A New Shopping Scam to Avoid!

We were alerted to this fraudulent shopping site by Linda Sweeney. She had this to say:

 

“

HI HOLLY. I NEED YOUR HELP IN LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THIS ME LUXURY MALL VENUE SCAM. THEY HAVE TAKEN ALL OF MY SHOP INVENTORY FROM ONE STONE AND I HAVE CONTACTED OTHER DEALERS TOO. THEY ARE SELLING FORM OUR PRODUCT PHOTOS, DESCRIPTIONS AND PRODUCT ID’S. THEY ARE SELLING LUX ITEMS FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR. $1,800 NECKLACE FOR $340.00. THE SITE HAS BEEN UP FOR ABOUT 28 DAYS AND THEY ARE SELLING THOUSAND AND THOUSANDS OF ITEMS THAT CUSTOMERS MAY NEVER RECEIVE OR IF THEY RECEIVE SOMETHING IT WILL BE FAKE. SOME OF THE ITEMS ARE VINTAGE AND COLLECTIBLE CHANEL, LOUIS VUITON, TIFFANY, CARTIER ITEMS. ALL HIGH END. WE NEED TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM LOSING THEIR MONEY AND ALSO PROTECT DEALERS WHOSE INVENTORY IS BEING INFRINGED UPON AND STOLEN. THEY ARE EVEN SELLING SOMEOF MY ITEMS THAT I SOLD!”

 

 

WEBSITE: http://www.mallheadbag.com
Mainland China

 

 

Buyer beware, and as always, NEVER PAY BY WIRE TRANSFER. 

 

Here’s hoping any and all vicitms will notify the FTC, local authorities, and also the internet crimes unit of the FBI.

 

 

Is Rose Wholesale a Scam?

If you have a Facebook account, chances are you’ve seen ads by “Rose Wholesale” usually featuring gorgeous clothing you might have been drooling over on Pinterest, but were unable to find. How much of a tease is that? You see something awesome on Pinterest and click, only to find that it’s sold out or has long since been discontinued. Boo!

So, anyway, that’s how I encountered Rose Wholesale. I saw a beautiful pink pea coat which I’d been seeing photos of for a long time, but could never find a retailer actually selling it. That was sad. One day, it popped up like magic right before my eyes on Facebook, and I noticed that the company had around a million Facebook likes. I was somewhat suspicious of that, because it kind of screamed “click farm”, but I also noticed many of the comments were in several different languages. Okay, so maybe they’re just really global and popular. That’s allowed!

I decided to hold off on ordering anything until I searched for reviews first, because, hello!

Here are just two sites featuring reviews:

http://www.ninasbargainbeauty.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-experiences-shopping-with.html

http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.rosewholesale.com

 

The reviews are somewhat mixed. They’re nearly all bad, but what I mean is that half the customers report never receiving products at all while the other half report that the products they did receive were nothing like they were represented in the ad, poorly made, cheap knock-offs, etc.

There are some very positive reviews, but very few, at least on those sites. What I found amusing, is that on sitejabber.com, Rose Wholesale seems to respond to every negative review almost immediately. Their responses seem copy-pasted and in many cases, they make claims about the customer’s issue or return such as “The item was damaged” or “We never received the return”, but then, amazingly..they ask the customer for their order number right there in the response!

So, okay. You never got the package, or it was stained or damaged, but you need the order number because you have no idea which item/s they’re even talking about.

That makes sense.

Happily, with so many reviews out there, this one is very easy to research before you decide whether to shop with this company or not. It’s also worth noting that if you do encounter a company which is clearly some kind of scam, as long as you paid with your credit card or Paypal, it’s almost always easy to get those charges reversed.

Personally, I feel that even if a company refuses to return your money and tells you that you may not return the item to them, you still should send back their item once you have gotten charges reversed. It seems only fair that if you keep your money, then they get their item back.

It’s worth paying the shipping charge to know that you did the fair and honest thing, even if the company you’re dealing with did not offer you the same treatment.

Bottom line: Is Rose Wholesale a scam?

We’re really not sure. Since many people DO report receiving the items they bought, this alone would set them apart from the usual flim flams we talk about here where someone pays but gets nothing in return.

