen

In July 2008, the Financial Crimes Network (FinCEN) issued a warning to the public to beware of financial scams.  FinCEN advised that some of the scams involve individuals representing themselves as Fin CEN officials attempting to collect confidential information from victims. The scams may involve the fraudulent use of FinCEN’s seal in a letter that claims to be an official correspondence. Quite often, the scams try to entice the victim with a phony inheritance or sum of money stating that FinCEN is holding or blocking the funds.

FinCEN reminds the public that it does not send unsolicited requests and does not seek personal or financial information from the public. Additionally FinCEN does not have authority to freeze assets or block funds transfers. Also, some of these letters claim to be from an overseas office of FinCEN. FinCEN has no offices outside of the United States. Therefore the letters are bogus.

Recommended Internet Sites for reporting phishing and/or identity theft:

Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov
You can send the actual spam to uce@ftc.gov

Internet Crime Complaint Center: http://www.ic3.gov

Department of Justice's Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov

FinCen: http://www.fincen.gov/help4victims.html

http://www.onguardonline.gov/phishing.html