Phishing and Fraud Alerts

  • Sellers beware Scam
    It used to be easy to spot the scam. "Please be welcomed. You are the lung lost sun of Prince Gary Smith or Nigeria." The misspelling, the strangely familiar names, the bad grammar. All were good indicators that what you had was a scam on your hands. A new form has been flooding inboxes. They want to buy that stuff you are selling or put up for auction. But they don't have exact change.

    Simple Saver meets Sam Scam

    "Hello, my name is Simple Saver and I have something for sale. It is a very neat little item and I’m sure someone will want it. I’m only asking for $200.00 American."

    "Hello Simple!!! ;) My name is Sam Scam. I just love that neat little item you are selling. I know just the spot in my house that could use it. Unfortunately I do not have the cash on me to buy it from you. But I can sign over a check to you for the funds, you just have to promise to send me back the extra money. It’s for $1,500.00. I need the money for hospital bills, so can you cash the check then send the rest to me via Western Union the same day?"

    "Thank you, Sam, for your interest. I would be happy to send you the extra money the same day I get the check. My address is…"

    Simple has the best intentions at heart, but he is being scammed. Sam just wants as much money as he can get from a phony check. Always be suspicious of anyone that wants to over-pay for goods and then have you send them the remainder. If Simple deposits/cashes the check and it gets returned he will be responsible for the entire amount of the check plus any fees.

  • "13 Things An Identity Thief Won't Tell You" on Shine

Reporting Phishing Attempts

What is Phishing?
Phishing is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques. Phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual. These emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent web site that appears legitimate. The user then may be asked to provide personal information such as account usernames and passwords that can further expose them to future compromises. Additionally, these fraudulent web sites may contain malicious code.

To learn more about how to recognize or avoid email scams visit US-CERT (Is part of the Homeland Security): http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/emailscams_0905.pdf

Methods of Reporting Phishing Email to US-CERT or Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union
  • In Outlook Express, you can create a new message and drag and drop the phishing email into the new message. Address the message to phishing-report@us-cert.gov and send it.
  • In Outlook Express you can also open the email message* and select File > Properties > Details. The email headers will appear. You can copy these as you normally copy text and include it in a new message to phishing-report@us-cert.gov.
  • If you cannot forward the email message, at a minimum, please send the URL of the phishing web site.
  • You can also contact the Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union Information Security Officer by phone or email at Contact Us.

Reporting Fraud

The sooner you report suspicious activity on your account, the faster Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union, other institutions and the authorities can take steps to assist you. If you become a victim of fraud, do the following:
  • Review your financial statements and recent transaction histories to determine suspicious activities, including Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union, other financial institutions, brokerage firms and credit card companies. Check through your personal documents to determine what items may be compromised.
  • Call Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union at the number below and let us know of these suspicious activities. Ask to have your account numbers, PINs and passwords changed immediately.
  • Call any other financial institution(s) you deal with and make them aware of the situation.
  • Call your credit card companies and ask that access to your accounts be restricted or closed. Open new accounts if necessary.
  • If checks are missing from your checkbook, issue stop payments on each check and come in to one of our locations close the compromised account then open up a new account.
  • If your driver's license is missing, contact your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles office.
  • If your Social Security card is missing, contact the Social Security Administration.
  • File a report with your local police department and obtain a copy for your records.
  • Document what happened, when it happened and to whom you spoke.
If you have any questions or concerns about fraud, call Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union at Contact Us.