Jenna Lampson, Vice President, Operations

We believe the best way to help you protect your identity is to keep you informed.  So, here’s one of the latest scams and how to avoid it.

The Better Business Bureau has recently issued an alert regarding a new scam offering federal breaks on utility bills. Fraudsters have contacted consumers through a variety of channels, including phone, social media, text messages and word of mouth offering utility credits from President Obama.  The fraudulent offer claims the federal government will pay utility bills or apply credits to utility bills for eligible applicants.

Scammers request your social security number, your bank routing number and your account number in exchange for a routing number to use when you pay your bills.  Your utility company may initially accept the fraudulent payment; however, within a few days the routing number is shown to be fake.

The utility bills are not actually paid and personal and financial information, including social security numbers, have been compromised.

Never provide account numbers, social security numbers or any personal information to strangers or those claiming to save you money on your utilities and other recurring expenses.

As always, if you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud, or your account has been compromised, immediately call a member service representative at (888) 858-6878, ext. 6353. We can cancel compromised cards, change your account number or add a password to your account for future transactions if it becomes necessary.

You may also be interested in:

Online Overpayment Scams
Keeping Your Online Persona Private
Using Online Channels to Prevent Fraud

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Recently, LinkedIn suffered a security breach that compromised over 6.5 million user passwords. Public postings of those passwords were published on online hacking sites, although many passwords were still in an encrypted format. LinkedIn does not believe that any user names were exposed in conjunction with those passwords. Following the breach, LinkedIn contacted members whose passwords were hacked, temporarily disabled their access and required that they reset their passwords.

In the wake of a breach of this magnitude, we are again reminded about the importance of securing and updating our online passwords.

Complex is good
It’s important to use a “complex” password with a series of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Increasing a password’s complexity increases your security. The biggest complaint I hear is that passwords are hard to remember. Here’s a trick: Using a phrase, you can create a strong password that’s easy to remember. For example, A41&14a is an easy-to-remember acronym for “All for one and one for all.”

Categorizing is good
Don’t use the same password to access all or many of your online accounts. You wouldn’t lock your home, car, office and safe with the same key, so consider varying the logins and passwords for different sites to maximize security.

One option is categorizing your passwords by security level. For example, sites like online banking, PayPal and investment brokerages may be more important to protect with your strongest, most complex passwords; whereas sites for photos, travel and music may be safe to use with less complex, easier to remember passwords.

Change is good
Even if you have strong passwords; you should keep them fresh. Passwords should be updated every few months. It may be helpful to change your password protected websites on a rotating cycle to be sure that you are always using an up-to-date, secure password.

Stay safe online by being cautious and prepared. As always, if you suspect your Pacific Service CU accounts have been compromised, contact us immediately so that we can assist you in safeguarding your information.

You may also be interested in:
Keeping your online persona private
Online overpayment scams
Using online channels to prevent fraud

by Nannette, Technology Solutions Group

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As part of our commitment to protecting members and their accounts, we post current scams and provide tips pertaining to how to protect your personal information and accounts.  As recently as this week, we’ve received information from members victimized by online overpayment scams that have cost them thousands of dollars.

The Scam
Scammers typically target people selling goods or services online; however, other themes include jobs opportunities as mystery shopper, at-home employment, lottery winners and more.  The scammer will send a check, money order or cashier’s check for an amount greater than the amount they promised.  Overpayment is typically explained as an accidental oversight or the scammer may ask for a favor to assist them.  You deposit the check for the higher amount into your account and send them back the difference as a cashier’s check.  Some scammers will request that you use a wire service like Western Union to send them the money.

Regardless of the type of scam, the common theme to catch your attention is the overpayment of funds and the “send back” transaction component.  There is no legitimate reason that someone will send you a check, cashier’s check or money order and ask you to send money back to them in return.

Members think that a money order or cashier’s check is a safe way to accept payment.  This type of fraudulent payment, however, can be very convincing and can look legitimate.  Once you deposit the item into your account, you are accepting financial responsibility for the deposit and guaranteeing those funds.

Scammers rely on the cushion of time that it takes your financial institution to reject a check as fraudulent.  By the time you are aware the check is fake, you’ve already wired the money and they’re unable to be found.

