United States Army Warrant Officers Association
USAWOA ONLINE
Identity Theft
and Scams
Learn More!
Home Repair
Scam Appears to Target Military Families
- The letter that
appeared in a soldier’s mailbox promised an offer almost too good to be
true: a home improvement loan approved by Congress and backed up by a
government agency. Officials at the Federal Citizen Information Center
fear it’s a scam targeting military members that uses the center’s
credibility to lure victims in. An eagle-eyed soldier notified the
Federal Citizen Information Center after receiving the ad from the “Home
Information Center” linked to post office boxes in Dallas and in Owasso,
Okla. The letter included a reference to FCIC’s Web site in an apparent
attempt to show a federal endorsement -
see
more. 9/25/08
New phishing attack.
If you receive an e-mail that appears to be a Better Business Bureau complaint
with a link to open a document, do not click on the link(s)
within this e-mail and delete it promptly.
(Courtesy PFCU)
Scams targeting troops and their families
- attempt to scam grandmother of a soldier
in Iraq, by Joseph Giordono, Stars
and Stripes Mideast edition, Thurs, Dec. 27, 2007
-
see article.
BEWARE of PHISHING! - All AKO/DKO
users are asked to be vigilant in combating phishing attacks. Users are
reminded that AKO/DKO will never solicit personal or account information by
mass email. Recent examples include emails appearing to be from AKO and from
commercial sources such as Bank of America. Any email asking you for personal
or AKO/DKO account information should always be treated as fraudulent. If
you do receive such email, do not respond to it or click any included links
found inside. Instead, report the issue to your local IMO and report it to
AKO by sending an email to
report.abuse@us.army.mil.
More information about how to protect yourself from phishing can be found by
reading the "What is Phishing?"
courtesy
AKO/DKO.
Recognizing and Avoiding Email
Scams - Last month we looked at how to avoid Phishing email scams. There
are many other email scams out there as well.
Email provides us a convenient and powerful communications tool.
Unfortunately, it also provides scammers and other malicious individuals an
easy means for luring potential victims. The scams they attempt run from
old-fashioned bait-and-switch operations to phishing schemes, using a
combination of email and bogus web sites to trick victims into divulging
sensitive information. To protect yourself from these scams, you should
understand what they are, what they look like, how they work, and what you can
do to avoid them. Learn about the different scams and what you can do to avoid
becoming a victim of an email scam. Review the document
Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams at the US-CERT site.
(This
article is an extract of a story produced by the United States Computer
Emergency Readiness Team and has been used in compliance with their
Terms of Use policy.)
Alert: E-mail phishing aimed at banking customers -
Customers of the DoD Community Bank and other institutions providing financial services to Defense of Department military and civilian personnel continue to be targeted with e-mail phishing campaigns which attempt to gather personal and account information -
see more.
Protecting Portable Devices – Physical Security -
Many computer users, especially those who travel for business, rely on laptops and PDAs because they are small and easily transported, but these characteristics also make them an ideal target for thieves. Even if there isn't any sensitive corporate information on your laptop or PDA, think of the other information at risk: information about appointments, passwords, email addresses and other contact information, personal information for online accounts, etc. Make sure to secure your portable devices using passwords, locks, and alarms, to protect both the machine and the information it contains. For more information review
the full article from the US-CERT.
This article is an extract of a story produced by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team and has been used in compliance with their
Terms of Use policy.
Jury Duty Scam -
Most of us take the summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced. Fall for it and your identity could be stolen, reports CBS. In this con, someone calls pretending to be a court official who threateningly says a warrant has been issued for your arrest because you didn't show up for jury duty. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so they can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Sometimes they even ask for credit card numbers. Give out any of this information and .... Your identity has been stolen. The scam has been reported so far in 11 states. This scam is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts warning consumers about the fraud. Never give out personal information to someone who calls you!
