•
-Check Scams
-Phishing Scam
-"Vishing"
-VISA® International Transactions
•
FakeChecks.org was created by the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation's oldest nonprofit consumer organization, as a central source of information and advice about fake check scams. NCL created the site in collaboration with the Alliance for Consumer Fraud Awareness, a coalition of consumer and business organizations, government agencies, and companies that are committed to fighting fake check scams.
This website offers videos, interviews and informational tests to increase consumer awareness of popular scams that goes on through different types of schemes.
To learn more, click here.
We have learned of an email circulating to the general public requesting personal member information by visiting a specific website and taking part in a survey for $50.00. It contains the CU Swirl Logo and the CUSC Network; providing much of the "look and feel" of the organizations. Please help us spread the word that this is not a valid request for information from CUSC or CU Service Centers and that members should never send sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, secret words, or PINs in an email or submit it through a website. In addition, members should never click directly on links in an email that requests sensitive information, even if they recognize and trust the address. These links can redirect you to a fake -- though very real looking -- Web site.
The circulated survey looks similar to this. (PDF)
If you are suspicious of a certain e-mail, please don't hesitate to contact us.
A new effort to illicitly obtain credit card information is called “vishing,” and involves VoIP phone calls. You should (1) not respond when an e-mail requests that you call an 800 number regarding your account and (2) be highly suspicious of phone calls purporting to be from a financial institution and requesting account information, even if Caller ID shows a local area code and familiar prefix.
Vishing uses a telephone instead of an e-mail to extract information from you:
• You may receive a spam e-mail saying their account has been compromised and they need to verify information. Rather than clicking on a link, you are asked to call an 800 number, which is actually a spoofed VoIP number. The messaging service that answers will request credit card information.
• You receive a call requesting that you verify credit card information. Caller ID may show the call coming from the same area code and prefix of a financial institution. (With VoIP, anyone can request any area code and prefix, if available, to use.) Sometimes these calls leave a message referencing a spoofed 800 number to call back.
Once the criminals obtain the information, they quickly cancel the phone number they've been using and register another one. It's very difficult to track them down using the phone numbers.
Awareness of these schemes is very important since many people tend to be less suspicious of phone calls. There are ways to distinguish between a vishing call and legitimate call. For example, we, or other financial institutions, will never ask for a card number or Social Security Number. If one is asked for this data, he or she should not provide it. Another clue is that the criminal will often not know the member's name.
If you are suspicious of a call, hang up and contact us or the number on the back of your credit card to check the legitimacy of the call.
VISAŽ has recently informed us of fraudulent activities on international debit and credit card transactions. Due to these incidents, we and other financial institutions have blocked some international transactions. (See list below for specific countries.) Before traveling, please be aware of how and where you can use your debit/credit card. Prior to traveling outside of the U.S., please contact us for the current fraud alerts.
VISAŽ Debit Card PIN-based and signature-based transactions have been blocked in the following country:
• Japan
VISAŽ Credit Card signature-based transactions have been blocked in the following countries:
• Japan
• Malaysia
For VISAŽ Credit Cardholders: There is a limit of $200 per transaction when traveling in Japan or Malaysia.
If you are traveling to any of the countries listed above, we recommend the following:
• Purchase traveler's checks. If your traveler's cheques are lost or stolen, you can easily get them replaced. Please follow the instructions on the traveler's cheques' envelope.
• Obtain a cash advance using your debit card inside a reputable financial institution. When accessing cash this way, you must present proper identification to the financial institution. Thus, making this method safer than obtaining cash from an ATM with your PIN.
• Use credit cards for purchases when debit card transactions are not permitted.
If your debit or credit card is compromised, you are protected with $0 fraud liability. We also monitor your cards 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and immediately notify you of any suspicious activity on your credit and debit cards. Update Your Records Today!
For the latest information or to report a lost or stolen card or PIN, please contact us.
From time to time, we will post articles
to keep you posted on how to prevent fraud.
•
"Avoiding Cashier's Check Fraud" – March 2007
•
"It's
Your Money. Keep It Safe" – Jan. 06 Newsletter
•
"Identity Theft – Don't Be A Victim" – Apr. 06 Newsletter
•
Liberty's Fraud Education Series
Please note:
San Francisco Federal Credit Union will never send email containing
attachments, or require customers to send personal information to
us via email or pop-up windows. Any unsolicited request for San
Francisco Federal Credit Union account information you receive through
emails, Web sites, or pop-up windows should be considered fraudulent
and reported immediately.
To learn more about your credit union, please contact us at (415)
775-5377, option 4 or contacts@SanFranciscoFCU.com.
|
About
Us | Membership
| Locations
| CommunityShare
| What's
New | Site Map
![Account Access [SECURE]](../graphics/account_access.gif){kind=small}
