Common Identity Theft/Fraud Scams
Jury Duty Scam
Consumers are advised to be on alert for an identity theft exploit known as the "Jury Duty Scam." In this scam:
A fraudster posing as a local court official telephones you, claiming that because you have failed to report for jury duty, a warrant has been issued for your arrest
To "clear things up," or "for verification purposes," the fraudster asks for confidential personal information such as a Social Security number or birth date
As payment for alleged fines, the fraudster may also ask for financial account information such as a credit card number or bank account details
Consumers are urged not to provide any personal or financial account information over the phone. The scam's bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. Facing the unexpected threat of arrest, victims are caught off guard and may be quick to part with some information to defuse the situation.
Bank Account Verification E-mails
It's important to know that banks do not send out e-mail messages to "Dear Customer" asking you to confirm your security details. If you receive a message from your bank, or from PayPal, telling you about some new security update, chances are that it is a hoax. The emails are most likely to be from crooks impersonating the bank and hoping to fool you into divulging your personal security data so they can steal your money
The links in these messages don't go to the financial institutions, but are spoof sites which mimic the official bank sites and try to steal your personal bank security details. Do not click on the links in the email, do not reply to the e-mail sender, and do not call any phone number listed in the email. If you are suspicious, call your financial institution directly and ask if they sent the email.
Recently both the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) have been listed in these scam emails addressed to "Dear Credit Union Member". The email states that either the NCUA or CUNA needs you to verify your account information with them. Be aware that neither CUNA, nor the NCUA, has member account information. As a federal agency, NCUA would not directly contact credit union members and never ask for personal account information
"Vishing" scams
Vishing is really just a new take on an old scam — "phishing." You know the drill: you get an e-mail that claims to be from your bank or credit card company asking you to update your account information and passwords (perhaps, it says cleverly, because of fraudulent activity) by clicking on a link to what appears to be a legit website. Don’t do it, of course. It’s just a ruse, nothing more than an illegal identity theft collection system.
Vishing schemes are slightly different, with a couple of variations:
In one version, you get the typical e-mail, like a traditional phishing scam. But instead of being directed to an Internet site, you’re asked to provide the information over the phone and given a number to call. Those who call the “customer service” number (a VoIP account, not a real financial institution) are led through a series of voice-prompted menus that ask for account numbers, passwords, and other critical information.
In another version you’re contacted over the phone instead of by e-mail. The call could either be a “live” person or a recorded message directing you to take action to protect your account. Often, the criminal already has some personal information on you, including your account or credit card numbers. That can create a false sense of security. The call came from a VoIP account as well.
Don’t fall victim to ID theft by giving your information to this scam. Greet these types of phone calls or e-mail seeking personal information with a healthy dose of skepticism. If you think the call is legit, you can always hang up and call back using the customer service number provided by the financial institution when the account was opened.
"Smishing" Scams
Increasingly, cell phone and other mobile device users are being targeted with mobile spam that attempts to trick them into revealing personal information. Known as "smishing," these text messages might ask a recipient to register for an online dating service — then try to sneak a virus onto the users' device. In addition to virus-like "worms," which can spread through and disrupt a network, other scams are surfacing.
Some messages warn that the consumer will be charged unless he cancels his supposed order by going to a Web site that then extracts such credit card numbers and other private data.
"Smishing" is derived from the familiar "phishing." The "sm" comes from SMS, the protocol used to transmit text messages via cellular devices. Some of the new smishing techniques are downright insidious, including mobile spyware that once downloaded to a phone can eavesdrop on conversations.
Unless it's a business you signed up for text messages with, no legitimate company should contact you via text message. If they really need to get in touch with you, they'll call you. And even then, be wary — most often, if someone calls you wanting personal information, hang up, look up the customer service number for the company that person claims to be with, and call them to determine if your information really is needed. You're always better safe than sorry.
Lottery Scams
A typical lottery scam begins with an unexpected email notification that "You have won!" a large sum of money in a lottery. The recipient of the message — the target of the scam — is usually told to keep the notice secret, "due to a mix-up in some of the names and numbers," and to contact a "claims agent." After contacting the agent, the target of the scam will be asked to pay "processing fees" or "transfer charges" so that the winnings can be distributed, but will never receive any lottery payment. Many email lottery scams use the names of legitimate lottery organizations, but this does not mean the legitimate organizations are in any way involved with the scams.
There are several ways to recognize a fake lottery email:
Unless you have bought a ticket, you cannot have won a prize. There are no such things as "email" draws or any other lottery where "no tickets were sold". This is simply another invention by the scammer to make you believe you've won.
The scammer will ask you to pay a fee before you can receive your prize. It is illegal for a real lottery to charge any sort of fee. It does not matter what they say this fee is for (courier charges, bank charges, various imaginary certificates — these are all made up by the scammer to get money out of you). All real lotteries subtract any fee and tax from the prize. They never ask you to pay it in advance.
Scam lottery emails will nearly always come from free email accounts such as Yahoo!, Hotmail, MSN, etc, and no real business will use a free email account.
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