Scam Targets Military Spouses - The American Red Cross is warning military spouses about a new identity-theft scam that targets family members of deployed troops. The scam involves a person with an American accent calling a military spouse, identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq and was medically evacuated to Germany. The caller then says that doctors can't start treatment until paperwork is completed, and that to start the paperwork they need the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth -
see more.
DoD Investigates Hacking of Troops' Personal Computers
- Defense Department officials have launched an investigation into recent computer hackings of servicemembers' home computers that compromised personal information and led to the redirection of funds from their military pay accounts. Over the past eight months, nearly two dozen Defense Finance and Accounting Service "myPay" participants have had their accounts accessed by unauthorized personnel. The myPay program allows DFAS users to manage pay information, leave and earnings statements and W-2s online. The compromise likely came from personal information being stolen from home computers via spyware and keystroke-logging viruses, DFAS officials said -
see more. See also
Protecting Your Computer.
A known e-mail phishing scam targeting military Bank of America customers is actively being circulated throughout the Internet. If you receive any e-mails that indicate that there are problems with your Bank of America account, do not follow the links contained within the e-mail. If you suspect that you have been a target of this scam, contact Bank of America immediately.
Attacks of this nature are referred to as "phishing" attacks. For more information about “PHISHING” please visit "Inside AKO" - Security Tips. Additional information on how to protect yourself from phishing and other internet hazards can be found by visiting "My Security" on AKO.
E-mail scam wants military bank information -
see more.
IRS Renews E-mail Alert Following New Scams - After increased complaints, the IRS reminds taxpayers to be on the lookout for bogus e-mails claiming to be from the tax agency. These e-mails are designed to trick the recipients into disclosing personal and financial information that could be used to steal identities and financial assets. The IRS does not send out unsolicited e-mails asking for personal information. Find out more about these e-mail scams and what to do if you receive one or if your identity is stolen by reading the whole story in
News Release IR-2006-104.
Stolen VA Laptop Found, but Scam Warning Issued
- Department of Veterans' Affairs Secretary James Nicholson says the stolen laptop computer that contained millions of veterans' personal data has been recovered. The equipment is being analyzed by FBI forensic specialists in an effort to determine whether the data may have been compromised. The Associated Press reported earlier this week that VA has been spending $200,000 a day to maintain a call center for concerned veterans. Ironically, the VA issued a new warning of a so-called "phishing" scam that targets veterans who may be worried that their VA data was stolen. It involves Internet fraudsters who send mass e-mails or pop-up messages asking unsuspecting recipients to provide personal information [credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information] so the scammer can "check whether their data has been compromised." According to the VA, some of these e-mails originate from the address
abuse@vba.va.gov, and ask the recipient to check an account by clicking on a link. The VA says it has no such e-mail address, and the link in the email is to a web site in Asia. If you receive a suspicious email, DO NOT open it, but delete it immediately. See the
news release on VA website. See also,
Web site alerts users whose records were affected by VA data loss.
Identity Theft: A Secret Crime - What is identity theft? It's when someone steals your personal information and uses it to obtain credit, open bank accounts, get a job, or just steal your money. That's identity theft. All a criminal needs to steal your identity is some personal information, such as y! our address, Social Security number, credit card number, insurance information, or telephone calling card number. Click on the
headline
for the rest of the story.
(Reprinted with
permission
Courtesy LIFELines Newsletter)
Fake Credit Report Sites: Cashing in on Your Personal Information
- You may have seen Web sites or received unsolicited e-mail offering credit reports, sometimes for free. Be aware that some of these online operators may not actually provide credit reports, but may be using these sites as a way to capture your personal information! . From there, they may sell your information to others who may use it commit fraud, including identity theft. Click the headline for
more.
