Phishing Scam Making Use of Mails & Phones

Telecommunication officials and credit unions are alerting area residents about latest news of phishing scam seeking to get private data, as per the news reported by redOrbit on May 21, 2008.

President of Decatur-based Land of Lincoln Credit Union, Mac Dunaway, said that all the members and non-members start getting mails from May 13, all of which are demanding for details on credit union cards, debit or credit cards, as reported by redOrbit on May 21, 2008.

Mac informed that the credit unions were attacked earlier also. But in the recent scam, the officials observed that the ways of trying to extract data was large in number as compared to the earlier one.

Also, all the branches of credit union in Mattoon at 1630 Broadway Ave. in Decatur, Vandalia, Effingham and Pana have been targeted by the scam.

Mac also claimed that most of the users will come to know that it was a scam. But as long as the hackers will get reply and money, they will not stop doing this, as said to redOrbit on May 21, 2008.

Explaining the recent scam, officials said that in this scam, users are asked to complete a survey and get cash, observes that accounts or cards have been suspended, or says that the credit union online banking services are unavailable. In all the situations, the phone calls or mails ask users to give their debit or credit card numbers, account details or personal ID numbers. Mac also said that they never ask for information by text message or mail.

The reports also said that the credit union posted a warning on its site -www.llcu.org - regarding the recent phishing scam. The warnings prevent the users from responding to the message or mail and divulge their details and instead, they should contact the authentic bank or union and confirm the mail.

A similar kind of case appeared in Kansas City with credit union customers lodging grievances against phishing scam. In this case, an authentic looking message says that the customer's account has been freezed because of a fraud and then directs him to a call on a phone number or asks him to visit a site to reactivate the account, thus trapping the users.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 6/5/2008