Those who shopped with them had plenty to say about their merchandise on those review sites above, and since Rose Wholesale responded to nearly all of them, you can view their customer service skills for yourself. = )

Happy Shopping, but be careful out there!

And, as always, if you feel you were the victim of a scam, fraud or any kind of ripoff, please ALWAYS report it in order to hold the scammer accountable and protect other people from encountering the same experience.

 

The following are excellent resources should you find yourself the victim of fraud, internet scams, etc.

http://www.stopfraud.gov/report.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Report-Fraud

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Internet-Fraud.shtml

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams

 

http://www.moneygram-preventfraud.com/report-fraud.asp

NEVER pay with a wire transfer, but if you do, ^ that link is ALL you, baby!

 

 

-Holly

 

Safety in Online Dating

Online dating sites have been popular for years, and now that many of the same kinds of sites have become available on mobile apps, more people than ever before are meeting each other using these sites.

We’re not saying you shouldn’t use online dating sites or that it’s always dangerous, but an ounce of prevention, right? So, here are our top suggestions for staying safe in your online dating adventures.

1. Don’t share ultra-personal information or racy photos with anyone online. If things progress, there will be time for that later. Remember, anything you post on the internet is NOT private and can be shared without your knowledge.

2. In the above-spirit, do not hand out your phone number or address in your first e mail contact. Protect your information until you feel more comfortable handing anything out to a person. In fact, don’t hand out your home address at ALL. If you end up in a relationship, you’ll share it then. It’s never a good idea to tell someone where you live until you know them very well.

3. Make sure the person you’re talking to has given you their real name before you agree to meet in person. Using that name, pay the small fee on Beenverified.com to check for criminal records. Obviously, a name could be fake, but this is still not a bad idea. Also, make sure to check under their provided name on Facebook, Google, and Linkedin.com to make sure they not only exist, but seem legit.

4. Don’t meet anyone in a private location for your first meeting. Insist on meeting in a coffee shop, restaurant or other public place, and ALWAYS tell a friend or family member where you are going, and who you are meeting. Give their name, phone number and e mail address to your friend or family member “just in case”.

5. While out, make sure you check in with your trusted friend or family member to let them know you’re okay, and to tell them where you are. If you decide to leave the first meeting spot to go somewhere else, inform your check-in person! It is important that they know where you are at all times in the event that anything happens.

6. Don’t leave the first meeting place WITH the person. If they suggest another public place, insist on following them in your own car to be sure that you’re not alone with someone you don’t know yet.

7. If you feel at all uncomfortable, or have ‘a bad feeling’, don’t feel embarrassed or guilty or pressured to explain yourself. Simply LEAVE the situation immediately.

8. If someone is ‘stalking’ you via e mail or text message, report them to your local police and block them using your mail controls or phone settings. You do not have to put up with any unwanted contact.

9. We realize this sounds prudish, but don’t get too romantic those first few dates. Until you know the person decently well and feel safe in their company, you should not do this. What if they’re married? Have an STD? Are a violent felon?

Do your homework. Verify, verify, and verify some more!

Dating should be fun, but it should also be safe, so protect yourself at all times!

How to Avoid Fraudulent Companies or Persons

We’ve talked about various scams and schemes in this blog, and we’ve covered at least one fraudulent company or scam artist. But, how can a small business owner or consumer avoid these creeps to begin with? Some of it will not sound too earth-shaking, while other tips you may not have considered. So, here goes!

1. If you contact a company for services, or they’ve contacted you and you feel you’d like to work with them, don’t rush into anything. Request an actual proposal from them and a contract. If they balk at this or try to worm their way out of it, cross them off your list and don’t give them a dime!

2. If all seems legitimate with a company, investigate them anyway. You can do this in a variety of ways. Look them up on Yelp.com or other review sites. Google their business or personal name with the words ‘scam’ ‘fraud’ ‘complaints’ or ‘lawsuit’. It may not be foolproof, but if there are complaints against them, or any reported lawsuits, you just may find it before it’s too late.

3. If the person is in the USA, try “Beenverified.com” and pay the small fee to search them for criminal records. This site will also show you any lawsuit judgments against them.

