Warning! Notice to Public on January 30, 2008

Beware of fraudulent IRS Posing Scheme
The Internal Revenue Service has issued an alert, warning that the IRS name and logo is being used by fraudsters attempting to access the taxpayer financial information through e-mail, telephone, and cell phone text messaging.

Note: The IRS does not ask for personal identifying or financial information via unsolicited e-mail, telephone calls, or text messaging.

The following scams are being used to trick taxpayers into divulging financial account information for fraudulent purposes:

  • Taxpayers receive a phone calls telling them that they are eligible for a sizable rebate for filing their taxes early, and they are told to provide their financial account information for direct deposit.

  • Taxpayers receive e-mails that claim they are eligible for a tax refund of a specific amount, and they are instructed to click on the link in the e-mail to access the refund claim form, which requires them to disclose financial account information.

  • E-mail notifications addressed to individual taxpayers claim that their tax returns will be audited. The individual is instructed to click on the link within the e-mail and complete forms disclosing personal and financial account information.

  • Businesses, accountants, and "Treasury" managers are receiving bogus e-mails regarding tax law changes. To obtain information on publications for businesses, estates taxes, excise taxes, exempt organizations, as well as IRAs and other retirement plans, the recipient is instructed to click on a series of links. The IRS suspects that clicking on these links downloads "malware" onto the recipient's computer, which can be used to search for financial records and other private information.

  • A person claiming to be an IRS employee telephones taxpayers to say the IRS has mailed them a check that has not been cashed. The caller then asks for verification of financial account information.

Loss Prevention Recommendations:

    If you receive an unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from the IRS, take the following steps:

  • Do not open any attachments to the e-mail; they could contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
  • Forward a questionable e-mail claiming to be from the IRS to phishing@irs.gov.
  • Use instructions contained in an article online at www.irs.gov titled "How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Schemes." http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=155344,00.html
  • Contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to determine whether the IRS is trying to contact you about a tax refund.
  • Remember that taxpayers do not have to complete a special form to obtain a refund.
  • If you have received this, or a similar hoax, please file a complaint at www.ic3.gov.

Skimming
Skimming is the theft of credit, debit, and ATM card ("plastic card") information. Plastic cards can be skimmed in a variety of ways, such as:

  • At an ATM, using a false or another electronic device attached to the terminal to capture information when the card is swiped and the PIN is entered.
  • At a merchant location, often when the card is out of sight, hand-held skimming devices are used to capture the information on the card.
  • From stored data, including electronic data capture terminals, personal computers and mainframes. Criminals hack into these systems to retrieve and copy valid account data.

A skimmer can hold data from hundreds of different plastic cards. The data can be downloaded into a computer and emailed anywhere in the world. The final step is to create a counterfeit plastic card using the data from the skimmer.

Counterfeit plastic card scams are widespread in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States.

Phishing
You may receive an email that appears to come from Unitus or another trusted source. The email may instruct you to click on a link or go to a website and provide personal information. Some of these emails may even threaten to suspend your account if you don't provide the information. This type of email is called "phishing" or "spoofing" and is one of the most common types of online fraud. If a victim inadvertently enters their information, the fraudster will use the information to create a fraudulent account, a plastic card, or sell the information on the black market.

Remember that Unitus will never ask for personal information, account information or your PIN (Personal Identification Number) in an email message. If you receive a phishing email from what appears to be Unitus, please report it to our fraud department and delete the email from your mailbox. Do not reply to or click on the link it provides.

To learn more about phishing, visit www.antiphishing.org

Vishing (Voice phishing)
Vishing is yet another attempt to fraudulently obtain account information. A member may receive an email warning them that their account has been compromised. Instead of asking you to click on a fraudulent website, the message urges the member to call a telephone number to verify account details.

When the number is called, an automated voice message says, "Welcome to account verification. Please enter your 16-digit account number". The goal is to get the victim to enter their credit card number and other personal information. In these reported scams, no mention of the Credit Union is made.

ID Theft and Account Hijacking
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, social security number, date of birth or other identifying information without authority and with the intent to commit fraud.

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Credit Card Scam
The majority of identity fraud crimes are self-detected. By following these simple steps, you can better protect your card from unauthorized use. Be your own fraud monitor just by paying close attention to your statement, particularly online. According to a recent report by the Better Business Bureau, accessing accounts online provides earlier identity theft detection compared to monitoring monthly paper statements and bills. If you notice a suspicious transaction, promptly contact Unitus Community Credit Union to report it. And, remember to never give information, including the CVV # (3 digit number on the back of your card), to someone on the telephone if you did not initiate the call.

Red flags
You should be suspicious if you discover any of the following:

  • You find new accounts on your credit report that are not yours.
  • You do not receive an expected bill or statement by mail.
  • You find unexpected charges on your account or charges from unrecognized vendors.
  • Checks posting to your account that are significantly out of numeric order.
  • You receive credit cards that you did not apply for.
  • You are denied credit or are offered less than favorable credit terms for no reason.
  • You receive calls from creditors or debt collectors regarding purchases or services that you did not authorize.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) gives you special rights when you are, or believe that you are, a victim of identity theft.

  • You have the right to ask that nationwide consumer reporting agencies place "fraud alerts" on your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft.
  • You have the right to free copies of the information in your file.
  • You have the right to obtain documents relating to fraudulent transactions made or accounts opened using your personal information.
  • You have the right to obtain information about the debt that you believe was incurred in your name by an identity thief.
  • If you believe information in your file results from identity theft, you have the right to request a consumer-reporting agency block that from your file.
  • You may also prevent businesses from reporting information about you to consumer reporting agencies if you believe the information is a result of identity theft.

To learn more about identity theft, detection, and your rights, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft or the Federal Trade Commission website www.ftc.gov/credit