Identity Fraud
Identity fraud means the fraudulent use of your personal identifying information to commit crimes, unlawfully establish credit accounts, secure loans, or enter into contracts. Identity fraud occurs when a criminal uses your personal information, such as your social security number or credit card account number, to steal financial resources.
For example, identity fraud may occur when someone steals your personal information, opens credit card accounts in your name without permission, and charges merchandise to those accounts. Conversely, identity fraud does not occur when a credit card is simply stolen.
Email Fraud
In a typical case, you will receive an e-mail that appears to come from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with regularly, such as your bank, credit card issuer, AOL, or eBay. Most often the email threatens termination of accounts unless consumers update their billing information. The e-mail may say that because of technical problems, billing Information and social security numbers for their accounts must be resubmitted. Thieves have the ability to make the sites in the e-mail look authentic and could easily fool consumers.
Online fraud can be caused as the result of malicious software (Malware) that can invade your computer when you open an attachment, click on a pop-up ad on a website, or download a game, software, song, screensaver, or other applications.
Attacks often begin with an e-mail, but the goal is to get you to unknowingly install the malware on your computer. It can then be used to record your keystrokes, gather credit card information, passwords, numbers, and other personal information you may enter on a website page and then send that data back to thieves.
- Treat all e-mails from unknown senders as suspicious.
- Treat all links in e-mails as potentially unsafe.
- When going to Facebook and YouTube, if you click on a link or video to play, and you get a pop-up message requesting you download a file to your computer, don't, and immediately close your browser session.
- Never click on a "new" icon on your desktop if you didn't just install new software. Instead, right click on the icon and send it to your trash. Then empty your trash.
- Always empty your e-mail trash bucket if your e-mail client stores deleted e-mails.
Phone Messaging Fraud
Can come in the form of a phone call claiming to be from your bank or financial institution - or any other type of company. The scammer will usually tell you that your credit card or account has been cancelled because it was involved in criminal activity, or because they suspect your card or account details have been stolen. This is a trick to get you to give them your account details.
You may be told that a suspicious transaction has recently occurred on your account, perhaps a large purchase in a foreign country. You will be told that if you did not authorize the transaction you need to take immediate action as your credit card details have been stolen.
The caller will ask you to confirm your credit card or account details so the 'bank' can 'investigate.' If you receive an email, it may ask you to visit a website to confirm your credit card details or to find out more information on the supposed 'fraud' to your account.
Example For Consumers:
Scammers Exploit the FTC's Good Name, Promise Phony Sweepstakes Prizes
Someone who claims to work for the Federal Trade Commission calls to inform you that you have won a lottery or sweepstakes. To receive the prize, all you have to do is pay the taxes and insurance. The caller asks you to wire money or send a check for an amount between $1,000 and $10,000. What should you do? Don't send money or account information, and immediately report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
Important:
Rockland Trust may call you to verify account transactions, but will never call, text, or e-mail asking you to verify personal account information such as your account number or personal identification number (PIN). If you receive a call, text, or e-mail asking to verify any personal account information, please do not respond and contact us immediately at 800.222.2299, or visit your local branch to report the incident.