4. Never give out your credit card information over the phone unless you are already familar with the company and have done business with them in the past. Many scam operations work by cold calling you, then insisting you hand out your personal information over the phone. Don’t do it! Instead, request something in writing from them first, be it more information about their company or services, or an actual agreement, proposal or contract. If they refuse, hang up!

5. If someone claims to be contacting you from your bank or some other well-known company, tell them you will call them back, and hang up your phone. Then, call your bank to verify that the call came from them. Do likewise if the caller claimed to be from any company you hold an account with. If you were expecting the call, that is one thing, but for any call to ‘come from the blue’, verify!

6. As a general rule, it never hurts to look a company up on the BBB’s web site. BBB.org  Not every company is a member, but complaints will still often appear anyway. In addition, they are very good at documenting the steps a company took to resolve a complaint. You may find that while a company received a complaint, they were cooperative in resolving it to the customer’s satisfaction, which means they could very well be a business who deserves a chance. Conversely, if it shows the company showed little, if any interest in resolving a complaint, then you know you’re better off staying away from any business with them.

7. Never ever, ever pay by wire transfer. This is the same as sending cash, so once you’ve sent the money, it’s gone forever! Any business insisting on a wire transfer as the only form of payment they  will accept is fraudulent, plain and simple! This should be a giant red flag to you.

It’s not complaints alone that matter, but how a business responded. How did they treat the customer? Were they willing to take blame and responsibility when something happened? Were they prompt in resolving the matter once they were made aware?

A business worth your support, would do ALL the above.

Here are some tips from a couple of sources you can read to improve your scam-detection powers

http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud/fraud#advfee

http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/avoid-scams

A Scam Targeting Netflix Customers

A lot of use Netflix, but be careful, guys! People are impersonating Netflix customer service agents in order to commit identity theft.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/03/netflix-phishing-scam-customer-support_n_4892048.html?ir=Technology

 

 

 

National Association of Professional Women Scam

If you’re a member of Linkedin, chances are you’ve seen the ad that constantly runs for the National Association of Professional Women, or NAPW.

Hopefully, you have resisted the temptation to provide them with any of your personal information, because this one scores a 10 on the Scam-O-Meter!

Here is just SOME of the buzz we were able to collect from the internet.

”

“I come with a word of warning about the National Association of Professional Women. They’re advertising heavily on LinkedIn, I hear, and targeting new business owners whose bullshit detectors might not be finely tuned yet. (That would include me, I’m sorry to say.) The organization seems reputable but they’ll use flattery and high-pressure tactics to upsell you on anything they can.

A week or two ago, I got a postcard in the mail offering membership and providing a preapproved membership code. I thought about it, went and checked out the org’s website, and decided it looked legitimate and possibly useful to me. The site said thatevery woman who applies (should have been red flag #0) gets a complimentary basic membership but that there were many membership levels. I entered the code from the mailing, filled out a form, and figured I’d check it out at the free level.

A few days later, I got a phone call from Savina (at a blocked number; red flag #1) wanting to interview me before my membership was approved and leaving the number 866-540-6279, extension 270. I called back today, and the given extension was Pamela Caldwell’s voice mailbox. I left a message anyway, and Savina called me back an hour or so later. (Red flag #2 — there was no mention of “oops, I gave you the wrong extension” or “Pamela gave me your message” or anything like that.)

Savina seemed friendly, but I could also tell she was reading from a script at points. I answered questions about my work experience, my education, my business, where I see myself in five years, what I hoped to get from the organization, what I was most looking forward to, etc. At the end of the interview she said she was pleased to offer me membership. I thanked her, thinking I’d passed some test or received some honor, and we proceeded with the paperwork process. She said there was the Elite membership level, which cost $900-something, or the Premium level, which cost $700-something but didn’t have quite so many benefits, so which did I want to sign up for?

WHOA THERE. I don’t want to sign up for either! However, we’d now spent about 15 minutes talking about me and what I wanted from the organization, so I didn’t want to feel foolish by saying “no thanks, never mind” at this point. (Red flag #3, in retrospect.) Savina said she could offer me a trial membership at $99. I said, didn’t I see something on the website about a free level? She said that was a listing only and didn’t include all the networking and seminars and other benefits I’d just said I wanted. So would that be American Express, Visa, Mastercard…?

