MDCU Members Suffers from a Phishing Scam

Martinsville DuPont Credit Union (MDCU) customers have been slammed with a "phishing" fraud wherein phone calls and e-mails attempt to deceive users into giving out their personal information. Usually, victims think that they are communicating with their bank's representative.

The new scam involves delivering of a message to the MDCU customers. The message says that it is from the security department of Martinsville DuPont Credit Union to inform the recipient that his/her card has been suspended; therefore, to reactivate it, he/she should call a given phone number. The number starts with the digits 405.

Furthermore, experts have traced one of the several calls to an unknown location in Canada. Police and MDCU officials have alerted customers to avoid replying to any such type of e-mail. The Federal Trade Commission says that in 2007, there were 5,319 complaints of identity theft in Virginia and 258,427 in the whole US.

The MDCU also said that unfortunately, as the e-mails seemed to arrive from an offshore country, little could be done legally against the fraudsters. However, by sending out the alert message, MDCU hoped residents could be prevented from becoming victims, the agency said.

Moreover, MDCU advises that members should review their credit report frequently and do not share personal information with others. It further warned that users should not remain relaxed even if they have adopted all precautionary measures. There is still possibility of falling prey as complaints coming in over one quarter of one million reports per year nationwide.

According to Senior Assistant Attorney General, Gene Fishel, who is also Chief of the Computer Crime Division, ID theft is the fastest growing crime in the US and a lot of it occurs via the internet, as reported by martinsvillebulletin on October 9, 2008.

Gene Fishel further said that unfortunately, there was no 100% sure way to stop a person from falling prey to identity theft.

However, the risk can be reduced if users consistently monitored their financial accounts including credit card, credit reports as well as statements relating to bank accounts.

» SPAMfighter News - 10/17/2008