Internet
Fraud is becoming more prevalent everyday. The more technologically
advanced we get; the more advanced the criminals get. Recently
several bank customers were taken for hundreds of thousands
of dollars by one of these scams that continue to affect us
today. People answer internet help wanted ads where money is
wired into their accounts and they are then instructed to Western
Union the money to Moscow, Latvia or another Eastern European
country and off course they get to keep 15%. The crime here
is that the money wired into their account was fraudulently
withdrawn from another bank account. Tracing the criminal activity
to the person the account holder, the FBI comes knocking on
their door. The account holder has a lot of explaining to do.
Another problem here is when you answer the ad you send them
your resume and they have all your financial information and
you're their next victim. These ads have been seen on Monster.com,
Russian LA, Russian Atlanta and many other similar sites. All
contact with these people is usually made through a 1-800 number
and e-mail only. Now you're probably asking how does the money
get fraudulently wired out of the unsuspecting victim's accounts.
The bad guys obtain access to their accounts by sending fraudulent
e-mails stating that they are from Pay-Pal or E-Bay or some
other site requesting updated account information such as ATM
or Debit card numbers and PIN numbers. These e-mails are very
professional looking. The victims type in their information
and now the bad guys have full access to their Internet bank
accounts, and if they don't have one, they will set one up.
Once they do this they wire money into accounts and have you
Western Union the money out of the country
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Do you use Private ATM Card Machines located in Malls, Stores,
Bars, etc... ? BE CAREFUL !!! These machines aren't regulated
like those that are in your banks. Anyone can purchase these
machines, and no video cameras are required. Identity thieves
purchase these machines and steal your card information.
Some of the largest losses claimed are from such machines that
are purchased for illegal use. Recently new recommendations
have been made to help prevent this from happening. Personally,
I never use them !!!
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Devices that read your card information are now being attached
to Vestibule doors that provide ATM customer's access to the
ATM Machines after a card has been swiped. Take a good look
at the access device before you swipe it to enter the ATM area.
These devices are planted during after banking hours.
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Looking for a job? Look out for articles in papers and employment
site. People are answering Job Ads that are cons. Recently a
man answered an employment add in a major newspaper and another
answered a website ad. These people agreed to have money transferred
into their personal accounts for products that were being offered
for sale from a person overseas. The con- man would contact
you via phone or e-mail. He would say that because he is based
in another country he needs a middle man to accept payment from
customers in the US. Once money for products are wired into
your account, you can take your 10% then withdraw the rest from
your account and Wire it via Western Union to Latvia or some
other country. The Scam is that customers who wire you the money
never received their products and now they go after you to re-coup
their money. You'll never find this other guy in Latvia and
you could be arrested yourself.
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Are you one of those people who purchase internet time at different
commercial locations like internet cafes or copy centers etc.?
Well, BEWARE. Don't make internet purchases at these locations.
Recently a hacker went into such locations and somehow loaded
a software program that copied credit card and PIN numbers.
He would then upload this information to himself and either
sell the information or make credit cards for himself.
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Americans Financing Terrorist Attacks Against Americans This
month's alert should be called Terrorist Financing Alert. If
you're purchasing counterfeit items on the street such as videos,
cds, designer clothing, purses and any other items, you may
be helping a terrorist organization such as Osama Bin Laden
finance the next attack against Americans. Several years ago
I worked on an investigation which involved counterfeit videos
and we traced the money to the Middle East. The next victims
of these attacks could be you or a loved one. Take that into
account the next time you think about purchasing such items
and saving a buck.
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Identity thieves are now tampering with gasoline station pumps
credit card systems. Recently in California, a system was tampered
with. If you enter a PIN number when you use your credit or
debit card to purchase gas, cover the face of the PIN pad with
your other hand. A high resolution camera was found two hundred
yards away from the gas station in question, recording customers
PIN numbers while the tampered gas pump had a device on the
inside recording your card information.
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A new scam has just come to my attention. Identity thieves are
sending letters to bank customers stating that they need their
account information updated. They request bank customers to
fill out a form and fax it back to them. This form asks for
all your financial information. It is unknown how the thieves
know which bank you have an account with, not to mention your
name and address. If you get such a letter inform the police
and send me an e-mail
with the information. The one letter I saw has a fax number
that traces back to Massachusetts.
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Be careful when you use your ATM machine. Identity thieves are
now putting devices over ATM Machines so they can capture your
card and PIN information. Check your ATM machine closely to
see if any devices have been placed on the machine or if it
looks odd to you. You may even see a sign on the ATM telling
you to use another ATM. If you are suspicious, use the courtesy
phone and inform the bank what you see and call the police.
Also send me an e-mail.
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There are identity thieves out there calling people stating
that they are from your bank and asking customers to verify
their information because there was either fraud on their account
or some other excuse. REMEMBER, if you receive a call from someone
stating that they are from your bank or credit card company
, NEVER, NEVER, give them your PIN Number or SSN/Mothers Maiden
Name or other information that is vital.
YOUR BANK WILL NEVER ASK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION, THEY ALREADY
HAVE IT. ALWAYS BE ON GUARD WHEN ANYONE CALLS YOU AND ASKS FOR
ANY INFORMATION . .
