Members Receive Phone Calls Asking For Personal Data

Several SC Telco members have stated that they are being notified by telephone that their debit card has been temporarily deactivated. The recording states that they must enter responses to questions in order to reactivate their cards. These calls are not coming from SC Telco or from our fraud alert service.

The members receiving the calls at this time are primarily in the Florence area. The first piece of information requested is the full card number. We are assuming that a follow up to that question would be to key in the remainder of the card information and the PIN. The telephone number the calls are coming from has an 878 area code which is Pittsburgh, PA.

Columbia members have stated that they have received the following text message: “Your SC State CU account is locked out. Please provide your account number so we can unlock it.”

SC Telco would never ask for a full card number or a PIN from our members. Please disregard these calls and NEVER give out your debit card account number or PIN number to anyone unless you are sure that they are not theives seeking your information.

Again, SC Telco will NEVER ask for your PIN or Full Card number over the phone, via email, through text messaging or in person. If you are a victim in this fraud scam, please contact us immediately.

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Tax refund fraud is among latest scams

Tax-filing season brings out tax-preparation frauds. The latest scheme involves tax refunds transmitted as a direct deposit or automated clearing house (ACH) credit. Consumers are being drawn in to fraud schemes by individuals claiming to be tax preparers (The Daily Exchange Feb. 17).

In this type of fraud, the victims unwittingly provide the bogus tax preparers with personal information such as their name, Social Security number, bank account numbers, investment information and more so the preparers can complete the tax forms. The tax preparer inflates the information with fraudulent information to obtain a larger refund. Some victims have found their tax preparers have claimed children they don't have, day care expenses and so on.

The tax refunds are transmitted as a direct deposit (ACH credit) to a newly created account or to an existing account with an impersonator added as a joint owner. These accounts are established by an impersonator or a recruiter. Once the tax refund is deposited into the account, the impersonator or recruiter withdraws the tax preparation fee. The remainder of the ACH credit goes to the refund recipient.

Last year the IRS prosecuted more than 200 people as phony tax preparersn. The IRS is already busy checking up on new tax scams, ranging from filing false returns to convincing clients they don't need to pay income taxes. The agency warns consumers about tax fraud scams every year. Richard Panick, field media relations specialist with the IRS, warned consumers to be extra careful when a preparer bases the fee on a percentage of promised refund.

"Consumers should also avoid preparers who claim to know something special or that they can get more money than anyone else," Panick told the news service. "Also plan to sit with the preparers as they fill out the tax forms. Never just sign a blank form and trust them to file it," he said.

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Scammers use false Upstate addresses     
 
GREENVILLE -- The Upstate Better Business Bureau issued an alert today in regard to elaborate advance fee scams that are duping unsuspecting consumers. Four companies are using bogus Greenville and Spartanburg addresses in their mail.

Kingswood Lending uses a 75 Beattie Place address in Greenville on their contracts and correspondence, however there is no such company at that address. Dozens of consumers have sent thousands of dollars by money gram to supposed Kingswood employees in Canada for further verification of the loan.

Smart Choice Lending and Lawson Lending are using the legitimate address of 1st Franklin Financial in Spartanburg as their address, while instructing consumers to send upfront money to Canada to cover down payments or insurance for the loan they are to receive.

“The Upstate has been plagued with its share of scam artists taking money from our community,” said Kathy Barrett, president of the Upstate BBB. “Companies are using Upstate addresses to show legitimacy, however addresses are vacant lots, non-existing suites or legitimate company addresses.”

Millennium Research is using a vacant lot address as their physical location on their information to consumers and Midvale Marketplace Center is a drop box only. Both of these are among the list of scam companies that continues to grow daily.

“In an already struggling economy it is a travesty that many legitimate companies are being victimized by the scammers using their good name,” said Barrett. “There seems to be no end to how unscrupulous these predators can be”.

Unfortunately since these scam artists are out of the country there is very little that can be done to stop them. This is a practice known as “advance fee loans” and is illegal.

“Don’t fall prey to these fraudsters,” Barrett says. “Just say ‘no’ and put the information where it should be – in the trash.” 

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Text Messages attempt to collect Debit Card Numbers

Frausters continue to find new ways to collect valuable personal information in order to steal your identity. The latest scheme includes using phony text messages disguised as mobile alerts. The text messages usually have verbaige that reads something like this:

“Your credit union has a restriction on your debit card.”

