Scams/Alerts

Scams/Alerts

SCAMS

CHECK OUT "ONGUARD ONLINE" for additional information about fraud.

NEW SCAM ALERT – “CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SECURITY”

Please be advised there is a new scam being sent out to credit union members from “CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SECURITY”. Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is a legitimate company that typically provides bond coverage, as well as other services and products, for credit unions across the country.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT CUNA WOULD NEVER CONTACT YOU DIRECTLY REQUESTING ANY INFORMATION – especially any account information that you may have with your credit union.

The e-mail may look “official”, but please remember that any request for personal account information OR an alert that your account may have been compromised will NOT come in the form of e-mail for the credit union. Direct contact will be made only from credit union staff and the credit union will have your information on file and will not ask you to verify any kind of personal account information.

THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL IS A SCAM AND WAS NOT SENT BY CUNA. If you do receive one of these e-mails, please contact the Brewer Federal Credit Union at 207-989-7240.

Subj: Credit Union National Association Security

Date: 10/25/07 4:28AM Central Daylight Time

From: CreditUnionNationalAssociation1@aol.com

Dear Credit Union holder account,

CUNA is constantly working to ensure security by regularly screening the accounts in our system. We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with secure service. Until we can collect this information, your access to sensitive account features will be limited. We would like to restore your access as soon as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

- Why is my account access limited?

- Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s):

- *October 25, 2007: We have reason to believe that your account was accessed by a third party. Because protecting the security of your account is our primary concern, we have limited access to sensitive Credit Union account features. We understand that this may be an inconvenience but please understand that this temporary limitation is for your protection.

(Your case ID for this reason is THEFT-3150019066.)

- How can I restore my account access?

- This limitation cannot be appealed.

- We encourage you to restore full access as soon as possible.

- http://www.cuna.org/update.php

Once you complete all of the checklist items, your case will be reviewed by one of our Account Specialists. We will send you an e-mail with the outcome of the review.

Thanks for your patience as we work together to protect your account.

Best regards,

Credit Union National Association Team

BEWARE OF THESE COMMON TYPES OF FRAUD

Basic phone advice - Avoid giving out personal information over the phone unless the call was initiated by you. If you receive a call from your bank, credit union or a company asking for this type of information, always ask the caller to provide a call-back number. You have the right to hang up and verify the legitimacy of the number.
Call from your bank or credit union - You might get a call from someone posing as a representative from your financial institution or credit card company, asking you to provide your account or personal information. If you do receive a call such as this, hang up immediately.
Telemarketing fraud - Don't be fooled by telemarketers informing you of a "get rich quick" opportunity. The only thing you'll do quickly is lose money. Most will tell you to act now and to send money for more information. Sadly the information never comes. The best defense is to turn them down right away.
Travel scams - Be wary of calls from individuals awarding you prizes such as vacations. More often than not, these calls are scams. At first it seems like a great deal, but it usually involves being asked to provide a credit card deposit. When unsuspecting victims give in, the vacation is over before it begins.
Prize offers and postcards - Try to avoid tempting prize offers that come in the mail informing you that you've won a prize. Unsuspecting victims are told to call a "900" number and when on the line all of a sudden they are asked to pay an additional fee for a larger prize.
Telefunding - Scam artists will call to request contributions to charitable causes. More often than not, these contributions end up benefiting no one but the scam artist.
Disaster relief scams - Be extra cautious of anyone calling you representing a disaster (such as an Asian tsunami or Hurricane Katrina) relief organization. Unfortunately, these tragic events create a way for thieves to take money from well-meaning people. Always ask them for the name of the organization they are representing and a contact number. Call the organization directly before giving money to anyone.

CHECK OUT VISA USA'S WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ON FRAUD!