WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU NOTIFY NOFFCU OF ANY UPCOMING TRAVEL DATES.  WE WILL THEN ADVISE VISA'S FRAUD MONITORING DEPT. SO YOUR TRAVEL PLANS WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED. 

NOFFCU@NOFFCU.ORG

NACHA Phishing Alert (11/12/2009)
E-mail Claiming to be from NACHA

NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association has received reports that individuals and/or companies have received a fraudulent e-mail that has the appearance of having been sent from NACHA. See sample below.

The subject line of the e-mail states: “Rejected ACH Transaction.” The e-mail includes a link which redirects the individual to a fake web page which appears like the NACHA Web site and contains a link which is almost certainly executable virus with malware. Do not click on the link. Both the e-mail and the related Web site are fraudulent.

Be aware that phishing e-mails frequently have links to Web pages that host malicious code and software. Do not follow Web links in unsolicited e-mails from unknown parties or from parties with whom you do not normally communicate, or that appear to be known but are suspicious or otherwise unusual.

NACHA itself does not process nor touch the ACH transactions that flow to and from organizations and financial institutions. NACHA does not send communications to individuals or organizations about individual ACH transactions that they originate or receive.

If malicious code is detected or suspected on a computer, consult with a computer security or anti-virus specialist to remove malicious code or re-install a clean image of the computer system. Always use anti-virus software and ensure that the virus signatures are automatically updated. Ensure that the computer operating systems and common software applications security patches are installed and current.

Be alert for different variations of fraudulent e-mails
.
= = = = = Sample E-mail = = = = = =
From: nacha.org [mailto:report@nacha.org] Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 10:25 AM To: Doe, John Subject: Rejected ACH transaction, please review the transaction report

Dear bank account holder,

The ACH transaction, recently initiated from your bank account, was rejected by the Electronic Payments Association. Please review the transaction report by clicking the link below:

Unauthorized ACH Transaction Report (this is the how the link is presented)
------------------------------------------------------------------

ATTENTION!

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has broadcast information regarding a scam that is targeting credit union members in our area. Someone is calling and claiming to be a representative of the credit union, and asking for information regarding your credit card.

If you receive a telephone call, please hang up and contact the credit union. Note down the name of the individual calling, the time of the call, and if you have caller ID what information showed up when they called. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. NOFFCU takes your security seriously, and wants you to be aware of any potential fraud threats.

If you have any questions please contact a member service representative at 504-889-9090 or 1-800-647-1689. You may also contact us at noffcu@noffcu.org.

SBA Warns of Fraudulent Attempts to Obtain Bank Account Information from Small Businesses

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration issued a scam alert today to small businesses, warning them not to respond to letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the SBA asking for bank account information in order to qualify them for federal tax rebates. 
 
The fraudulent letters were sent out with what appears to be an SBA letterhead to small businesses across the country, advising recipients that they may be eligible for a tax rebate under the Economic Stimulus Act, and that SBA is assessing their eligibility for such a rebate.  The letter asks the small business to provide the name of its bank and account number. 
 
These letters have not been sent by or authorized by the SBA, and all small businesses are strongly advised not to respond to them.
 
The scheme is similar in many ways to e-mail scams often referred to as "phishing" that seek personal data and financial account information that enables another party to access and individual's bank accounts or to engage in identity theft.
 
The SBA is working with the SBA Office of Inspector General to investigate this matter. The Office of Inspector General asks that anyone who receives such a letter report it to the OIG Fraud Line at 1 (800) 767-0385, or e-mail at OIGHotline@sba.gov. 

ATTENTION!
Urgent Phishing Alert: Scammers Target
Credit Union Members

In recent days multiple phishing scams posing as various Louisiana credit unions began circulating. Members and non-members are receiving e-mails and cell phone text messages informing them that their online account access or credit card has been suspended. Recipients are given a phone number to call to re-instate their online access or asked to press “1” and enter certain information to reinstate the account (this is how the thieves steal your personal account information and try to access your funds). Credit unions have already had members fall prey to these scams.  Jefferson Parish Sheriff Deputy Newell Norman is asking anyone who is contacted in this manner to call 911 and report it to the appropriate authorities.