At this point I felt trapped enough to give up my credit card information. I wish I’d come up with some other excuse: I wanted to review the welcome packet she promised to send; I wanted to run it by an accountant or a mentor; I wanted an invoice or an online form instead of giving my card info over the phone. (I later found out that others who’d said things like these were told the offer of membership was a now-or-never thing, or that welcome packets or requested invoices never came.)

So once Savina had my card info and enough information to create my member profile, she then offered to sell me a very nice plaque commemorating my acceptance into membership. She read off what the plaque would say and said that they only reserve two plaques for each member, so did I want to buy one or two for $99 each? That, I managed to turn down. To finish the signup process, Savina told me I’d get an email with my member ID and website login, told me I could download the organization’s logo and put it on my own site and business cards and wherever else, and described what would be in the welcome packet

When we ended the call, I felt swindled. I’d had no intention of spending a dime on membership, but because I’d been enthusiastic about membership for most of the call, I felt pressure not to backtrack. The more I thought about the whole thing, the more red flags started to appear, and I did what I should have done in the first place: researched the organization. My phone even offered “national association of professional women scam” when I started to type in the search box. Uh-oh.

I found blog posts and comments from 2007 through January of this year, all telling pretty much the same story, with some of the same names and phone numbers, though the exact dollar amounts changed from year to year. A post, Women Work Smart: Watch Out for Scams Attacking New Business Owners, and comments that echoed the experience I’d just had. An unfavorable article from 2009 that NAPW wanted taken down in 2012. A speaker who’d been offered a complimentary membership, then asked to pay for memberships and awards. A Ripoff Report article that had a fluffy, glowing “special update” at the top and a name removed from the original, critical report. Even negative Yelp reviews of the organization.

The more I read, the more infuriated I got. I called the number back and pressed 0 for “immediate assistance.” An operator transferred me to the Finance division, where I left a stern message saying I did not want membership, do not charge my card, and call me back to tell me there will be no charges. I read more stories of people getting the runaround and called the number again, this time dialing the extension Savina had given me, which again directed me to Pamela’s voice mailbox — only this time, her last name was something like Jean-Michel, not Caldwell (another red flag!). I left another stern message saying not to charge my card.

I expected I’d have to fight a little harder to avoid charges, since Savina had said that all membership orders were final. But an hour after I left the first message, I got a call from Ben (blocked number) from the Finance division. He asked me to confirm that I’d purchased a membership today. I said instead that I’d done a little more research on the organization and decided not to proceed with membership. He said, “So you looked at the website?” I said that I’d looked at the website and some other recommendations online, and I no longer wanted to be a member of NAPW. Ben offered no other resistance and said that he’d reverse the charges, which could take up to 24 hours. And that was that.

My bank account doesn’t show a pending charge yet, so I can’t say what amount they charged or refunded. If anything does come through, I’ll update the post.

ETA, 3/29/13: I think it’s safe to say now that no charges came through at all. It looks like I changed my mind quickly enough that NAPW really didn’t charge my card, instead of completing the transaction and then reversing the charges.

Update, 2/4/14: There have been so many more comments on this post than I ever expected (almost 200 as of this morning)! If you did purchase a membership at any level in the National Association of Professional Women, I can’t offer specific advice beyond what I’d recommend for any other purchase: contact NAPW for a refund and to cancel your membership. Contact your bank or credit card company and ask to stop the charge if it hasn’t gone through yet, or if it has, ask the customer service rep what your options are. Several readers have mentioned automatic renewals without clear notice — commenter Kim Hales said in December 2013 that text authorizing the renewals is hidden in new/updated terms and conditions that NAPW members must accept in order to login to the members-only area of the website, where you’d need to uncheck a renewal option — so if you’re already on the phone with your bank or credit card issuer, ask if you can prevent that specific renewal charge. NAPW may also have a policy disallowing cancellation within 30 days of the membership’s renewal date.