The message then asks the member to text their debit card number in a reply so that the restriction can be removed. Several SC Telco members have received this type of text message from sm.alert@visa.com. The return phone number received was 1-877-269-9842. DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE MESSAGES! If you have a question regarding your SC Telco debit card, contact us directly.

In determining if a message is fradulent, the best rule of thumb is to always suspect fraud. Contact your financial institution directly by locating their telephone number on their web site or in the phone book. Never respond to a message or use a telephone number within a message unless you are absolutley sure that it came from your financial institution.

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Fraud Cases Prey on the Economically Distressed

Fraudsters are having a field day with consumers during the recession. During times of economic turmoil, consumers are especially vulnerable to fraud. This year, there are some new frauds.

Here are the latest schemes:

• Consumers are being victimized while attempting to buy vehicles on the Internet, reports the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The victims find low-priced cars or trucks on Web classified ad sites. In a new twist, some scammers pose as members of the military who must sell the vehicle quickly and cheaply because they are being deployed overseas. Many scams include a third-party vehicle protection program to ensure a "safer" transaction. Victims are directed to send full payment, or a percentage, to the agent via wire. But no vehicle arrives. Members should do as much due diligence as possible on such transactions and pay attention to the website's rules. If someone asks a member to break the site's rules, it is possibly a scam (LoneStar Leaguer March 11) .

• There have been several incidents of fraudulent cashier's checks and members taken in by "Cash for Gold" advertisements in Pennsylvania, according to the Altoona (Pa.) Chapter of Credit Unions (Life is a Highway March 13).

• Residents in Reading, Pa., have been targeted by work-at-home scams. These are especially popular during times of high unemployment. A letter from an entity purporting to be Truenorth Monitoring and Research Services of Quebec, Canada, informs the victims that based on a previous survey with Consumer Survey Specialist, they indicated an interest in part-time income. The letter offers employment as a Mystery Shopper to serve as a Consumer Service Evaluator of select retail stores. The victims would make purchases at the stores and evaluate the provider on a probationary basis. An application and a counterfeit check for $3,975 accompany the letter. The fraudsters aim to have the victim deposit the check, spend $150 at a retail store, then send money to another location via Western Union/Moneygram (Life is a Highway March 16).

• Retirees attempting to recover from market losses are especially vulnerable to financial or investment scams, says Brent Neiser, certified financial planner and director with the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) (LoneStar Leaguer March 12). According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, investment scams commonly used include: high-return or "risk-free" investments; pyramid schemes; "ponzi" schemes; promissory notes; Internet investment fraud; and affinity fraud. Members should thoroughly research any person, organization or company that offers financial planning or investment advice or sells products or services. They should say no if the seller: guarantees results; is in a hurry to close the deal; makes the offer via an unsolicited telephone call, post card or e-mail; or promises huge crude oil profit--a scheme particularly popular in Texas (LoneStar Leaguer March 13).

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Fake Military Twist on Vehicle Sale Scams

The FBI continues to receive reports of individuals victimized while attempting to purchase vehicles via the Internet. Victims find attractively priced vehicles advertised at different Internet classified ad sites. Most of the scams include some type of third-party vehicle protection program to ensure a safe transaction. After receiving convincing e-mails from the phony vehicle protection program, the victims are directed to send either the full payment, or a percentage of the payment, to the third-party agent via a wire payment service. No vehicles are delivered to the victims.

In a new twist, scammers are posing as members of the United States military. The fictitious military personnel in the scam have either been sent to a foreign country to improve military relations, or they need to sell a vehicle quickly and cheaply because of their upcoming deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Consumers are advised to do as much due diligence as possible before engaging in transactions to purchase vehicles advertised online. Consumers are also cautioned to be aware of the rules of or warnings posted by the Internet sites they visit. If someone is asking a consumer to break or avoid the rules of the Web site, it is possible that person is trying to scam you.

If you have fallen victim to this type of scam, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.IC3.gov.

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PHONE SCAM ASKS MEMBERS TO CALL TO UNBLOCK COMPROMISED CREDIT CARDS

SC Telco members have reported receiving telephone messages on their answering machines informing the member that their credit cards had been compromised and they should call a phone number with an 817 area code to provide information to unblock their card. THIS IS A SCAM. If you receive such a message, please do not call the number provided. Instead, contact SC Telco to report this fraud attempt. The number given on the message actually goes to Quebec, Canada. All of our offices are within the state of South Carolina and our member services are handled on site in our main office located in Greenville, SC.

