Fraud Alerts

Secret Shopping Scam - February 2012
A secret shopping scam is sending letters and checks to people informing them they have been selected to become secret shoppers for various businesses and companies. The letter instructs the victim to go to their financial institution and deposit the check, wait a few days (place a hold on their account), then come back to withdraw the funds and wire the rest of the money to Western Union. Please be aware that any letter and check sent to you regarding secret shopping is a scam where fraudsters attempt to have you wire them money.

Phishing Scam - December, 2011
A new spam campaign is sending legitimate-looking emails, claiming to be from the National Automated Clearing House Association, advising recipients there was a problem with an ACH transaction at their financial institution, causing it not to be processed. Once they click on the link to "take care of the problem," they are infected with Zeus or Gameover malware, which is able to key log and steal their online banking information.

After the accounts are compromised, the scammers conduct a Distributed Denial of Service attack on the financial institutions, which is used to deflect attention from the wire transfers, and make them unable to reverse the transactions if found. A portion of the wire transfers are being transmitted to high-end jewelry stores, where a fraudster arrives to pick up jewels worth the dollar amount that was wired.

The FBI in Denver is asking all consumers to be cautious of opening emails from unknown senders.

Email Message Scam - November, 2011
An email scam, purporting to be from the Federal Reserve Board, is currently circulating the internet targeting the bank account information of unsuspecting consumers.  The scam claims that an outgoing wire transfer has been declined by the Federal Reserve Wire Network, and directs recipients to a malicious website.

Financial fraudsters often use governmental agencies, such as the Federal Reserve Board or Treasury, to proliferate their scams and attacks against consumers.  Because the scams appear to come from a legitimate source, consumers are more likely to fall into the trap.

Another recent report of a fraud attempt is an email from an unknown source stating the individual’s direct deposit was declined.  It then directs the individual to a malicious website.

Any suspected scam or financial fraud should be reported immediately to the U.S. Secret Service (http://www.treas.gov/uss/index.shtml), the U.S. agency that has jurisdiction over financial crimes in the U.S.; or your local FBI office http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm.

 Common Scams and What to Watch For - September 2011
  - Family emergency/friend in need: Call the person, because email accounts are often hijacked in this scam. If someone calls, ask personal questions to make sure they are who they say they are. In a genuine emergency, send money directly to that person and never to a third party.
  - Mystery shopper: Refuse this and all job offers from a potential employer that requires depositing a check and wiring funds, even if the assignment is to "shop" a money transfer agency.
  - Lottery scam: People don't win lotteries they didn't enter, and government employees don't call to inform someone they won. Never cash a check and wire funds to claim any winnings.
  - Disaster relief scam: Legitimate charities will take checks and credit cards. Don't wire money for relief efforts, especially to an unknown party.
  - Sweetheart scam: Run from someone on an online dating site who quickly professes their love, builds trust and then starts asking for money. Both your money and your sweetheart will soon be gone.
  - Advance-free loans and credit cards: Never wire money in advance to obtain a loan or credit card.
(Source: Federal Trade Commission)

Text Message Scams - August, 2011
Fraudulent text messages have been sent to Westerra members informing them that their debit cards have alerts and/or have been frozen. They ask the member to call a (false) number to provide information, or request them to “press 1” to activate their card. Please be aware that Westerra will never contact you asking for your personal information. Attempts such as these text messages are fraudulent.

Text Message Scam - April 1, 2011
A fraudulent text message has been received by Westerra members.  The text is from a fraudulent phone number and reads, "WCU ALERT: Your CARD has been DEACTIVATED.  Please call 303-859-8232." Please be assured that Westerra will never contact you asking for your personal information. 

FDIC Email Fraud Alert - July 2, 2010
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received reports of a fraudulent email which has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The email and the website it is associated with are fraudulent, and recipients of this email should NOT click on the link. Please click here for more information.

Phone Scam Alert Targeting Bank Accounts - June 22, 2010
The FBI is warning consumers to be on the alert for scammers who tie up their phone lines while emptying their bank accounts.  Consumers are urged to take the following steps to avoid being a victim of this new scam. 

• Never give out personal information to an unsolicited phone caller or via e-mail.
• Change online banking and automated telephone system passwords frequently.
• Check your account balances often.
• Protect your computers with the latest virus protection and security software.

Click here for other current telemarketing schemes

Please be aware that Westerra Credit Union would never contact you asking for your personal information. Never give out personal information to anyone who contacts you. You cannot be sure they are who they say they are, unless you are the one initiating the contact. Because of the rise in fraud and phishing scams, Westerra may ask you additional security questions. Please be patient as we go through the process to ensure your identity is safe.

Phishing Alert - December 3, 2009
Reports of "phishing" scams continue to rise on the Internet as a means to attempt to fraudulently obtain personal information used for identity theft.

Beware of any emails or telephone calls that claim to be your Credit Union, an online payment service, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to update, validate, or confirm your personal or account information on a website that looks just like the legitimate organization's site, but is not. Some phishing emails even threaten a dire consequence if you do not respond.

Important Alert - October 2009
Please note that Westerra Credit Union will never ask you to verify your personal information by email, through a web link, with a text message or by phone unless you initiate the contact. Be cautious to never download virus scans from websites or pop-ups, as these may be fraudulent attempts to gain financial information. If you receive a request of this type, or believe you have responded to a fraudulent attempt, please contact us immediately to report the incident.

Identity Theft 
Identity theft involves stealing or taking over the identity of another person or business and using it for personal gain. Any personal information can be used by an identity thief to impersonate you.

Click here for more information.