Scammers Sending Mail to Phish Skowhegan Bank Customers

According to bank officials and the police, con artists have been sending a scam e-mail to try and access to accounts of customers of Skowhegan Savings Bank. Police have received over 70 complaints about phone calls and e-mails that were aimed at customers of the bank.

The e-mail message outlines that as the bank is working on to upgrade its security system, it has temporarily deactivated the recipient's account and therefore, asking him/her to contact at any of the phone numbers given in the message. The message lists two telephone numbers with which the account could be reactivated. But on dialing them, a voice recording inquires of the caller's 16-digit payment card number, its expiry date along with the 4-digit PIN.

Meanwhile, according to Rick Bonneau, Deputy Police Chief, bank officials state that online criminals are designing more complicated schemes. They not only dispatch e-mails seeking for personal information, but also give a telephone number, which on calling sounds like an actual bank, as reported by Wcsh6 on July 22, 2008.

Furthermore, John Witherspoon, President of the Bank reported that about ten customers divulged their personal information while all other accounts were safe. According to police, it is difficult to capture this kind of criminal. However, Witherspoon adds that one can best hold back his money by holding back his private information. According to him, one's bank already possesses the person's information on records, so there can hardly be any reason for it to request for the information again.

Bonneau also said that any person, who might have already called and provided information of his credit card or on any other issue, should at once contact first to the bank officials and then the police. For any victims in Skowhegan, police is thinking of contacting the office of the district's attorney and chase the case, as reported by MorningSentinel on July 18, 2008.

Nevertheless, later on July 17, 2008, the bank was able to trace the telephone number. According to Vicki Alward, Risk Management Officer at the bank said the number had been disconnected from service and therefore could no longer be used, as reported by MorningSentinel on July 18, 2008.

Related article: Scammers Exploit Tax System Resulting in ID Theft

» SPAMfighter News - 7/31/2008