If you have responded to this message and provided personal information, please call us immediately at 800-922-0446.

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Text Message (SMISHING) Scam Targets Individuals In The Upstate

Members of credit unions across South and North Carolina have been receiving text messages to their cell phones claiming to be from "Telco Community Credit Union". The message indicates that information is needed to prevent the member's accounts from being closed.  The member is asked for their account number or credit card number and PIN.

DO NOT RESPOND!

Smishing is the latest form of online/electronic fraud intended to gain personal information to be used for criminal behavior. If you have received a text message asking you to provide information via a text reply or by a phone number given in the message, DELETE IT! If you have responded with information regarding your SC Telco accounts, please contact our Member Service Center immediately at 800.922.0446. If you have responded with information concerning accounts with other financial institutions, you should contact those institutions as well and explain what has happened.

For more information on Smishing and other forms of electronic fraud crimes, click here.

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Phishing Email Claiming to be from NCUA

Recently, a member of SC Telco FCU received an email claiming to be from the National Credit Union Association. The email claimed that the NCUA (the federal agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions and insures savings in federal and most state-chartered credit unions) has discovered information after a regular screen that would indicate a problem. It goes on to say that the account holder's access has been limited and asks that the member click a link to complete a security form. The full content of the email is below.

The NCUA web site provides a detailed response to this and other phishing email attempts. In part the response states that the "NCUA does not ask credit unions members for personal information. Anyone who receives an supposed e-mail or phone call from NCUA that asks for account information should consider it a fraudulent attempt to obtain their personal account data for an illegal purpose and should not follow the instructions in the e-mail or phone call." (www.ncua.gov/Phishing/phishing.htm)

If you have inadvertently responded and provided confidential account information, please contact SC Telco FCU immediately.

Below is the email received by an SC Telco member. If you receive this email or emails that are similar, DO NOT RESPOND:

NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ASSOCIATION

Dear FCU holder account,

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in Federal Credit Unions (FCU) network. We recently noticed the following issues on your account: A recent review of your account determined that we require some additional information from you in order to provide you with secure service. Case ID Number: PP-065-617-349 For your protection, we have limited access to your account until additional security measures can be completed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please log in to your FCU account to restore your access as soon as possible.

You must click the link below and fill in the form on the following page to complete the verification process.

(a phony link is provided in the email)

In accordance with the NCUA User Agreement, your account access will remain limited until the issue has been resolved. Unfortunately, if access to your account remains limited for an extended period of time, it may result in further limitations or eventual account closure. We encourage you to log in to your FCU account as soon as possible to help avoid this. We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely, NCUA Account Review Department

SC TELCO WILL NEVER ASK YOU FOR YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION VIA EMAIL. EVER!

For more information about Phishing emails, click here.

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Door to Door Sales Scam

A Teenager or a college student going door to door to raise money for an overseas trip with their soccer team seems like a believable story. But be warned, this is a common opening to a scam that has been around for several years and has been popping up in the suburbs and the downtown area of Greenville. Here is how the story goes:

Teenager/young person comes to your door selling children's books from Tuscan Reading Services. They are raising money for their soccer/baseball/softball team to travel to (insert exotic destination) for nationals/finals/a tournament. The con artist will claim to be a neighbor of yours from just down the street or a nearby neighborhood. They may even claim to live at a valid address in your area with the hopes that you don't know who actually lives there. The books they are selling retail for around $38.00 and will be shipped to you within four to six weeks. However, payment in full is due now and they gladly take cash or checks. If you reply that you do not have any children, then they are gracious enough to say that you can sponsor up to 5 children at the local Children's Hospital for $54.00 which would allow each child to pick out any book they want to read. Sounds noble enough, right?

The only problem is that most orders go unfulfilled and there are no books delivered to children in the hospital. Your money is collected and this "young neighbor" of yours is not seen in your area again. If you are visited by a nice young person claiming to live in your neighborhood selling children's books to earn money for a trip with their team, BEWARE!

For more information on how to identify fraud and scams, visit the official site of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml

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Smishing Scam

Credit unions across the country are reporting that their member’s are receiving unsolicited text messages. It’s an attempt at Smishing, the latest form of phishing. In Smishing, an e-mail tries to lure a recipient into giving personal information via SMS, the communications protocol used to send text messages to a wireless device. The recent scam is targeting credit union and other financial institution members.

