Credit Union Customers Fooled by Bogus Text Messages

Title:
Phishing Scam Expands to Three More States

Reference:
http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=1986&rf=120709eb

Dated:
December 7, 2009

Details:
Banking customers in three additional states have received bogus text messages purporting to be from their institutions.

As part a growing wave of similar phishing attempts throughout the nation, customers in Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri and Lewiston, Idaho last week reported receiving text messages stating their bank accounts had been frozen.

These attacks mirror those against bank customers in October in Pennsylvania, Nebraska and New York, and are part of a continuing wave of phishing attacks that have shot up 600 percent over last year, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.

In Ohio, one Cincinnati US Bank customer told law enforcement about receiving the text message, calling the phone number listed and then giving out an account number, expiration date and PIN. The next day, the customer became suspicious and called the number again and heard the following message: "This is a message from the Federal Trade Commission. The telephone number you've just called has been disconnected because it may be involved in a scam."

The customer called US Bank, had the card replaced and didn't lose any money. Law enforcement reported a number of banks had been targeted in the scam.

Similar reports come in from Bridgeton, MO-based Vantage Credit Union customers who reported to the credit union they received the text message phishing scam.

According to Eric Acree, executive vice president at Vantage, the phishers began sending fake text messages over the weekend. Phishing scammers have posed as the credit union before, and Vantage is trying to educate customers about its security procedures, Acree says. When the number in the text message was checked early last week, the recording states it also has been disconnected by the FTC. XUMG7M7BK3A9