New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union will never email you, send a text message or call you and ask you for your account number, Visa Credit Card number, Social Security Number or other personal information. If we're contacting you, we already have this information.

If you receive an email, text message or phone call that claims to be from NOFFCU, but asks for sensitive, personal information, please do not respond. Call NOFFCU using a phone number found in the phone book or on our website (make sure the website address in the address bar on your browser reads www.noffcu.org) to report the incident.  Please note the date, time, name the person gives and any information gained from your caller ID box.

Federal Reserve Board Alerts Public to Instances of Questionable Solicitations Directed at Consumers

The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday alerted the public to instances of questionable solicitations directed at consumers. These solicitations promise consumers access to personal loans through a nonexistent Federal Reserve lending program.Under this fraudulent scheme, targeted individuals are told that that they can work through a broker to access a Federal Reserve program that extends sizable secured loans to consumers. Consumers are encouraged to deposit large sums of money into a bank account, under the guise of a security deposit, in order to receive the purported loan.The Federal Reserve is advising consumers that it has no involvement in these solicitations and does not directly sponsor consumer lending programs. The matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities for action. Consumers are strongly urged to verify the legitimacy of potential service providers before entering into a business transaction. Individuals seeking personal finance options are encouraged to do business only with reputable lenders and to shop around for the most favorable loan terms.

Consumers with questions about solicitations that they suspect may be fraudulent are encouraged to contact the Federal Reserve Board Consumer Help Center at http://www.federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov or by calling 1-888-851-1920.

New Scam known as Smishing

Credit unions across the country are reporting that their member’s are receiving unsolicited text messages. It’s an attempt at Smishing, the latest form of phishing. In Smishing, an e-mail tries to lure a recipient into giving personal information via SMS, the communications protocol used to send text messages to a wireless device. The recent scam is targeting credit union and other financial institution members.

In smishing, the members receive a text message via cell phone warning that their bank account has been closed due to suspicious activity. It then tells them they need to call a certain phone number to reactivate the account.

Unsuspecting callers who dial the number provided in the text message will be taken to an automated voice mail box that prompts them to key in their credit card or debit card number, expiration date, and PIN to verify their information.

If you have a question concerning your account or credit/debit card, contact your financial institution using a telephone number obtained independently, such as the phone number from your statement, a telephone book, or other independent means.

BBB:  WATCH FOR “VERIFIED BY VISA” SCAM

Ridgeland, Miss., March 24, 2008 –  Identity thieves are constantly looking for ways to make scam emails more plausible, so they are now attempting to add creditability to such emails by including a “Verified by Visa” scheme.

The wording may be something like this: “Your credit card (specified) has been automatically enrolled in the Verified by Visa program. To ensure your card’s security, it is important that you protect your card online with a personal password. Please take a moment to activate Verified by Visa now.”

According to Bill Moak, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Mississippi, “Verified by Visa is a legitimate service that adds an additional layer of security to online credit card transactions. It is unfortunate that it has begun to appear as a topic of phishing emails.”

These scam emails contain links to bogus sites, under the control of the hackers, that prompt consumers to enter their credit card information. The messages usually end with a threat that failure to respond may temporarily disable the credit card in question.  “Such threats should be a dead giveaway that the emails are scams,” Moak continued.

Consumers should always be on guard when sharing their personal information in any way.”

The BBB urges consumers to continually be vigilant whenever they receive solicitations for identity verification by phone, mail or email.  To block solicitations, consumers should register on:

                        National Do Not Call Registry            

888-382-1222                           www.donotcall.gov

Opt Out Mail Registry

888-567-8688                           www.optoutprescreen.com

The BBB of Mississippi has been serving consumers since 1964 by providing Reliability Reports on businesses and charities, assisting with business complaint resolution, monitoring advertising, and offering alerts on current scams. The BBB may be reached by calling 800-987-8280 or online at www.ms.bbb.org.