In smishing, the members receive a text message via cell phone warning that their bank account has been closed due to suspicious activity. It then tells them they need to call a certain phone number to reactivate the account.
Unsuspecting callers who dial the number provided in the text message will be taken to an automated voice mail box that prompts them to key in their credit card or debit card number, expiration date, and PIN to verify their information.
If you have a question concerning your account or credit/debit card, contact your financial institution using a telephone number obtained independently, such as the phone number from your statement, a telephone book, or other independent means.

Loss Prevention Recommendations:

• Don’t display your wireless phone number or e-mail address in public. This includes newsgroups, chat rooms, Web sites, or membership directories.
• If you open an unwanted message, send a stop or opt out message in response.
• Check the privacy policy when submitting your wireless phone number or e-mail address to any Web site. Find out if the policy allows the company to sell your information.
• Contact your wireless or Internet service provider about unwanted messages.

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NEW EMAIL SCAM SENT TO SC TELCO MEMBER-

Be aware that phishers continue to send emails asking you to click a link to update your account information. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR BANKING INFORMATION at the request of an unsolicited email.

Detecting a fraudulent e-mail can be difficult. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information.
• Don't use the links in such an e-mail.
• Phisher e-mails are typically NOT personalized.

Below is a sample email received by a member of SC Telco. THIS EMAIL IS FRAUDULENT! Do not respond to these emails nor should you click any links found in emails of this nature.

Dear MAX Credit Union client,

You have received this email because you or someone had used your account from different locations. For security purpose, we are required to open an investigation into this matter.

In order to safeguard your account, we require that you confirm your banking details.

The help speed up to this process, please access the following link so we can complete the verification of your MAX Online Branch Account registration information.

(Link removed by SC Telco FCU)

If we do no receive the appropriate account verification within 48 hours, then we will assume this MAX Credit Union account is fraudulent and will be suspended.

The purpose of this verification is to ensure that your bank account has not been fraudulently used and to combat the fraud from our community.

We appreciate your support and understanding and thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

© Copyright 2008 MAX Credit Union, All right reserved.

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EMAIL SCAM TARGETS CREDIT UNION MEMBERS

Several credit unions have contacted CUNA Mutual to report recent phishing attempts designed to obtain several key pieces of personal information.  The fraudsters' e-mail starts by suggesting that you can help the government fight terrorism and related money laundering by verifying your personal information. Then, they attempt to lead consumers to a counterfeit Web site designed to trick recipients into divulging financial data, such as credit card numbers, account user names, passwords and Social Security numbers.   
Detecting a fraudulent e-mail can be difficult. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information.
• Don't use the links in such an e-mail.
• Phisher e-mails are typically NOT personalized.

Below is a copy of a recent phishing attempt that was reported to CUNA Mutual.

                                                                                          Notice to All Members!
Valued Member,
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all Credit Unions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who has an account, including investors in transactions for which we act as advisor.

What this means for you:

If you are a member of any Credit Union please provide your name, social security number, address, and date of birth, financial information and/or other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents.
Please follow the link below to continue:

(Link removed by SC Telco)


We appreciate your cooperation with this. Thank you.

Sincerely,

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Walmart Secret Shopper Scam Reaching Consumers

Walmart has become the focus of a recent scam reaching consumers. Individuals are receiving a fraudulent check that appears to be from Walmart. They are requested to be a secret shopper for Walmart's wire service. The instructions tell the individual to deposit the check, wire money to different places (via Walmart's wire service), and to evaluate the service they receive while doing the wire. They are instructed to retain part of the money from the check in return for their service. Unfortunately the check is fraudulent so the funds are not good. Therefore, the individual is out the entire amount of the wire.

Please be cautious and DO NOT attempt to deposit checks from someone that requests that you wire some of the money elsewhere. Visit http://www.consumeraction.gov/ for information about how and where to file a fraud complaint.

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TELEPHONE SCAM OFFERS "BUSH TAX REFUND"

Several South Carolinians said they have received phone calls offering to automatically deposit the tax refunds promised in President Bush’s economic-stimulus plan. One problem: The tax refunds aren’t real yet. Congress is still debating the plan. The first complaints came Friday, January 25, 2008 — the day after Bush unveiled his proposal. Scammers are trying to get bank account information from unsuspecting taxpayers who have heard about Bush’s plan for one-time rebates ranging from $600 to $1,200, state officials said.

