OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, P.O. BOX 1163, RICHMOND, VA 23218, www.vdacs.virginia.gov
JUNE 22, 2009
Contact: Marion Horsley, (804) 225-3820
DON’T TAKE THE BAIT WHEN SCAM ARTISTS ARE PHISHING FOR YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
A busy executive received an urgent text message from his bank. It informed him that all his accounts had been compromised and gave him a phone number to call. Instead of responding as directed, the man used a phone number listed on his monthly statement to contact his bank and then he reported the incident to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (VDACS) Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA). Luckily this man recognized the tell tale signs of a scam called phishing.
According to OCA, phishing is a fraudulent effort in which criminals send emails, pop up messages, text messages or make phone calls that seem to come from legitimate companies asking you to provide personal information such as your Social Security number, account numbers, passwords, PINs or other data that will help them gain access to your money. From May 2008 to May 2009, OCA received approximately 200 inquiries or complaints about this scam.
When they are phishing for your personal data, scammers usually offer a compelling reason to provide it. For instance, you may receive an e-mail message that your investment company is reviewing all its accounts in an effort to enhance security and asks that you log onto the Web address provided to list your account number and other specified information. Or you could get a phone call from someone claiming to be an investigator from your credit card company who cites some inconsistent purchases on your account as the reason he needs to verify your account number and expiration date.
You may get a call from someone supposedly representing a law enforcement agency who asks you to verify your name, address, Social Security number and bank account number for what he claims is an account investigation. An investment company may tell you it is “obligatory” for customers to confirm their data as part of a software upgrade. Or someone claiming to represent your favorite online retailer texts you notice of a compulsory account review with threats that all activity will be suspended unless you participate.
Now that you know about phishing, what can you do to protect yourself? OCA advises you never to give your personal or financial information to someone who unexpectedly contacts you claiming to represent your bank, credit card company, retailer, utility or other institution. Scammers make sure their dealings seem legitimate so even if the request sounds authentic, take time to check out the inquiry before you respond. Use your local phone book, the back of your credit card or a recent statement to get the company’s correct telephone number and call to confirm that representatives have been authorized to solicit customer information.
If someone who says they represent your credit card company or bank calls to ask you about suspicious activity in your account, they should ask only about the transactions in question. Do not provide your account number, expiration date or other data because the legitimate company or bank would already have that information on file and would not need to ask for it.
Take a close look at your bank account and credit card statements as soon as they arrive to check for unauthorized charges. Call your bank or credit card company if your statement is significantly late to confirm that no one has changed your billing address and that your account balances are correct. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.
What do you do if you have been phished? If you have given account numbers, PINs, passwords or other details to someone whom you suspect is not acting honestly, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or call 877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338) for helpful information. Also contact the relevant companies as quickly as possible to protect yourself and to inform them. Consider closing affected accounts or making them password protected so the phisher cannot make use of the stolen information. Forward phishing e-mails to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov; they will be entered into a database for use by law enforcement agencies. Find tips on how to reduce the amount of spam email in your in-box at www.ftc.gov/spam.
Next, contact the three major credit reporting agencies, TransUnion (800-916-8800 or www.transunion.com), Experian (888-397-3742 or www.experian.com), and Equifax (888-766-0008 or www.equifax.com). Request that the fraud department flag your file with a fraud alert. You may also wish to consider asking the three agencies to put a freeze on your credit reports thereby locking out anyone seeking to open an account or fraudulently establish new credit in your name. More information about security freezes is available at the respective Web sites.
Request free copies of your credit reports by logging onto www.annualcreditreport.com, calling (877) 322-8228 or completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta GA 30348-5281. Review the reports carefully to determine what fraudulent activities may have occurred in your name.
For additional information about phishing or any other consumer topic, please contact the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Consumer Affairs by phone in Virginia at 1-800-552-9963, in the Richmond area at (804) 786-2042, or in writing at 102 Governor Street, Richmond VA 23219. Find consumer information on the Web at www.vdacs.virginia.gov.
Phishers want to reel in your hard-earned money with convincing lures. Be wary. Don’t take the bait or you may find that you’re the catch of the day.
