Cell phone users should be weary of unsolicited text messages. Such messages should be deleted and all deleted text messages should be removed, if possible, as the perpetrators have been known to use Spyware in conjunction with their text messaging solicitation. Such a scam could be used to obtain personally identifiable information and credit union account access information, for those who access their accounts using their cell phones. In order to avoid potential identity theft, if you receive one of these text messages, do not respond in any manner to it.

An example of a vishing scam is when a consumer receives a recorded message telling them that their credit card and/or financial institution account has been breached and to immediately call a number provided in the recorded message. The phone number provided in the message leads the consumer to a “fraudulent call center” established by the perpetrator of the fraud. The perpetrator then attempts to obtain confidential account information and login credentials in order to access the account. A twist on this scam is when the recorded message provides the address of a fraudulent website for the consumer to access (instead of a telephone number) and to provide certain information to reinstate the supposedly affected account(s).

Vishing is very hard for authorities to monitor or trace. To protect themselves, consumers are advised to be highly suspicious when receiving messages (telephone, email, or otherwise) directing them to call and provide personal, confidential, and/or account related information. Rather than provide any information, the consumer should contact their financial institution or credit card company directly to verify the validity of the message using contact information they already have in their possession (i.e. do not use contact information provided in the suspicious message).

In the worst case, you could find yourself a victim of identity theft. With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver’s licenses in your name. They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel.

In a typical case, you’ll receive an e-mail that appears to come from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial institution. In some cases, the e-mail may appear to come from a government agency, including one of the federal financial institution regulatory agencies.

The e-mail will warn you of a serious problem that requires your immediate attention. It may use phrases, such as “Immediate attention required,” or “Please contact us immediately about your account.” The e-mail will then encourage you to click on a button to go to the institution’s web site.

In the phishing scam, you could be redirected to a phony web site that may look exactly like the real thing. Sometimes it may be the company’s actual web site. In those cases, a pop-up window will quickly appear for the purpose of harvesting your financial information.

In either case, you may be asked to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes: your Social Security number, your account number, your password, or the information you use to verify your identity when speaking to a real financial institution, such as your mother’s maiden name or your place of birth.

If you receive one of these e-mails or a similar e-mail, do not respond to it and never provide any confidential personal or account information.

If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself the victim of identity theft.

We wish to remind you that St. Anne Credit Union would never send an e-mail like this or request you to submit personal information, your member information, or your account information through an e-mail. You should be aware that these types of fraudulent schemes have a habit of reappearing in a same or similar fashion and that you should never respond to these e-mail requests for your confidential account information.

For more information, including how you can report a phishing scam if you were a victim of such a crime, go to http://www.cybercrime.gov/. You may also contact the NCUA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-827-9650.