Many readers have mentioned the misleading ads NAPW has placed on LinkedIn. Yesterday, commenter Karin posted the text of the support ticket she submitted to LinkedIn and the reply she received, in which an Ads Support Specialist promised to “investigate the advertiser in question.”LinkedIn’s advertising guidelines prohibit deception or lying. Since NAPW does have a free membership level, I don’t think advertising a free membership is lying per se, but I do think this tactic is deceptive. If you’re on LinkedIn, you can submit a support ticket here.

Other readers have mentioned NAPW’s Better Business Bureau rating, which seems to have tanked over time. Commenter Glenda said in August 2013 that the LinkedIn ads touted NAPW’s A rating but that, according to the BBB, NAPW was not an accredited business. As of October 2013, NAPW still had a high rating, but commenter Lil W. said in December 2013 that NAPW had an F rating then. Last week, commenter Gabby said that NAPW’s Wikipedia page had a “Controversy” section that mentioned a C rating from the BBB. Here’s the text of that Controversy section as it appears today:

As of January 2014, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) reported 256 customer complaints against NAPW since 2011. Based on these complaints, the Bureau issued the company a C rating (on a scale of A+ to F) for its “failure to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints”, among other factors cited in their review of the company.^[10] Dozens of consumer complaints were also filed against NAPW with other complaint bureaus, reporting fraudulent practices. In response to BBB’s inquiry regarding what measures the company was taking to resolve “underlying issues”, NAPW reported that the “trend” of complaints reported to BBB was heavily due to online “negative PR” rather than customer experience.^[11]

My post here tends to rank highly in Google searches for the National Association of Professional Women, with or without the word “scam” included. NAPW has not contacted me about my experience (or for any other reason). I don’t think I or my blog really register with them.

The BBB gives NAPW a D rating today, for reasons that match my experience and those of almost all the commenters below: “Many consumers tell BBB that they are misled regarding membership prices, membership levels, and additional fees for processing and set-up. For example, consumers reported seeing an ad for free membership for NAPW on LinkedIn. However, these consumers claim that when they contact NAPW to take advantage of that offer, they find out that joining is not free. Some consumers also allege that they were subjected to high pressure sales tactics by company representatives to join the organization even before they understood the costs or benefits. Other consumers that originally agreed to join the organization but opted afterward to cancel the membership say that they have difficulty reaching any company representatives to seek a refund.”

I’ll continue to update this post with more news as it develops.”

Source Below.

http://www.lastsyllable.net/2013/03/15/dont-get-suckered-national-association-of-professional-women/

And from the reviewers on Yelp:

“BEWARE!

They call with the guise of interviewing you for inclusion in the NAPW.  They waste 10 minutes of your time asking you about your role, responsibilities, goals, etc., congratulate you on your acceptance into this “elite” organization, then offer you 2 membership options which cost upwards of $1,000.

This is a sales call.  A very scripted, no nonsense sales call.

Each time I’d decline a price option, the price got lower, until finally she gave me a FREE membership (but, of course, I would be missing out on lots of fantastic opportunities!  Starr Jones is their spokesperson!!).   Before we got to the free offer, I kept insisting that I would not be making an decision over the phone – but this “association” requires you make the deal NOW – which is a huge red flag.

I am a member of several other professional organizations and have never experienced anything like this in any other application process.  Their fees are outrageous and the disrespect they showed through their aggressive and dishonest “interview” make me want to stay far, far away.”

“I just got off the phone with them and boy, am I glad I stuck to my guns on not forking over my CC information without knowing what I was getting into.

They interviewed me, then congratulated me on my acceptance.  Then asked me to fork over $989. WHOA!  Hold on there….

I first told her I needed to clear a $989 Credit card charge with my husband. A lie, yes, but I’m not paying that kind of money without more info. She offers h the next level down ($789), then the next. I thanked her but said I still needed to check with my husband.

When she gets into a range that is semi-affordable, I thank her yet again and told her I had to attend a meeting (which was true) and I would get back with her. She says “Unfortunately, we don’t go back and forth with membership and sign up has to occur upon approval.” So I said, “Well, if that’s what it comes down to, then I will have to decline.” Of course, she had one more level down – a $99 Upgradeable Trial Membership. She pressed me further. Asked me directly for my card information, total sales call.