The Takeaways
We want you to know three important things to protect yourself:

1. Money orders and cashier’s check can be fraudulent, even if they look legitimate.
2. Wiring money is just like sending cash, you can’t get it back after it has been received.  Consequently, never wire money to strangers.
3. Call us with questions if you are suspicious about a transaction or if you need help finding appropriate resources.

Don’t let it happen to you.  Be careful about who you do business with.  Do not send money to strangers with the promise of repayment.  And, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Be mindful, be wary and be safe.

You may also be interested in:
Craigslist: Tips to Avoid Scammers
Holiday Shopping Scams
Using online channels to prevent fraud
Keeping your online persona private

by Michelle, AVP, Operations

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It’s beginning to look like Christmas everywhere I go. Along with wreaths and sales, be aware that con artists and fraudsters may be taking advantage of increased shopping and spending to access your personal information.

Here are a few quick tips for a safer holiday shopping season:

Deals!  Be aware of online “deals” from unfamiliar sources – do not click on email links from unknown senders to avoid unknowingly downloading malware or computer viruses.

Know your seller. Research online stores or sellers prior to buying or providing payment information.

Popular holiday gifts. Be aware of scammers advertising those hard-to-find popular holiday items. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Secure your computer. At a minimum, have anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall. Turn off your computer when you’re finished shopping online.

Protect your information. Do not provide personal information online in exchange for online coupons, mystery shopping “jobs,” or social media contests.

Holiday phishing scams. Do not provide your personal or financial information in response to emails, text messages or phone calls.

Vacation scams. Don’t post holiday pictures or “tag” yourself away from home.

Physical security. Be aware of your surroundings as you shop. Park in lighted areas and have your keys in hand as you leave the store.

Monitor your accounts. Knowing how your cards and accounts are being used can prevent unauthorized usage and allow you to respond immediately to any suspicious activity. Set up free BranchLine alerts to receive email notification about activity on your account.

As always, report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or call (877) FTC-HELP.

If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud, or your Pacific Service CU account has been compromised, immediately call a member service representative at (888) 858-6878, ext. 6353. After hours, for debit or credit card fraud, please call (800) VISA-911. We can cancel compromised cards, change your account number or add a password to your account for future transactions if it becomes necessary.

Shop safely and have fun. Happy holidays!

You may also be interested in:
Scam Alert – 11/9/2010
Using Online Channels to Prevent Fraud
Combat Fraudulent Activity Online
Keeping Your Online Persona Private
Account Fraud and Identity Theft

by Michelle, AVP, Sales & Service

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to gain access to your personal information. The best way to protect yourself is to be aware of common scams.

Recently, our members have reported and fallen victim to two new scams involving SMS text messaging, or “smishing,” and fraudulent IRS emails, or “phishing.”

Smishing Scam Alert
Credit Union members have reported receiving bogus text messages from “Credit Union Services.” The messages attempt to fool people into giving away private account information.

The “smishing” text message states the member’s debit or credit card has been blocked and asks the member to call a number provided in the message to have the card reactivated. Members who call the number are asked to provide their card number, PIN, security code and personal information in order to have the card reactivated.

Members should not respond to requests for financial or personal information via text message. Pacific Service CU will never ask you to provide information that could compromise your identity or accounts through text messaging or email.

Phishing Scam Alert
Members have also reported receiving fraudulent emails. The first purportedly comes from the IRS. These “phishing” messages are designed to look like official IRS communications and direct the recipient click on a link to a “tax statement.”

The second recent fraudulent email appears to come from a pacificservice.org email address, however, the email is signed from the “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,” or FDIC.

The links contained within the emails, if downloaded, contain malicious code that will infect the recipient’s computer.

Members should never click on links or download attachments contained within emails from an unverified source.

The IRS or the FDIC does not initiate communications via email. Protect yourself by ignoring all unsolicited emails asking you to provide personal or financial information. To protect your personal information, contact Pacific Service CU immediately for assistance if you have disclosed your information in response to an email, text message or telephone scam.

By Jenna, Vice President, Operations