Protect Your Identity

Have You Been a Victim of Identity Theft? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides an Identity Theft Affidavit that includes forms and procedures that you can use to report identity theft to your creditors and to credit reporting agencies.

Tips to Safely Conduct Financial Transactions Over the Internet

Check Scams

• (5/2/07)--Phony checks are being created using the name and logo of a real company, Service Intelligence, Inc. and being mailed with offers to become a "mystery shopper" for S.I.I. Service Intelligence Inc. is a legitimate company that hires "mystery shoppers" with the typical paycheck being around $20. The phony letters and much larger checks instruct the recipient to cash the check, keep $300 and send the remainder to an address in Canada. The checks end up bouncing with the victim liable for the loss.
  
  
• (7/11/06)--We have received reports of counterfeit MHV Official Checks being used in a check scam associated with the Liberty Financial and Sweepstakes Board out of Ontario, Canada. It scam claims the recipient has won the North American Prize Pool and the check in the amount of $3,959.89 is the cost of obtaining a Certificate of Clearance and Non-Resident Fee so they can get the full $85,000. Please notify us immediately if you receive one of these checks.
  
  
• (6/12/06)--Please be advised that COUNTERFEIT Mid-Hudson Valley FCU Official Checks are being used in what looks like a Nigerian Check Scam. Letters are being received across the United States telling people that they have won the British International Lotto. Enclosed is a bogus MHVFCU Official Check in the amount of $4,500.55 / $2,990 / $2,900. They are instructed to cash the check and return the funds to the sender in order to claim a larger prize of $60,499.45. This is FAKE. Please notify us immediately if you receive one of these checks.

• (5/20/09) We have been notified of a phone phishing scam where local residents are getting calls stating that there has been suspicious activity on their credit union account.  The phishers are asking for sensitive info including account number, pin, cvc, etc.  Please note that MHVFCU will never ask you for confidential information over the phone. If you are not certain if you are speaking with MHVFCU, please ask for the representatives name and call us directly at 1-800-451-8373.
  
  
• (1/16/09)--A fraudulent e-mail seeking credit card information (known as a "phishing fraud") has been circulating nationwide since 2 p.m. EST 1/16/2009. This fraudulent phishing email appears to be from NCUA and contains a link purportedly to obtain a subscription for the NCUA Express Subscription service. When that link is used, the recipient is directed to a "clone" of the NCUA Express Service site that seeks credit card information from those to whom the phish was sent. If you receive such an email, please ignore it, as it is fraudulent. The NCUA does NOT charge for the Express Subscription service and does NOT solicit credit card information over the Internet.
  
  
• (1/13/09)--PSCU Financial Services has reported a phishing attack. E-mails are being addressed to PSCU Financial Services customers and states that accounts will be blocked until billing information on file is verified. These are unauthorized e-mails as PSCU would never initiate a direct communication with credit union members.
  
  
• (9/19/08)--Phishing Scam. There have been reports of e-mails appearing to be from MHVFCU which contain loan and debt elimination offers. The link in the e-mail takes you to a fraudulent site where identity theft could occur. Please disregard any messages of this type. You should go to our website directly by typing our URL into the address bar to be sure you are accessing MHV.
  
  
• (7/22/08)--Beware of Telephone Scam Targeting Credit Union Members: Phone calls with an automated message claim your Visa card has been suspended and direct you to an 800 number to reactivate it. This is a scam to gain your card information.
  
  
• (3/18/08)--Cell phone phishing scam alert. Both members and non-members have reported receiving a text message on their cellular phone appearing to be from MHV. These messages are not from MHV and are phishing attempts to gain account and personal information. Please disregard any messages of this type.
  
  
• (2/22/08)--NCUA reports phishing attempt to gain credit card information. Phishing e-mails are circulating that appear to be from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and claim your account has been suspended due to fraud attempts. The e-mail advises recipients to call to reactivate their account. This is a fraudulent attempt to gain personal information. Please disregard any e-mails of this kind.
  