ANY ORGANIZATION WHO DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THAT A PROFESSIONAL WOMAN NEEDS TO GET OFF THE PHONE FOR A MEETING IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION FOR ME. I declined again, she said she’d call me back.

If she does, I will decline and ask to be removed from their lists, as I am sure they will stalk me.”

“I am mad that I have to give them even 1 star, they deserve less, like way way less.  As a women’s advocate, hard working and motivated individual I am always looking to network and connect with people and women in the community.

This was a total sales pitch and the red flag went up when the sales woman offered me my TWO options either $789 or $989 and I asked to see them in writing to make my decision and she said no.

After being sketchy about information on the different levels she then offered me a cheaper version and then an even cheaper version at $199. When I told her that I wasn’t willing to make a decision from a 10 minute cold call she got angry and hung up on me.

I don’t know about you ladies out there, but I am a little too busy to be wasting my time on people that are trying to swindle and steal my hard earned cash. BUYER BEWARE!”

“DISHONEST ORGANIZATION
I received a call regarding my application to the NAPW and spent about 10 minutes telling her about myself, so she could decide if I belong. Let me tell you, no one does not pass this test. She congratulated me and then offered me two membership options; for 989 and for 789. I told her I wasn’t going to buy anything over the phone and asked to see a packet in writing. She said that was not available to send. I said i’d review the website and make up my mind. She said that also was not an option. I told her I’m not going to purchase anything today, and she went down to 489. I reiterated that i was not going to purchase anything today, and she offered me something for 199. I told her that the more she talked, the less respect I had for the organization she represented. She said that she could offer me a 99 trial membership and extend it out for a year. I declined again, of course, and left very happy that I am NOT a member of such a horrible organization. WHo’d want that logo anywhere near them after tactics like that.. what… only people who give their credit card over the phone to those calling from a private number are members. No thank you.”

“Of the 44 Reviews on YELP for this “Organization” 5 of them are positive…..that is a HUGE red flag. All the positive reviews are based out of NY where the headquarters is located and they all say the same thing. They are worded to say something positive and beneficial about the organization but also something slightly less appealing. This is supposed to make you believe that the review is real. I do not believe that any of the positive reviews (anything above 1 star) is real.

This organization is a total scam and I am sad that it is targeting women who are trying to be actual business professionals. This is a shame.

I am pretty sure that they got my information from VISTA PRINT or LinkdN but Im leaning toward Vista print.”

“otal Scam.

And the positive reviews on here are staged.

I got a letter in the mail congratulating me on my being approved for this club that I never applied for. They said I was part of a business and the “business name” they referred to was a code that came up from when I was play making ID cards on vistaprint.com once! So I am assuming vistaprint sold my information to this scam of a company. I didn’t bother to call or return their offer letter  b/c from the moment I opened it, it screamed SCAM!!! For one I don’t own a business like it said I did– and the letter was completely generic using all vague wording like “your profession” “your company” “your leadership” “your co-workers”… not one specific word to make me think these people had a clue who I was.

The letter also makes it sound like it’s FREE and you’re invited to join. After seeing these reviews that they also want you to PAY? I only came on here to see prove myself right! How gullible can a person be?! Catering to women only…. even more insulting!! I picture Peggy Hill being told she was a “genius” and needing her hubby to help her retrieve her money.

I’m offended they even wasted paper sending me this crap. Best I can do is recycle it and hope it saved a tree somewhere.”

Source: http://www.yelp.com/biz/national-association-of-professional-women-jericho?ob=1

Here is the BBB’s Page for them: http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/professional-organizations/national-association-of-professional-women-in-garden-city-ny-100689/

 

Other Consumer Sites Slamming their scammy ways.

http://womenworksmart.bl…

http://michellevillalobo…

http://www.yelp.com/biz/…

http://www.gather.com/vi…

http://www.scambook.com/…

http://bardsandsages.com…

http://www.newyorkemploy…

http://www.ripoffreport.…

http://www.bbb.org/new-y…

Bank of America Scam Phone Calls

Since I just received one of these, I thought I’d add the stories I could find about it!