(Reprinted with permission
Courtesy LIFELines Newsletter)
How Not to Get Hooked by a Phishing Scam -
If you receive an e-mail from your mortgage company or bank asking for personal information, which they should already have, you should be afraid. Someone is trying to steal ! your identity. Whatever you do don't answer the mail. In addition, you should contact your financial institution and report the incident and also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. More. (Reprinted with permission
Courtesy LIFELines Newsletter)
Commonsense Protection for a Wired Society - The Information Age has opened doors to greater knowledge and instant contact. With the telephone, the Internet, e-mail, and wireless devices, you can instantly communicate anywhere in the world. You can go shopping from the comfort of your couch and! spend your hard-earned money with a click of the mouse. Click the headline.
(Reprinted with permission
Courtesy LIFELines Newsletter)
Military Sentinel: Protecting the Military Family Against Consumer Fraud -
Service members and their families may be at higher risk for certain scams because their personally identifying information may be available as a matter of a public record. Military Sentinel aims to improve consumer protection for service members and their families. Consumer issues impact quality of life, and quality of life affects military readiness. Read the story (Reprinted with permission
Courtesy LIFELines Newsletter)
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection at
www.ftc.gov/bcp/menu-internet.htm
- listing of consumer guides, fact sheets & alerts on scams,
phasing, spam, identity theft, & more.
DFAS myPay customers cautioned against 'look-alike' sites!
- The two million military and civilian users of
myPay are being cautioned to use only the official myPay site (https://mypay.dfas.mil) when seeking to access pay account information. Personal information is valuable and should be safeguarded. Don't provide your personal information to any Web site unless you know it can be trusted. Look-alike sites have recently frustrated
myPay customers who have been confused by accidentally finding their way to a commercial site that is in no way affiliated with DFAS or the Department of Defense. DFAS'
myPay is a secure, DFAS-operated Web site that lets active duty, National Guard and Reserve military members, civilian employees, and military retirees and annuitants take charge of their pay accounts online. The DFAS
myPay Web site is found at https://mypay.dfas.mil/.
What can you do to safeguard against identity theft or fraud?
If you suspect that your personal information has been misused to commit identity theft , take the following steps and keep a record of all your actions.
FIRST
contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Request that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file. Also ask them to place a statement that asks creditors to call you before opening any new
accounts or changing any existing accounts. The credit bureau fraud departments are listed below. Their normal operating hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
TransUnion
-
www.transunion.com
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
PO.Box6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
Phone: 800-680-7289, Fax: 714-447-6034
Equifax Credit Information Services
-
www.equifax.com
Consumer Fraud Division
PO. Box 15069
Atlanta, GA 30348
Phone: 800-525-6285
Experian -
www.experian.com
Experian's National Consumer Assistance
PO. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013
Phone: 888-397-3742
SECOND,
close or suspend any accounts you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
THIRD,
file a police report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
The Social Security Administration
-
www.ssa.gov - is an excellent source for information about Social Security Number (SSN)
theft or misuse. If you suspect that your SSN has been misused then you should call the SSA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269- 0271. You should also periodically contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to verify the accuracy of the earnings reported on your SSN, and may request a copy of your Social Security Statement. The following SSA resources are available on the Internet:
*
SSA Fraud Hotline for Reporting Fraud - www.ssa.gov/oig/guidelin.htm
* Social Security: Your Number and Card (SSA Pub. No. 05-10002) -
www.ssa.gov/pubs/10002.html
.
* When Someone Misuses Your Number (SSA Pub. No. 05- I 0064) -
www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html
If you know that you are a victim of Identity theft
, file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline. Their toll-free telephone is 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) or 202-326-2502. You may also write to them at:
Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
You can also access their web site at
www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Ask for a copy of "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name," a free comprehensive consumer guide to help you guard against and recover from identity theft. One of the best ways to catch identity theft is to regularly check your credit record. Order your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus each year and make sure all the information is correct.
(This Fact Sheet is courtesy of TriWest Healthcare Alliance -
www.triwest.com.)
(Many
files throughout this site are a
PDF files. A
free reader is available for download.)
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USAWOA
Online 9/25/2008