  
• (11/21/07)--Beware of e-mails reportedly from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). Phishing attempts are being made reportedly from the Security Department of CUNA stating that your "pin number" was entered incorrectly more then 3-times and your card has been deactivated. You are asked to complete an authentication form at another site to activate your card. Both the original e-mail and site directed to are very authentic looking but CUNA would not ask for your personal account or card information or your pin number. DO NOT respond to these e-mails. Phony e-mails can be forwarded to: abuse@cuna.org
  
  
• (8/16/07)-- A phishing attempt to obtain private information and defraud your credit union and its members is currently circulating via e-mail. The e-mail appears to be from "update@fcunetworks.org" with "Apex ACH update" as the subject. This is a scam and should be deleted immediately.
  
  
• (3/21/07)--PSCU Financial Services name being used in a "phishing scheme". A phishing e-mail is circulating that offers a chance to win a house or 300,000. It claims to be offered by PSCU Financial Services,VISA and MASTERCARD.This is a scam.
  
  
• (3/13/07)--NCUA Phishing Scam. A recent NCUA phishing e-mail asks members to activate an online account as part of the NCUA's federal credit union network. The NCUA will not request personal or account information. Please disregard and delete immediately. If you feel that you have received a fraudulent phishing e-mail purportedly from NCUA please forward the entire e-mail message to Phishing@ncua.gov.
  

• (1/10/07)--Beware of phishing e-mails appearing to be from NCUA. Fraudulent e-mails are being sent to "federal credit union account holders" in an attempt to gain personal and account information. The e-mail states that your account access will be limited until you update your information. This is not true. Please delete immediately.
  
  
• (12/19/06)--"Voice phishing" or "vishing" schemes reported by Visa USA. Criminals are contacting cardholders by phone and using pieces of information they already have to appear legitimate and gain additional sensitive information such as the three-digit security code on your card. The technology being used also allows for spoofing of the Caller ID to make the call appear to be from a trusted source. Please remember you should avoid giving out personal or account information over the phone unless the call was initiated by you. If you receive a call from your bank or a company asking for this type of information, always ask the caller to provide a call-back number. You have the right to hang up and verify the legitimacy of the number.
  
  
• (12/19/06)--Bogus e-mails claim unexpected network outage. Criminals are targeting members/customers of specific institutions advising them of a network outage. In the meantime, they bombard the institution's network with numerous requests in order to create an actual outage and appear legitimate. The e-mail advises the recipient of an 'alternate' link to use until the issue is resolved. This alternate website is fraudulent and is an attempt to gain information. Please be advised we will not contact you via e-mail for such matters.
  
  
• (12/11/06)--The latest scam purports to be a call from the Security and Fraud Department of Visa or MasterCard and claims to be flagging an invalid charge on your card. They verify your card issuer (MHV in our case), card number and your name and address, and have you disclaim a bogus charge. They then ask you to verify you're in possession of your card by having you tell them the code numbers on the back. Don't do it!!
  
  
• (11/9/06)--Fraudulent spam e-mail claiming to be from FBI Director Mueller. This attempt to defraud victims comes in two separate e-mails using the same e-mail address. The first e-mail appears to be from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. It states the recipient is the beneficiary of a large sum of money and that in order to claim the money they must provide an FBI Identification Record and a Certificate of Ownership. The second e-mail appears to be from Donna M. Uzzell, FBI Compact Council Chairman. It claims a Certificate of Ownership will be supplied, for a fee, by the country where the funds originated. The recipient must respond to the e-mail for instructions on sending the money to FBI Nigeria to receive the certificate. The message also states that the FBI has investigative programs which can track down those who fail to provide the requested documentation and that charges will be brought against the individual by the FBI. These are a hoax and should be deleted immediately.
  
  
• (11/9/06)--FBI-IC3 warns of two new e-mail scams.The first e-mail hoax claims the recipient made a purchase through an online service provider. There is a link in the e-mail to dispute the purchase and charges. Once the link is selected, the recipient is requested to provide their account information. The second e-mail hoax contains a PDF attachment appearing to be an order summary. The attachment contains a virus which will infect your computer. Be cautious of e-mails requesting personal and/or financial information and do not open attachments from individuals you do not trust or know.
  
