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Thieves dial in to access bank accounts
By VAL CLIFTON
It seems the criminal mind is always looking for a new means of thievery. And now it seems all they need is access to a phone book to gain entry to victims’ bank accounts.
Phishing isn’t reserved to Internet scams anymore. Cybercriminals are increasingly turning to the telephone in their quest to steal sensitive bank account information from unsuspecting customers.
In phishing scams, cybercriminals send out fake e-mails directing consumers to websites, where they are asked to input bank account information.
“The e-mails direct people to a website that looked like a real website, but people caught on and didn’t respond,” said Olivia Solis, spokeswoman with the Texas Bankers Association. “I think that prompted the bad guys to employ another tactic.”
In phone phishing, criminals attempt to obtain sensitive information over the telephone, often using Voice over Internet Protocol, which uses the same technology that delivers e-mail via the Internet.
Using the technology, criminals can spoof any phone number on the receiver’s caller ID, and can give customers local numbers to call.
Members of the TBA have reported that this practice is being employed across the state.
In July, Bastrop-area phones were hit by automated fraudulent telephone messages claiming to be from a bank’s security department and told callers that their debit card had “been suspended.”
When they called the number they were given, the computer-generated voice asked for the customer’s card number, expiration date and Personal Identification Number.
Similar calls were placed in Vernon, the Dallas area and Amarillo where recipients of the phone calls were told their accounts had been compromised.
Upon calling the toll-free number the recipients were given, they were directed to enter their debit card numbers, expiration dates and PIN numbers.
Solis said as they hear of an increasing amount of these incidents, TBA is trying to educate bankers of the new method of thievery.
“The relationship with your bank is one of trust,” Solis said. “You are trusting them with your belongings and your future, and these people are undermining that trust as well as stealing your money.”
Phishing
More information on phishing can be found at the following websites:
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnwin0304/phishing.html)
Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov)
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (www.antiphishing.org/index.html)
Avoid a scam
To avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam, the TBA offers the following tips:
• Never give out your personal financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or email, no matter how official it may seem.
• Do not respond to e-mail that may warn of dire consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the email's validity using a telephone number or Web address you know to be genuine.
• Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Some thieves hope small transactions will go unnoticed. Report discrepancies immediately.
• When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Also, many secure Internet addresses, though not all, use "https" to signify that your information is secure during transmission.
• Report suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
• If you have responded to an e-mail or phone call, contact your bank immediately so bank employees can protect your account and your identity.
Phishing isn’t reserved to Internet scams anymore. Cybercriminals are increasingly turning to the telephone in their quest to steal sensitive bank account information from unsuspecting customers.
In phishing scams, cybercriminals send out fake e-mails directing consumers to websites, where they are asked to input bank account information.
“The e-mails direct people to a website that looked like a real website, but people caught on and didn’t respond,” said Olivia Solis, spokeswoman with the Texas Bankers Association. “I think that prompted the bad guys to employ another tactic.”
In phone phishing, criminals attempt to obtain sensitive information over the telephone, often using Voice over Internet Protocol, which uses the same technology that delivers e-mail via the Internet.
Using the technology, criminals can spoof any phone number on the receiver’s caller ID, and can give customers local numbers to call.
Members of the TBA have reported that this practice is being employed across the state.
In July, Bastrop-area phones were hit by automated fraudulent telephone messages claiming to be from a bank’s security department and told callers that their debit card had “been suspended.”
When they called the number they were given, the computer-generated voice asked for the customer’s card number, expiration date and Personal Identification Number.
Similar calls were placed in Vernon, the Dallas area and Amarillo where recipients of the phone calls were told their accounts had been compromised.
Upon calling the toll-free number the recipients were given, they were directed to enter their debit card numbers, expiration dates and PIN numbers.
Solis said as they hear of an increasing amount of these incidents, TBA is trying to educate bankers of the new method of thievery.
“The relationship with your bank is one of trust,” Solis said. “You are trusting them with your belongings and your future, and these people are undermining that trust as well as stealing your money.”
Phishing
More information on phishing can be found at the following websites:
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnwin0304/phishing.html)
Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov)
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (www.antiphishing.org/index.html)
Avoid a scam
To avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam, the TBA offers the following tips:
• Never give out your personal financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or email, no matter how official it may seem.
• Do not respond to e-mail that may warn of dire consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the email's validity using a telephone number or Web address you know to be genuine.
• Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Some thieves hope small transactions will go unnoticed. Report discrepancies immediately.
• When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Also, many secure Internet addresses, though not all, use "https" to signify that your information is secure during transmission.
• Report suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
• If you have responded to an e-mail or phone call, contact your bank immediately so bank employees can protect your account and your identity.
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