Fraud Alert: Debit Card Phone Calls

Updated 11/25/2013 – A number of customers have reported receiving automated phone calls identified as coming from American Bank, informing them that their debit card has been blocked or closed.

The call asks customers to press 1 to speak with American Bank security, to enter their debit card number or PIN in order to reactivate the card, or to call a number and provide information to unblock or reactivate the card.  Variations on these scenarios have also been reported, and customers of other financial institutions in the area have been targeted as well.

While American Bank’s debit card fraud prevention system could legitimately initiate a phone call or text message to debit card holders regarding suspicious activity on their debit cards, card holders will never be asked for their card number, PIN or account number if the call is legitimate.

Should you receive any kind of phone call, text message or e-mail asking you to provide information about your bank accounts or cards, do not respond.  These messages are not from American Bank or any service associated with the bank, and the people contacting you are seeking your personal account information in order to commit fraud.  Giving out your account or card information jeopardizes your account and could lead to you becoming the victim of identity theft as well.

If you have received a phone call similar to the circumstances described above and have provided the caller with any information related to your accounts or cards, please contact Customer Service immediately so that appropriate action can be taken to protect your account.

Phishing Alert: Fraudulent Texts and Phone Calls

08/09/12 – We have been notified of a phishing attempt taking place in which debit card users are receiving text messages or phone calls indicating their debit card has been blocked. The card holder is prompted to enter the card number to unblock it or requested to call a number and provide information to unblock the card. These calls and/or texts are not from American Bank. Should you receive such a call or text, do not call the number or respond to the message in any way. If you have received a call or text and responded by giving out information related to your card, please contact Customer Service immediately to close your card.

Never give your card number, PIN, account numbers, or other sensitive information to anyone.

Better Business Bureau Issues Nationwide Scam Warning

07/06/2012 – The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a nationwide warning about a new scam claiming that President Obama will pay consumers’ utility bills through a new federal program.
Consumers have been contacted through telephone calls, fliers, social media and text messages, and other means with claims that President Obama is providing credits or applying payments to utility bills.

To receive the money, scammers claim they need the consumer’s Social Security Number, and bank routing number and/or account number. In return, customers are given a fraudulent bank routing number to use in order to pay their utility bills through an automated (telephone) service.

The payment service initially ‘accepts’ the payment but then declines it within a few days when the banking information is discovered to be invalid. The consumer’s bill has not been paid and his/her Social Security Number (SSN) and personal financial information have been compromised.

The BBB offers tips to consumers to avoid becoming a victim of this scam, and additional information on identify theft scams. NACHA maintains a Fraud & Phishing Resource area on www.nacha.org.

If you have any questions or suspect suspicious activity, please contact Customer Service.

Phishing Alert: Fraudulent Emails Claiming to be from NACHA

3/31/2011 – The Electronic Payments Association has received reports that individuals and/or companies continue to receive fraudulent e-mails that have the appearance of having been sent from NACHA. These e-mails vary in content and appear to be transmitted from email addresses associated with the NACHA domain (@nacha.org). Some bear the name of fictitious NACHA employees and/or departments.

NACHA itself does not process or touch the ACH transactions that flow to and from organizations and financial institutions. NACHA does not send communications to persons or organizations about individual ACH transactions that they originate or receive.

Be aware that phishing e-mails frequently have attachments and/or links to Web pages that host malicious code and software. Do not open attachments or follow Web links in unsolicited e-mails from unknown parties or from parties with whom you do not normally communicate, or that appear to be known but are suspicious or otherwise unusual.

Please contact Customer Service if you have questions or concerns.

Telephone Fraud Alert: Your American Bank Check Card

1/27/2011 – We have become aware that some American Bank customers are receiving phone calls notifying them that their Check Card has been deactivated. The recorded message instructs the customer to call a 1-800 number or Press 1 to reactivate the card. These calls are not from American Bank. Should you receive such a call, do not call the number or respond to the message in any way. Never provide card information to unsolicited callers. These types of calls are an attempt to obtain card information from various banks and customers to be used in fraudulent activity. If you have received a call and responded by giving out information related to your card, please contact Customer Service immediately to close your card.

If you are the recipient of one of these calls and can provide us with the phone number from which the call came, along with the name of your phone service carrier, it would be helpful to us in investigating the fraud. Please contact Customer Service with the information.

