Alerts

Fraudulent E-mails Claim to Be From the FDIC

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports of a fraudulent e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC.

The subject line of the e-mail states: “check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage.” The e-mail tells recipients that, "You have received this message because you are a holder of a FDIC-insured bank account. Recently FDIC has officially named the bank you have opened your account with as a failed bank, thus, taking control of its assets.”

The e-mail then asks recipients to “visit the official FDIC website and perform the following steps to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage” (a fraudulent link is provided). It then instructs recipients to “download and open your personal FDIC Insurance File to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage.”

This e-mail and associated Web site are fraudulent. Recipients should consider the intent of this e-mail as an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to on-line banking services or to conduct identity theft.

The FDIC does not issue unsolicited e-mails to consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should NOT follow the link in the fraudulent e-mail.

Protect Yourself from “Smishing”...

A growing form of fraud that targets cell phone users.

Recent media and government advisories detail an identity theft threat for the millions of cell phone users. The scam has been dubbed “smishing” (or SMiShing), a term derived from SMS technology that's used for cell phone text messages. 

Although cell phone providers are working to block unwanted text messages, there are many new reports of “spam” messages and smishing attacks.  An additional burden is the fact that users must pay for the text message they get on their cell phones.

How the scam works: 

The scam is similar to the e-mail and phone schemes known as phishing and vishing. In all of these forms of fraud, scammers try to convince victims into revealing personal information like account numbers, Social Security numbers, and passwords. The personal information is then used to withdraw money from victims' accounts or obtain credit in victims' name. In some cases the scammers already have the card number from a previous fraud attack and if they are successful in obtaining the PIN they have all they need to begin their theft.

In smishing scams, cell phone users receive a text message that seems to come from a legitimate source, like your bank or a known e commerce site. The message asks users to click on a link via the phone's internet connection, or into calling a phone number. Both the link and phone call lead responder to a person or internet site where personal information is requested. The requests for information seem reasonable, and are frequently disguised as a way to prevent fraud when they actually are the fraud. Once your identity has been stolen, it generally takes much time and effort to regain your lost funds and your good name.

What can you do?

Be aware of the problem and be suspicious of anyone asking for information!

• Never respond to unsolicited requests for personal financial information received via text message – even if the request appears to come from your bank or another institution you know. This includes request to “confirm, verify or update” your information. They may have bits and pieces of information they use to convince you of their legitimacy.
• Always know who you're dealing with. Don't click on links in text messages, or call numbers listed in text messages. Verify contact information independently, and key in web addresses yourself.
• Use safe passwords on all your financial accounts.  A safe password is one that is not easy to guess. Never use your birth date or something already in data files.
• Monitor your credit report regularly for activity and report irregularities. You are entitled one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus.  Visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call (877) 322-8228, or write to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Remember, Huntingdon Valley Bank will never contact you through text messages, e-mail, phone or any other way to ask for your account numbers or passwords. If you suspect you've been a victim of smishing or any other form of ID theft, contact Huntingdon Valley Bank at 267-280-4000 as soon as possible.

Beware of Telephone Scams Attempting to Obtain Debit Card Information

Beware of computer-generated calls claiming to be from your financial institution. The calls claim that accounts have been frozen and then direct the cardholder to call a toll-free number to leave their debit card information in order to reactivate any cards. The toll-free number includes a recorded message that asks the customer to key their account number, card expiration date, and PIN. Should you receive any questionable calls, please make sure you do not provide any personal information. To verify whether a call is legitimate or if you feel you have been the victim of a scam, please contact us immediately at (267) 280-4000.