At last night’s BACA meeting a few of us were talking and discovered that many of us were contacted by some very possible scammer.
The way it goes is you get a phone call or phone message on your land line supposedly from some Federal Credit Union. I’ve gotten two phone calls and it was never clear what the exact name of the credit union was. The first time I just hung up on it because it clearly wasn’t my credit union so why bother, wrong number. The second time, I had time to kill and was curious, so I pressed one. Then it asked me for my 16 digit account number. Oh heck naw. I hung up.
Apparently no one else picks up their phone so the Phishing Credit Union has been leaving messages for people to call a 1-800 number. Neighbors who have called the fake credit union fearful that their real credit union accounts (the message is a bit garbled on the name) would be frozen have been prompted to put in their account information. Luckily, we’re all bright people and this raises red flags.
I’m sure there is some governmental agency you can contact regarding this scam. Maybe DCRA. Maybe Harry Thomas Jr. Maybe call up your real credit union, warn them too.
UPDATE= Here’s what some local Credit Unions are telling their members”
State Employees Credit Union:
Another incident of phishing!
Below is a text message that was received recently by an actual SECU member. This is an example of a current form of phishing that fraudsters use to obtain account information from unsuspecting account holders. There are many forms that name various financial institutions, phone numbers to contact and types of cards (credit, debit, ATM).
“Notice/ This is an automated message from Bank-Fund Staff F.C.U. Your ATM card has been suspended. To reactivate call urgent at 1-909-978-6050.”
If you receive this message or a similar message, DO NOT RESPOND! Instead, call SECU at 800-879-7328 to alert our Security and Fraud team.
Pentagon Federal Credit Union:
There is a new phishing scam in progress by phone and SMS text message from 213-596-7693. The message is as follows: “This is an automated message that your ATM card has been suspended. To reactivate call 1-410-910-0787.”
Once the number is dialed there is a request that the listener press 1 for more information. Pressing 1 transfers to a follow-up request for the account number, PIN, authorization code, etc.
Please remember that we will NEVER contact you by phone or email and ask for your PIN or account information.
This information is personal and confidential to you, our Member, and under no cirumstances would we require this information over the phone, text message or via email.
Thank you.
Yeah, a couple of my co-workers got weird voicemails on their work lines that said something vague about “Your Visa credit card may have been stolen or compromised, call this number to check the situation and fix it, etc etc.” It was a dead giveaway that it was fake since neither of them had Visa cards associated in any way with their work phone numbers, but I can see someone who was called at home being confused and falling for it.
If the recorded call starts with the phrase something about “important information concerning your bank account”, then yeah, I have gotten it 10 times in the past month. I have never progressed past that phrase.
Yeah, I’ve gotten those calls on my work phone number too, which I knew was a scam I rarely use my work phone. They’re always from some odd 12- or 13-digit phone number and say that “my account is about to be closed.” Oddly enough, no one else around me gets them.
I don’t actually have a land line at my place, so I can’t say if I’ve gotten that scam before. When I had Chase bank (which I’m not sure is the DC area or not), I used to get phishing phone calls all of the time.
Yes, about one week ago I received a recorded phone call on my home number asking for my cc number. I put in a series of 1s and 0s, and a mechanized voice repeated the numbers back to me and it then asked me to input my debit card number. I hung up, then called the number back (an Oregon number), and connected with a recorded message asking me to leave my name and number.
kim