At MATCU, we're committed to protecting your privacy and security. We will
never initiate a request for sensitive information
from you via email or over the phone (ie., Social Security Number, Personal
ID, Password, PIN or account number). We strongly suggest that you do not share
your Personal ID, Password, PIN or account number with anyone, ever.
We can't keep track of all the fraudulent
emails circulating the internet, but we have compiled a page with such emails so
you know what to watch for. If you do receive one of these fraudulent
emails, your best defense is to permanently delete the email from your pc!
Phishing
- the Latest Email Scam
Phishing scams trick people into divulging
confidential information such as Social Security numbers and credit card
numbers by posing as legitimate business sites. The majority of
phishing attacks over the past year have imitated companies such a
PayPal, Citibank, eBay, Wells Fargo, AOL and even the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corp. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known financial
institutions, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers are
able to convince many recipients to provide personal and financial
information.
The latest phishing scam has a new twist – it
prompts you to fill out an online survey in exchange for a gift card or
spending spree with a major retailer. Gift cards are popular this
holiday season, but when it comes to these online surveys, don’t bite,
or you could be the victim of identity theft.
The online survey scam is enticing. The value of
the gift card reward can be up to $500, but the cost to you is much
higher if you give the name of your financial institution, your e-mail
address, and passwords.
Industry experts advise Web users to keep personal
information under wraps. Never give out information in response to an
unsolicited e-mail. Consumers are advised not to click on links within
e-mail messages you were not expecting; instead go directly to the Web
site of the company to see if the offer or request is genuine. Avoid
e-mailing personal and financial information, and review all statements
for unauthorized charges.
Report
suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission at
www.ftc.gov.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information,
credit cards, checks or driver’s license and then obtains credit or
merchandise in your name.
How does identity theft happen?
Despite your best efforts to manage the flow of your personal
information, skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to
gain access to your data. Some of these methods include stealing wallets
and purses, as well as changing the address on credit accounts to divert
mail to another location. They also steal mail from mailboxes or rummage
through garbage looking for personal data.
FTC unveils new e-mail box for
deceptive spam
WASHINGTON (8/16/04)--To better handle
the high volume of spam reported by disgruntled computer users, the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently unveiled a new e-mail address:
spam@uce.gov. The old e-mail address (uce@ftc.gov) will be phased out
(Federal Trade Commission July 28).
When forwarding deceptive spam to
the new e-mail address, include the full e-mail header.
The FTC receives about 300,000 samples of deceptive spam each day and
stores it in a database. The FTC and law enforcement partners use
information in the database to generate cases against spammers who
spread false or misleading information about their products or services.
Examples include pyramid schemes, moneymaking chain letters, credit card
scams, credit repair scams, bogus weight-loss plans, and fraudulent
business opportunities.
Consumers who think they've been taken advantage of by a spam scam are
urged to file a complaint with the FTC online at
www.ftc.gov. You can
find tips on how to avoid spam scams and reduce clutter in your in-box
at
www.ftc.gov/spam.
Unauthorized
payments from checking accounts
Another growing
area of fraud is unauthorized payments from checking accounts. The
following is a list of steps consumers can take to help prevent
unauthorized payments from their checking accounts:
-
Never give your checking account information to telemarketers or to
callers claiming to need to confirm or verify your account information.
-
Don’t carry your checkbook around with
you unnecessarily.
-
Don’t leave bill payments or other
checks in your mailbox.
-
Always review your monthly account
statement, or go to your financial institution’s web
site to view your account activity more frequently.
Report any unauthorized transactions or suspicious
activity to your financial institution immediately.
-
Tear or shred any old checks or account
statements before throwing them away.
-
If you believe your checking account
information has been stolen, contact your financial
institution immediately.
-
Consider using electronic alternatives
to paying by check when making purchases or paying
bills. This substantially reduces, or even
eliminates, the number of people that see the personal
and account information that is printed on your checks,
and provides better protection under Federal regulation.
