National News
FDIC
warns of new phishing scam
Credit unions may want to
make members aware of a phishing scheme involving the The
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Financial
institutions, businesses, and consumers need to know that
fraudulent correspondence claiming to be from the FDIC
continues to be mailed, faxed, and e-mailed in the United
States and other countries. The correspondence uses various
techniques to gain the trust of recipients in hopes they will
provide sensitive personal information, including bank account
numbers that can be used to steal money and other assets.
Recipients should NOT,
under any circumstances, respond to the fraudulent requests.
Institutions are encouraged to inform customers that fraud
artists may use the names of the FDIC and other government
agencies and to take appropriate precautions.
The criminals, knowing
that people trust the FDIC name, have duplicated the official
logo and seal in fraudulent letters, forms, certificates, and
other correspondence. Recent examples have included invoices,
bills, transfer forms, guarantees, endorsements, and
confirmations of stock and investment purchases. In some
cases, recipients were asked to complete fraudulent forms and
return them by fax or e-mail. In other cases, recipients were
asked to remit funds via check or wire transfer service.
The FDIC does not send
unsolicited correspondence asking for sensitive personal
information, including bank account information. Anyone
receiving such correspondence should contact the FDIC
immediately by calling toll-free at 877.ASK.FDIC or
877.275.3342 or by e-mailing to
alert@fdic.gov. Questions
related to fraudulent correspondence, deposit insurance, or
consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an
online form that can be
accessed here. Do not use contact information listed for
the FDIC in the correspondence because it is likely to be
falsified.
Additionally, you can file
formal complaints concerning any suspected fraudulent e-mail
with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at
www.ic3.gov.
The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the National White Collar Crime Center, and the
Bureau of Justice Assistance.
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