EFTPS Phishing Scam

A fraudulent e-mail has been circulating with the subject line “LAST NOTICE: Your EFTPS Tax Payment has been rejected.” The e-mail gives a return reason code and provides a link to a purported eftps.gov website.

If you receive an e-mail with a subject line similar to the one above, do not open the e-mail or click on any links. Disregard the e-mail and if possible, mark it as Junk Mail and delete it. Do not reply to the e-mail.

EFTPS will never attempt to contact you via e-mail. If you ever receive an e-mail that claims to be from EFTPS or from a sender you do not recognize that mentions a payment made through EFTPS, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov or call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at (800) 366-4484.

Helpful Hints on Minimizing Fraud, Theft and Embezzlement in Your Business

Fraud committed against bank accounts continues to increase. It is occurring in many ways, and as sophisticated computer technology continues to become more readily attainable and affordable for the average person, fraud will increase even more.

You can protect yourself and your company by educating yourself on what to look for, by having strong internal controls, policies and procedures in place to make it more difficult for fraud to occur, and by training your employees and yourself to be extra vigilant.

To help you, see the attached list of tips on minimizing your potential fraud risk. In addition to these tips, one of your best lines of defense is to routinely and promptly review your bank statements, looking for unusual or unauthorized transactions.

To maximize your protection, you should carefully review the terms of the bank’s deposit agreement, paying particular attention to your responsibilities for reviewing statements and notifying the bank of unauthorized items.

If you have questions about your account agreement with us, or about establishing good internal controls to help prevent fraud, we’d be glad to visit with you. Just call any of our Cash Management specialists at (361) 653-5080 and they will set up an appointment to come by at a time convenient for you.

Increased Debit Card Fraud

Across the country, banks and their customers are experiencing significant increases in fraudulent debit card activity. This includes customers of American Bank.

We work closely with MasterCard^® and our card processor to monitor card activity and identify new methods for protecting your accounts from fraud. We want you to be aware of a new anti-fraud measure we’ve recently implemented that may impact your Check Card usage.

• When a clear and active pattern of fraudulent activity is identified, we will block certain types of transactions and/or transactions originating from particular countries, states, and/or merchants.

• The blocks will be removed and added as fraud patterns change.
• The blocks can apply to transactions in person, by phone, or via the Internet.
• The blocks could cause legitimate transactions to be declined.
• The blocks will typically not affect PIN based transactions.

If you experience a declined Check Card transaction, contact Customer Service. If your transaction is blocked because of these anti-fraud measures, we can remove the block for your Check Card, provided you can answer security questions about your account that only you should know.

Removal of your Check Card from the block will be effective only through December 31 of the calendar year in which it is removed. If you wish to continue to have your Check Card removed from the block, a new request must be made by calling Customer Service at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but feel the current fraud environment warrants the added protection for our customers’ accounts.

If you are traveling outside of your usual purchasing area, please notify American Bank Customer Service in order to reduce the risk of your card being blocked for suspected fraud.

Should you detect suspicious activity related to your Check Card, contact Customer Service immediately. If you have questions, we will be glad to visit with you.

Community Bank Scams

There has been a recent increase in phishing scams that are targeting Texas community banks.  These scams involve multiple methods of contacting bank customers including telephone calls from an automated system, e-mails, and text messages.  The messages usually direct the recipients to call either a toll-free or local number because their account has supposedly been compromised.  Once the victim calls the number they are asked to provide specific information about their debit cards or accounts. This information is then used to remove funds from the victim’s account.

Never give your card, PIN, account numbers, or other sensitive information to anyone – even if it appears to be legitimate.  If you are ever solicited by someone claiming to be from American Bank asking for this information, please do not give them the information and contact us immediately to report the scam, or you can report a potential phishing attempt to your area branch.

 

https://www.americanbank.com/security-center/fraud-alerts

http://wafflesatnoon.com/2013/02/17/did-you-receive-a-bank-of-america-fraud-alert/

http://westflorida.bbb.org/article/scam-alert-consumers-receive-fake-texts–calls-appearing-to-be-from-a-bank-36969