  
• (7/14/06)--We have been notified of fraudulent e-mails appearing to be from Visa. It states that your Visa credit card has been violated by someone trying to access the account via ATM in Bulgaria with an incorrect pin. It asks that you click on the link provided in the e-mail and enter your account information to confirm that you are not currently away. It claims your account will be locked if you don't confirm within 3 days. This is a scam - please do not respond.
  
  
• (6/27/06)--Fraudulent e-mails that appeared to come from NYCE, our ATM network, with the subject line “Limited time offer - Enroll for e-Statements.” have been reported. The e-mail contains a link that takes readers to a site that resembles the NYCE Web site, where it requests that you provide confidential information via an online form. Please be advised that these e-mails are not being sent by NYCE, and the Web site they link to is a copy—not NYCE’s actual site. If you receive an e-mail of this nature, please delete the e-mail and do not respond to it.
  
  
• (5/17/06)--BEWARE OF PHISHING E-MAILS THAT APPEAR TO BE FROM MHVFCU. A recent phishing e-mail indicates that your e-mail account has been suspended and contains an attachment with a virus. You should delete any suspicious e-mails immediately and never open attachments from unknown sources.Please note that MHV will never contact you via e-mail to verify or discuss account or personal information.
  
  
• (2/27/06)--E-mails allegedly from "VISA Card Support" / "VISA Service" are being sent out in an attempt to obtain information. The e-mail reports that hackers have "cracked some processings" and that you must visit their website to update your profile, otherwise stolen money cannot be repayed. DON'T fall for it! VISA would not contact you looking for this type of information.
  
  
• (1/26/06)--Beware of unauthorized e-mails from NYCE. Fraudulent e-mails with the heading "Online Account Access" contain a link to a bogus site that resembles the NYCE website. These e-mails are not being sent by NYCE and should be deleted immediately. Please note you should be wary of any e-mails requesting personal or account information.
  
  
• (1/6/06)--Do not respond to e-mails supposedly from E-bay or PayPal asking for personal or credit/debit card information. Like the credit union, most companies will not contact you asking for this type of information. If you get an e-mail from one of these companies and are suspicious, forward it to either spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com and they will investigate the e-mail and let you know if it is authentic.
  
  
• Beware of phony e-mails whose purpose is to gather personal and/or credit card information from the recipient. These e-mails appear to be legitimate, but are not. It is important not to respond to unsolicited e-mail asking for personal information. Legitimate companies almost NEVER ask for such information via e-mail. The only time you should give out your personal information is when YOU initiate contact by phone or on a legitimate, secured website after directly typing in the "URL" (such as www.ebay.com ). Clicking on a link in an e-mail or even from other web pages can sometimes lead you to phony pages set up by scam artists attempting to extract, or as the term is used today "phish" for information. This is not a new scam; however, these types of e-mail are on the rise. There's even one out there that simulates Verified by Visa; don't fall for it!

Internet Scams

• Are you trying to sell something over the Internet? If so, BEWARE! A current scam is targeting Internet users selling something on the World Wide Web. Here's the scenario... You post your car for sale on the web and strike a deal with a prospective buyer. You work out the details and the buyer sends you what looks like an Official Check from a bank or credit union. But the check is thousands of dollars more than your agreed upon sale price; when you contact the buyer, they state a mistake was made cutting the check. They ask you to deposit the check and return the difference by wiring it to an overseas bank account. You do so and assume that all is well. Perhaps at this point you have already released the car to someone representing the buyer. Unfortunately, a couple of days later the check is returned as counterfeit and you are out the money that was wired overseas and your car! Please take extra precautions when selling something over the Internet. If you receive a check for more than your sale price, most probably the check is phony and you're dealing with someone who is trying to "scam" you. If you do deposit the check, don't do anything with the "overpayment" until the check clears and we know the check is good. If you're concerned, ask one of our Member Service Representatives to verify funds with the issuing bank. Or if you know after reading this that you are being "scammed", please bring it to our attention so that we can collect all your information and turn it over to the authorities to investigate. Always exercise caution in any transaction to protect your identity and your assets.
  
