The Fake TSA Precheck Email

Many air travelers turn to TSA PreCheck for its quickness and ease. TSA PreCheck is a US airport screening program that allows you to get through airport security with fewer steps and without waiting in long lines. But cybercriminals take advantage of this tool to trick travelers. In this scam, you receive an email that appears to come from TSA PreCheck. The email encourages you to enroll or renew your membership and provides a link to what looks like the official TSA PreCheck website.

The website promises you can skip the long security lines at the airport by paying a fee. However, this website is a fake version of the real TSA PreCheck website. If you enter any money or financial information here, the scammers will be able to see it immediately. The benefits you buy from the fake website will not work at any airport. Worst of all, the cybercriminals have stolen your sensitive information and money!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a phishing scam:

• This particular scam targets US air travelers, but remember that this type of scam can be used for other organizations as well. Always be cautious before clicking on unexpected emails.
• Be wary of requests to pay a fee right away. Cybercriminals will try to pressure you into acting quickly.

When you first enroll in the actual TSA PreCheck, you pay in person, not online. Also, real Transportation Security Administration (TSA) emails never contain direct payment links. When in doubt, contact the TSA directly.

One of the fastest growing white-collar crimes is identity theft, which occurs when an identity thief gains access to and uses an individual’s personal identifying information without his or her knowledge to commit fraud or theft. You can protect your privacy and minimize your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft by taking the following steps:

Personal Identifying Information

• Always protect personal identifying information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords.
• Do not give any of your personal identifying information to any person who is not permitted to have access to your accounts.
• Do not give any of your personal identifying information over the telephone, through the mail or online unless you have initiated the contact or know and trust the person or company to whom it is given.

Credit, Debit and ATM Cards

• Limit the number of credit, debit and ATM cards that you carry.
• Cancel all cards that you do not use.
• Retain all receipts from card transactions.
• Sign new cards as soon as you receive them.
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately by calling your FCNB Financial Center or after hours at (855) 726-4885.

Mail

• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox.
• Deposit outgoing mail in a post office collection box, hand it to a postal carrier, or take it to a post office instead of leaving it in your doorway or home mailbox, where it can be stolen.

Credit Reports

• Order a copy of your credit report annually and review it for accuracy.
• Check your credit report for unauthorized bank accounts, credit cards and purchases.
• Look for anything suspicious in the section of your credit report that lists who has received a copy of your credit history.

Bank Account and Credit Card Statements

• Contact your financial institution immediately if a bank account or credit card statement does not arrive on time.
• Review your bank account and credit card statements promptly and immediately report any discrepancy or unauthorized transaction.

Telephone and Internet Solicitations

• Be suspicious of any offer made by telephone, on a Web site or in an email that seems too good to be true.
• Before responding to a telephone or Internet offer, determine if the person or business making the offer is legitimate.
• Do not respond to an unsolicited email that promises some benefit but requests personal identifying information.
• FCNB never requests a customer’s bank card number, account number, Social Security number, Personal Identification Number (PIN) or password through email. If you should receive an email requesting such information that appears to be from FCNB, do not respond to the email and contact FCNB immediately at (573) 466-4180.

Home Security

• Store extra checks, credit cards, documents that list your Social Security number, and similar items in a safe place.
• Shred all credit card receipts and solicitations, ATM receipts, bank account and credit card statements, canceled checks, and other financial documents before you throw them away.

PINs and Passwords

• Memorize your PINs and passwords and keep them confidential.
• Change your passwords periodically.
• Avoid selecting PINs and passwords that will be easy for an identity thief to figure out.
• Do not carry PINs and passwords in your wallet or purse or keep them near your checkbook, credit cards, debit cards or ATM cards.

Wallets and Purses

• Do not carry more checks, credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards and other bank items in your wallet or purse than you really expect to need.
• Do not carry your Social Security number in your wallet or purse.
• Miscellaneous
• Use common sense and be suspicious when things do not seem right.
• Be suspicious of any proposed transaction that requires you to send an advance payment or deposit by wire transfer.

Call us immediately at (573) 466-4180 if you believe that you are a victim of identity theft involving one of your FCNB accounts.

Identity theft is one of today’s fastest growing crimes. It occurs when someone steals your personal information and identification. They may open credit card accounts, apply for loans, rent apartments and purchase phone services – all in your name. In many cases, they request address changes so you never see the bills for their activity. These impersonators spend your money as quickly as possible. Most victims never know it until they apply for a loan or receive a call from a collection agency. Clearing your name and erasing the effects of identity theft can be a nightmare and take a great deal of time. You can spend months or even years re-establishing your creditworthiness.

