Portage Agency Cautions about Scam

The Portage County and Ohio department of JFS (Job and Family Services) are cautioning about two mail scams being accessed to get secret details from users of EBT (Electronic Bank Transfer) child support benefit cards.

As per Ohio JFS, a cardholder was taken to eppicard.com by the site that seems authentic e-QuickPay site. Another cardholder was also called by a telemarketer who was supposedly selling magazine subscription with an opportunity to entering a $25,000 sweepstake.

It seems that the sender of the mail is very well acquainted with the clients and their details like receiving benefit cards and thus, asks them their private data. These kinds of scams are called "phishing" whereas private banking, social security or other financial details can be asked through mail for ID theft.

Director of County Department of JFS, Anita Herington, said that recently she got a notice form the Ohio JFS office of child support cautioning that an EBT cardholder was called through mail for auditing confidential personal data, as per the reports of recordpub on May 16, 2008. Anita claimed that they would never demand for the PIN number of a client.

A notice displayed on eppicard.com, which is not accessed by Ohio JFS, cautions users about the phishing scams. The investigation carried out by detective bureau identified that the mail of the local victim is a part of the scam that stemmed from Russia. The creators of mails disposed huge mails expecting that users will wire them money.

The Ohio JFS recommended that cardholders should never divulge their PIN, have anything with their PIN written on it and write their PIN on card. Ohio JFS also informed that even State and County JFS or child support enforcement agencies will never call a cardholder through phone or mail.

Further, the department claimed that consumers should know that many records of government are received either free of cost or at substantial costs from government agencies.

Related article: Portage Child Benefit Cardholders Under Phishing Scam

» SPAMfighter News - 5/31/2008