  
• In a new Internet scam, payments are made with counterfeit Travelers Express MoneyGrams. Please be alert to such forms of payment; they may not be what they appear.

• (2/2/2009)--MHVFCU has been working with VISA to obtain a list of member VISA cards involved in the recently announced Heartland Payment Services VISA card breach.  Should your VISA card be reported as compromised, you will receive a letter detailing the information that we have. The letter will also include instructions on how, together, we can protect your VISA card. Please contact us at 1-800-451-8373 if you would like additional information.

• (1/22/2009)--We are aware of the recent VISA breach at Heartland Payment Systems and are working very closely with VISA to identify any of our card holders that may be at risk. As soon as we know more information, we will be contacting any affected members. Please check our website for any updates.

• (5/13/08, 6/26/08)-- Attention MHV Visa Credit/Debit Cardholders: Recent fraud attempts has made it necessary for us to restrict certain card transactions in the following states. If you are planning to travel to any of these states, please contact our Visa Department at 800.451.8373 prior to departure so we can review and/or remove any restrictions.
  
  

  California	Florida	Massachusetts	Pennsylvania
  Connecticut	Georgia	Nevada	Texas

  
  
  
• (3/20/08)--Credit/Debit Card Data Breach. We are aware of a recent data breach involving Hannaford Supermarkets. Although some member data was exposed, it does not mean that information related to member's accounts was taken or that fraud has occurred on any MHV accounts. Members with impacted cards will be notified by mail. We recommend that you monitor all of your account activity. Please contact us immediately if you notice any unauthorized transactions.
  
  
• (1/18/07)--The credit union has been notified by VISA Fraud Control about a large data compromise at a large national retailer. We have been working with PSCU Financial Services to review this incident and identify affected cardholders for MHV Federal Credit Union. If your Debit, Credit or Cache/ATM card number has been compromised because of this incident we will notify you by mail with the identified card number. The letter will instruct you what to do if your card number has been compromised. Please call PSCU at 1-800-449-7728 or the credit union at 1-800-451-8373 with any questions. Please note MHV's member database has not been compromised in any way.
  
  
• Due to a high volume of fraud "Falcon Fraud Detection Service" will be stepping up their efforts in the following countries and cards may be blocked for suspicious activity:
  
  

  Australia	Indonesia	Netherlands	Taiwan
  Canada	Italy	North & South Korea	Thailand
  Chile	Japan	Russia	Turkish Lira
  China	Latvia	Saudi Arabia	United Kingdom
  France	Malaysia	Singapore
  Hong Kong	Mexico	South Africa
  India	Morocco	Spain

  
  
• Due to fraudulent activity, Visa activity has been blocked in the following countries:
  
  

  Argentina	Israel	Taiwan	Vietnam
  Brazil	Pakistan	Turkey
  Bulgaria	Philippines	Ukraine

  
  
• Due to fraudulent activity, ATM transactions have been blocked in the following countries:
  
  

  Belgium	Lithuania	Romania
  Estonia	Poland	Russia

  
  
• In order to meet the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) requirements, all credit and debit card transactions have been blocked in the following countries:
  
  

  Burma/Myanmar	Iran
  Cuba

  
  

  If you're planning to travel to any of these areas, please contact our Visa Department before you leave, at 800-451-8373 (1) ext. 3282. If you need assistance while traveling in these areas, please call the Visa Department during our business hours or our card issuer after hours at the number on the back of your card.

• (4/14/05)-- Railroad transactions in the UK have been temporarily blocked due to high volumes of fraud.
  
  
• A new scam is asking members to validate card information for "Verified by Visa" and threatening to disable the card if there's no response. Do NOT respond to this. It's fraudulent.
  
  
• While Visa may occasionally call you to verify a transaction to assure that it's legitimate, they will never ask you to reveal confidential card information. If you have any concerns about a phone call from someone claiming to be from Visa, call Visa's toll-free number on the back of your MHVFCU Visa Card.
  