Here are some helpful tips to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft:

• Store personal information in a safe place. Shred financial statements, bank checks, credit card offers, charge receipts and credit applications before discarding them.
• Don’t release personal information. Never disclose account numbers, Social Security numbers and credit card numbers over the phone or email unless you know the person or organization you’re dealing with.
• Guard against mail theft. Deposit outgoing mail into a secure, official U.S. Postal Service collection box. Promptly remove incoming mail after it has been delivered.
• Monitor account information and billing statements. Know your billing cycles and review monthly statements for authorized charges or withdrawals. Missing statements could indicate that someone has filed a change of address notice to divert your mail to his or her address. Consider switching to electronic statements that are delivered directly to an eMail address that only you have access to.
• Obtain and review copies of your credit report. Order copies of your credit report yearly to review your file and make certain the information is accurate. The three major credit bureaus are:

Steps to take if you become a victim of identity theft:

• File a police report and call the Federal Trade Commission’s toll-free “Identity Theft Hotline” at 1-877-438-4338.
• Notify the three credit bureau’s fraud departments. Request that a “fraud alert” be placed in your file, as well as a victim’s statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts.
• Request a copy of your credit report. Credit reports are free to fraud victims.
• Contact your creditors for any accounts that have been opened fraudulently. Close your accounts and obtain new credit, debit and ATM cards.
• Report any suspected stolen mail to your local postal inspector and check the post office for unauthorized change of address requests.

Corporate Account Takeover is the business equivalent of personal identity theft. Hackers, backed by professional criminal organizations, are targeting small and medium businesses to obtain access to their web banking credentials or remote control of their computers. These hackers will then drain the deposit and credit lines of the compromised bank accounts, funneling the funds through mules that quickly redirect the monies overseas into hackers’ accounts.

As a business owner, you need an understanding of how to take proactive steps and avoid, or at least minimize, most threats.

• Use a dedicated computer for financial transactional activity. DO NOT use this computer for general web browsing and email.
• Apply operating system and application updates (patches) regularly.
• Ensure that anti-virus/spyware software is installed, functional and is updated with the most current version.
• Have host-based firewall software installed on computers.
• Use latest versions of Internet browsers, such as Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome with “pop-up” blockers and keep patches up to date.
• Turn off your computer when not in use.
• Do not batch approve transactions; be sure to review and approve each one individually.
• Review your banking transactions and your credit report regularly.
• Contact your Information Technology provider to determine the best way to safeguard the security of your computers and networks.

Call us immediately at (573) 466-4180 if you believe that your FCNB account has been compromised.

Under a federal law enacted by Congress, every consumer in the United States can now obtain one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit bureaus. Previously, consumers who wanted to obtain their credit report from any of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) had to pay for each report. Only those consumers whose loan applications were rejected or who were victims of identity theft could obtain their credit reports for free.

You can obtain your free credit reports by mail, by phone or online from a service that is run jointly by the three credit bureaus. If you order your credit report online, you must print it or save it to your computer, or it will be unavailable once you leave the screen. The free program applies only to the credit report itself. Credit scores are not included in the free credit report but they can be purchased from the credit bureaus for a fee.

Experts strongly recommend that consumers obtain their free credit reports each year and review them for completeness and accuracy to learn about their credit, check for errors in their credit information, and detect identity theft. If something is wrong on a credit report, you can dispute it directly with the credit bureau. When a dispute is filed, the credit bureau has 45 days to respond to the consumer.

You can obtain your free credit reports as follows:

Online:               www.AnnualCreditReport.com

By phone:        (877) 322-8228

By mail:           Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Protect yourself from Internet and email scams by keeping your private information secure.

At FCNB, your privacy is very important to us. That’s why we want to let you know about an email scam on the Internet called “phishing” (pronounced “fishing”) a technique fraudsters use to lure online consumers to fake corporate Web sites through links sent via email.

The message in the email often warns consumers that their account will be closed if their information is not updated or “verified.” The links within the email are often pointed to Web forms that ask for bank account information, such as routing numbers, account numbers, PIN numbers, passwords and Social Security numbers.

It is FCNB’s policy to not send or request confidential account information through email because it is not a secure form of communication. You should never enter private, personal information in a form that was sent to you by email.

Here are a few ways you can protect yourself from Internet and email fraud (phishing):

• Never click on links in unexpected emails that request confidential information. If updates to information are needed, always type the address for the institution’s Web site into your browser.
• Before submitting confidential information through forms, make sure that you are using a secure Internet connection. There are two ways of determining if your connection to a Web site is secure. First, look at the address bar at the top of your browser. If the Web site address begins with “https://”, then you have established a secure connection, but if it begins with “http://”, then the connection is NOT secure. Second, look for a “lock” icon in your browser’s status bar at the bottom right-hand corner of your browser. The lock verifies that your connection to the Web site is secure.
• Make sure that you have installed and run updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Both viruses and spyware can leave your computer vulnerable to attack and intrusion. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software will keep your computer safe from malicious software that might have installed itself or may try to install itself on your computer. Anti-virus & anti-spyware software is especially important if you are using a broadband Internet connection like DSL, cable or satellite.
• Install a Firewall, either software or hardware. A firewall will prevent attacks on your computer through the Internet by determining if a requested connection is malicious or not. A firewall is especially important if you are using a broadband Internet connection like DSL, cable or satellite.
• Keep your Internet browser, anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall up to date by visiting the manufacturer’s Web site and checking regularly for software and security upgrades.
• Review and monitor your checking account, debit card, credit card statements and your credit report regularly to be sure all transactions are legitimate.
• Watch for misspelling or grammatical errors on forms requesting confidential information. Hackers often make errors while rushing to get bogus Web sites in place. If something doesn’t look right, there is a good chance that it’s not.

