Consumer Alerts
FDIC Special Alert: FRAUDULENT EMAIL
January 26, 2004 – The FDIC has issued a Special Alert. Fraudulent emails being sent to bank customers! The fraudulent email, which appears to come from the FDIC, informs the recipient that all deposit insurance on their bank accounts has been suspended because of suspected violations of the USA Patriot Act. The emails attempt to obtain highly sensitive personal information, including bank account information, and say insurance will resume once the information is provided.
If consumers have received this or similar suspicious emails, they should report information to the FDIC at alert@fdic.gov.
For more information and to access the FDIC’s alert, click here:
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2004/sa0504.html.
Special Alert: Fraud and Identity Theft
Fraud and identify theft continue to be of concern to everyone. You can be the best line of defense against fraud and identity theft, and you can find additional information on the matter at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. This is the US government's central Web site for information about identity theft.
Special Alert: Fraudulent Anti-Terrorist Stop Order Letters
These letters are being sent to bank customers. Copies of these ANTI-TERRORIST letters have been received by FinCEN that notify consumers that mandatory fees, in amounts of approximately $25,000, are required for the issuance of a ANTI-TERRORIST CERTIFICATE before transactions may continue to be conducted.
These letters were NOT sent by FinCEN and represent a fraudulent attempt to elicit funds from customers. Please see FinCEN’s Website to see an example of one of these letters. Consumers should NOT provide any information nor send any funds, to any address as indicated in these letters. Further, consumers should NOT follow any instructions contained in these letters to access their accounts on-line.
Further, there are instances in which other letters are being circulated which claim that FinCEN is freezing assets and endorsing investment schemes. FinCEN does NOT have authority to freeze assets and does NOT endorse investment schemes.
FinCEN is working closely with law enforcement agencies to identify the source of these letters and disrupt these scams. Until this is accomplished, if consumers receive any letters such as these (Samples – hyperlink), or experience any similar attempts to obtain account information or funds, they are requested to notify FinCEN at webmaster@fincen.treas.gov.
