Security Alerts


12/21/12:
Banks and bank customers are commonly exposed to higher rates of unauthorized purchase attempts during the holiday season.  As a proactive measure, for our customers' protection, there may be enhanced security measures for select debit card purchases.  If you have experienced a difficulty making a purchase, please know ATM withdrawals with your debit card will continue to function as usual.  If you have additional questions, please call our customer service line during normal business hours at 1-866-310-0763.

1/5/2012:
Customers Utilizing Direct Deposit and Direct Payment –
Fraudulent Emails Appearing to Come from NACHA are in circulation.

Be Aware That:

  • NACHA does not process nor otherwise touch the ACH transactions that flow via the ACH Network nor between financial institutions and their customers.
  • NACHA does not send communications of any type to persons or organizations about individual ACH transactions that they originate or receive. If you or your customer has received a communication of this nature that purports to come from NACHA, it is fraudulent.
  • NACHA is the industry trade association that manages the development, administration, and governance of the ACH Network, the backbone for the electronic movement of money and data.
  • The ACH Network serves as a safe, secure, reliable network for direct consumer, business, and government payments, and annually facilitates billions of payments such as Direct Deposit and Direct Payment.

These incidents are occurring with greater frequency and increased sophistication. Perpetrators are conducting similar phishing attacks in which they are sending fraudulent emails that claim to be from the Federal Reserve Bank, IRS, other federal agencies, as well as commercial financial institutions, other payment organizations, technology companies, and businesses.

For more information, please go to www.NACHA.organd forward fraudulent emails that claim to be from NACHA to abuse@nacha.org. 

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SPECIAL ALERT-FRADULENT COORESPONDENCE CLAIMING TO BE FROM THE FDIC

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is reminding financial institutions, businesses and consumers that fraudulent correspondence claiming to be from the FDIC continues to be mailed, faxed and e-mailed in the United States and other countries. The correspondence uses various techniques to gain the trust of recipients in hopes they will provide sensitive personal information, including bank account numbers, that can be used to steal money and other assets. Recipients should NOT, under any circumstances, respond to the fraudulent requests. Institutions also are encouraged to inform customers that fraud artists may use the names of the FDIC and other government agencies and to take appropriate precautions.

The criminals, knowing that people trust the FDIC name, have duplicated the official logo and seal in fraudulent letters, forms, certificates and other correspondence. Recent examples have included invoices, bills, transfer forms, guarantees, endorsements, and confirmations of stock and investment purchases. In some cases, recipients were asked to complete fraudulent forms and return them by fax or e-mail. In other cases, recipients were asked to remit funds via check or wire transfer service.

The FDIC rarely sends unsolicited bills or other similar documents to financial institutions, businesses and consumers. In particular, the FDIC does not send unsolicited correspondence asking for sensitive personal information, including bank account information. Anyone receiving such correspondence should contact the FDIC immediately by calling toll-free at 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342) or by e-mailing to alert@fdic.gov. Do not use contact information listed for the FDIC in the correspondence because it is likely to be falsified.

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-3054, Washington, D.C. 20429, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to fraudulent correspondence, deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2009/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

 

ALERT - FRAUDULENT MONEY ORDERS

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has faced the challenge of a growing number of fraudulent money orders being presented to financial institutions. In response, the USPS has launched a positive pay solution, which enables consumers, businesses or financial institutions to verify US Postal Service money orders.  To use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) phone system, call 1-866-459-7822 and input the serial number (11 digits), dollar amount (6 digits), and the Post office ID (6 digits).   The money order has to be issued at least 48 hours prior to the inquiry and no older than 90 days.  You can only enter one money order at a time.  There are restrictions on the number of money orders verified per call.  If the money order does not match the USPS database, refuse to cash and, if possible, confiscate the money order from the customer and provide them a copy or receipt of the money order. If customer does not wish to relinquish the money order, suggest that they take the money order to the local Postmaster and let them know it could be fraudulent.

Fraudulent Wal-Mart Money orders and American Express Travelers Cheques are also making the rounds.  To verify Wal-Mart money orders call Traveler's Express at 1-800-542-3590.  To verify American Express Traveler's Cheques, call 1-800-525-7641.