Latest Scams

Posted: January 31, 2007

Microsoft Jackpot Lottery Scam 
As silly as this one sounds, some people may be fooled by this scam because it uses a well known company 'Microsoft' to lend legitimacy to it's lottery claim.  As always, be leery of contest and prize notifications that you haven't entered.  Never give personal information out to persons that you don't know, and when in doubt, contact the business directly through a telephone number listed in a phone book or some other trusted source.  The old saying that "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" still applies, and maybe more so in the digital age.  Below is a sample of this 'Microsoft Jackpot Lottery Scam'.  More...
 

Posted: January 26, 2007

Bogus Federal Credit Unions (FCU) account verification email 
The latest Phishing scam email targets Credit Unions specifically claiming to be from the Credit Union administration office NCUA.  The aim of this Phishing scam is to fraudulently obtain your Credit Union account information.  Phishing emails typically ask you to email your account information or may load an Internet web page where you would be prompted to enter your account information.  These emails and/or web pages may have the appearance of an being from a legitimate source but they are in fact created by scam artists to fraudulently obtain your account information.  More...

Posted: December 22, 2006

Postal Money Orders - How to know if it's real? 
Helpful Hints from the Postal Inspector’s Office.  #1 – Hold the money order up to the light. Do you see Ben Franklin’s face in the white oval? If not, it’s counterfeit.  #2 – The eleventh digit of the serial number is a check digit. If you get more than one and they are in sequence by the 11th digit, they are counterfeit.  #3 – There should be a security thread running top to bottom that says USPS over & over in the left half of the money order.  #4 – Currently the counterfeiters seem to prefer the denominations $750, $850, and $950. If you receive money orders for these amounts, be extremely cautious.  More...

Posted: September 26, 2006

New Credit Card Scam
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want!  Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.  More...

Posted: August 23, 2006

Clever Customer Survey Phishing Scam
The spam e-mail starts with: "The Online department kindly asks you to take part in our quick and easy 5 question survey. In return we will credit $50.00 to your account - Just for your time!"  The e-mail goes on to describe how it only takes two minutes, your answers will help them.  It is well done and looks authentic. Of course, the spam doesn't really take you to the credit union or bank website. Instead, it takes you to a scammer's site in China, Russia, Romania or ??. The web page itself and the initial questions they ask look quite authentic.  More...

Are You Ready for Vishing?
In a new twist, identity thieves are sending spam that warns victims that their credit union/bank account or PayPal accounts were supposedly compromised. However, unlike typical phishing emails, there is no website address in these phishing messages. Instead, the victim is urged to call a phone number to verify account details.  More...

Further Resources

Beware of email 'Phishing' 
Internet scammers casting about for people's financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go 'phishing.' Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information. More...

Stay Safe Online 
If your computer is attacked by a virus or a hacker, you could lose important personal information or software that's stored on your hard drive, as well as valuable time trying to make repairs. And your computer could be used without your knowledge to attack other computers. We've got some tips that can help you minimize - and perhaps even avoid altogether - the damage that a virus or hacker can wreak on your computer. More... 
 
Free Consumer Awareness Info 
If you've ever wanted to be pro-active about protecting yourself as a consumer, then be sure visit the FTC's Consumer Information site. It contains a wealth of information about how you can protect yourself from scams online and off as well as tips for protecting your personal information. To visit this site, click here!