  

  Please Note: Should you find yourself in a situation where your credit card is blocked, you can call us with your password to request that the hold on your card be released; for your protection, we will not release a hold without your password. Please note that your password is the security code you’ve selected to identify yourself to us when calling; it’s not your card PIN, which we have no way of knowing. If you can’t remember your password or never established one, please call our Contact Center at 800-451-8373, ext. 6000, for assistance. Then, if you need help with a blocked card in the future, you can call the Contact Center with your password and ask to be transferred to the Visa Department for help.

• According to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), scammers are taking advantage of a banking practice that allows companies to write unsigned paper checks on a consumer's behalf for one-time transactions such as last-minute bill payments or purchases from telemarketers. Please be very cautious about giving out your checking account number and review your transactions carefully on home banking and your statements to assure they're all authorized transactions.

• (2/15/05)--A national bi-weekly payment administrator pulls mortgage information from public records and sends mortgage holders a letter about converting to their weekly or bi-weekly payment plans. They have their letter set up so our name appears over the member's name in the salutation (and their name does not appear on the letterhead). Therefore, it appears this offer is associated with us. It's not. The letter invites you to set up a weekly or bi-weekly payment program administered by this company for a one-time setup fee of $195 and a "transfer fee" added to each payment ($1.95 weekly or $3.50 bi-weekly). They claim this will shorten your mortgage term and save you money. That's because splitting a payment in half and paying that amount bi-weekly results in 26 bi-weekly payments, not 24, which is the equivalent of one additional monthly payment each year. You do not need an "administrator" who charges fees to pay down a loan faster; you can do it yourself right here at MHV. You can make additional payments on your mortgage at any time at no extra charge. Please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your options.

• (4/16/07)--TROJAN VIRUS MASQUERADES AS VIRUS PATCH. A new trojan virus is circulating in a spam e-mail that claims the attached password protected zip file is a fix for a virus detected on your system. If the file is opened, the trojan virus will attack your computer system. Any suspicious e-mail should be deleted immediately.
  
  
• (2/2/07)--BEWARE OF NEW TROJAN VIRUS. The trojan variety of computer virus appears to be harmless but once opened can cause havoc on your computer. The current version is disguised as a Microsoft Word document in an e-mail attachment. As always be suspicious of e-mail from unknown sources or that you were not expecting and delete it immediately.
  
  

(2/4/05)--What you should know about spyware, the Internet's latest method for invading surfers' privacy.

1. In general, spyware is not designed to be harmful to you—except for violating your privacy. Spyware can be as benign as cookies that simply track sites you've visited on the Web and market to you based on that information. Or, spyware can be so sophisticated as to track your keystrokes when you're logging into home banking. By the time spyware is doing things like logging keystrokes, however, it's entering the realm of being a virus.

2. You open yourself up to spyware when you surf the Internet using Microsoft Internet Explorer and especially when you download items from the Web.

3. Spyware programs tend to be badly written. As a result, they may make your computer perform badly or even crash.

4. "Browser Helper Objects" are the holes in Internet Explorer that spyware exploits. A lot of spyware creates a BHO that can take over the browser. It might change the home page or redirect you to a page other than the one you chose in the address line. The BHO might tell your computer, "If Sam wants to go to www.creditunion.com, send him to www.bank.com."

5. You can avoid a great deal of spyware if you don't use Internet Explorer. But remember, Explorer is an integral part of the Windows system. It can't be uninstalled and other Microsoft applications might not run well in tandem with alternative browsers like Mozilla.

6. Software exists for detecting and eliminating spyware. These programs work like virus software, except that they are not in real time. Computer users actually need to run them to have them scan your machine.

7. A popular and effective anti-spyware program is Spybot Search & Destroy.

8. Spybot or any other anti-spyware program can't eliminate every piece of spyware that you might encounter.

9. Spyware is an issue that's getting the attention of Congress because it exploits people's privacy. Right now spyware is legal.

   Source: Carl Faulkner, principal, Cornerstone Advisors Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., CUES' partner in CUES Tech Port. January 26, 2005