The S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs said it has received more than 20 calls statewide
about crooks trying to swipe financial information. The calls are fairly similar: A person claims to be from the IRS or the tax department of the Social Security Administration wanting to verify the consumer’s bank information to automatically deposit the “Bush tax refund.” So far, one Midlands woman has told Consumer Affairs that she shared her account numbers with a scammer, spokeswoman Alice Brooks said. The woman quickly realized she had been duped and dialed the number left on her caller ID
from the supposed tax official. Unfortunately, Brooks said, the number belonged to a Dallas health club.
Source: http://www.thestate.com/business/story/300961.html

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*** NEW EMAIL SCAM TARGETS CREDIT UNION MEMBERS***

A new email scam is targeting credit union members and informing them that their credit union has merged with America’s Credit Union. THIS IS A SCAM. SC Telco has not merged with anyone nor will we ask you to provide any account information via email. A copy of the email received by one of our members is below (We have removed all links listed in the email). If you receive this email DELETE IT! Do not click on ANY of the links listed in the email.  If you have any questions about this email scam, feel free to call us at 1-800-922-0446.

Dear FCU/CU account holder

This notice informs you that your CREDIT UNION bank has joined our AMERICA'S CREDIT UNION ( NCU/FCU/CU ) network .For both, ours and your security, we are asking you to activate an online account on our database.

Fill the form to activate your online account by clicking on the link bellow.

***LINK REMOVED BY SC TELCO FCU***

In accordance with AMERICA'S CREDIT UNION User Agreement, you can use your online account in 24 hours after activation. We thank you for your prompt attention this matter.
Sincerely AMERICA'S CREDIT UNION review Department

In accordance with AMERICA'S CREDIT UNION User Agreement, you can use your online account in 24 hours after activation. We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerly AMERICA'S CREDIT UNION review Department

This site is directed at or made available to persons in the United States and Credit Union customers only. Persons outside the United States may visit ***LINK REMOVED BY SC TELCO FCU***. Products and services described, as well as associated fees, charges, interest rates, and balance requirements may differ among geographic locations. Not all products and services are offered at all locations.
Copyright © 2008 - Credit Union National Association, Inc

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***WELCOME TO OUR BRAND NEW WEB SITE***

Welcome to the all new SC Telco FCU web site. We hope that you will find this web site useful and informative. Because this site is so radically different than our previous site, we put together this user's guide to help you navigate your way to financial freedom. If at any point you have questions about the web site, click the Web Administrator button in the lower left hand of any page and email us your question or concern. Again, thank you for being our member. At SC Telco, It's About The Member!

NAVIGATION:

If at any point you want to go back to the home page, simply click the SC TELCO Logo at the top of any page.

To navigate from page to page, you must utilize the navigation menu on the left hand side of every page. Each navigation option, or link, is unique in the information offered and how it functions on the web site. You see pictured to the left that some links have "Sub-Menus" that are accessed when you move your mouse on top of or "mouse-over" a link. In this example, the mouse was moved over the words "Personal Deposit Service" and the sub menu for that category appeared. From the sub menu, you may choose your topic by clicking it with your mouse. Some links on the navigation menu do not have sub menus. In this instance, simply click the word on the navigation menu to reach your destination. As an example, click the "Current Promotions" link on the navigation menu to view the latest promotions offered by SC Telco.

INTERACTION:

We have added an awesome new tutorial that shows you how to apply online for Loans. Click here to go to SC TELCO-VISION. On this page, we will show you how to apply online using a Flash movie. Once you have familiarized yourself with how to apply online, you may then click the links to our online loan applications and within a matter of MINUTES, your application will be complete. It's safe, secure, and most importantly convenient.

EDUCATION:

We are pleased to announce the addition of SC TEL U, our online university resource for topics that interest you as a member of SC Telco. At SC TEL U, you will find valuable information on topics such as budgeting, avoiding scams, raising your credit score and much, much more! To visit our university, click the SC TEL U logo located on the navigation menu.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Our web site is the first line of defense when it comes to getting information out to our members in a timely manner. Look for important announcements on our home page. They will appear highlighted in yellow just above the pictures on the home page. This is the same location that you clicked to get to this page. Inclement weather closings or delays, phishing scams that are targeting our members and other important information will be posted here.

ARE YOU LOST?

If you are searching for a page that you can't seem to find through the navigation menu, click Site Map in the navigation menu and you'll be able to view all the links located on our site.

We hope you enjoy your web experience with SC Telco. Remember to click our logo at the top of the page to return to our home page.

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