FCNB will NEVER request a customer’s personal information (bank card number, account number, social security number, personal identification number or password) through email or by phone. If you should ever receive an email or phone call requesting your personal, confidential information that appears to be from FCNB, DO NOT respond and contact the Bank immediately at (573) 466-4180.

Social Engineering is a technique used to obtain or attempt to obtain secure information by tricking an individual into revealing the information.

Social engineering is normally quite successful, because most targets (or victims) want to trust people and provide as much help as possible.

Victims of social engineering typically have no idea they have been conned out of useful information or have been tricked into performing a particular task.

The easiest way to breach security is to obtain credentials and the easiest way to get that information is to ask someone for it.

The basic goal of social engineering is to gain unauthorized access to systems or information in order to commit fraud, network intrusion, industrial espionage, identity theft, or simply to disrupt and compromise computer systems.

Common Techniques 

• Social Engineering by Phone – Pretexting
• Dumpster Diving
• Online Social Engineering – Phishing, Vishing, Smishing, Pharming
• Persuasion
• Reverse Social Engineering
• Shoulder Surfing – Looking over a shoulder to see what they are typing.
• And many more…

What you should do

• NEVER share your username or password with anyone.
• FCNB will NEVER call for your username or password.
• Report spam/fraud to info@fcnb.com.
• ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings.

Lottery Scams

In the lottery scam, you receive an email notification claiming that you have won an international lottery (Jamaican Lottery, Spanish Lottery, etc.). To claim your winnings, you must contact the claims agent, typically via an email address that is most often from a free provider (e.g., Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.). The agent then sends you a claim form to verify your identity. You must then return the form with your personal details, along with copies of your passport and/or driver’s license to “verify your true identity.” The fraudsters now have enough information to duplicate your identity. In addition, to claim the winnings, you are required to wire funds to the fraudsters to cover the transaction, insurance, tax and legal fees associated with receiving their winnings. The victims are required to transfer the money requested via Western Union. You are now out the funds that you have wired to the fraudsters, and the fraudsters have your personal identification to continue to commit fraud. 

Nigerian Scams

The Nigerian Purchase Scam is another form of fraud that is becoming widespread in auction sites and on business’ ecommerce Web sites. A buyer will bid on or seek to purchase big-ticket goods (e.g., cars, boats, etc.) from the Web site. The buyer will “accidentally” overpay the seller, stating they “wanted to make sure there were enough funds for shipping.” The buyer will then ask the seller to deposit the check and refund the amount of the overpayment. The seller will deposit the counterfeit check and send the overpayment to the buyer prior to the check clearing through the international banking system. The seller is out the funds equal to the overpayment. In addition, the seller could be down the value of the shipped goods if those are sent at the same time.

To protect yourself, always be careful when transacting with unknown parties. If you question the legitimacy of a buyer, talk with your branch representative to determine the best way to validate the check and funds prior to shipping any goods or providing a refund for the overpayment.

Mystery Shopper

You get an email or a letter in the mail from a “mystery shopping company” often the name of the company sounds official. Usually there is a check included or a promise to send a check. They tell you to cash the check and complete an assignment at a major retail store. Then they tell you to take the rest of the money that you didn’t spend and send it to another mystery shopper via Western Union. The only problem is that’s not a mystery shopper, that’s the scammer! The check sent to you was not legitimate, but the bank won’t realize it for at least a week. When the check is returned as fraudulent, you become responsible for the charges. Meanwhile, you just sent money to the scammer via Western Union and you’re left holding the bag.

Check Scams

If you receive an email or letter in the mail saying you won a lottery and they send you a check or if you sell something on eBay and the buyer pays with a check, you may think you can just take the check to your bank and cash it.

Unfortunately, you can’t. What’s worse, if you cash it in most states, you may be assisting a criminal in passing a counterfeit check, money laundering or worse. Blank checks are stolen every day from individual mailboxes, homes, businesses and even banks. Counterfeiters and scammers use these checks to create scams and frauds.

What can you do?

If you receive a check in the mail that you are not expecting, DO NOT CASH IT. You should call the issuing bank directly to verify that the account is valid and the check is real.

If you are the victim of a counterfeit check cashing scam, email the FDIC’s Special Activities Section at: alert@fdic.gov

If you believe you may have fallen victim to this type of scam and wish to report it, please file a complaint with the U.S. government Internet Crime Complaint Center at: http://www.ic3.gov

or contact them at:

FDIC’s Cyber Fraud and Financial Crimes Section

550 17th St., NW, Room F-4040,

Washington, D.C. 20429