The following email has been circulating in the Boise Area. Please be very cautious when you receive any emails that appear to be from a trusted source such as government agencies. This is a scam. Please see the email below:

Subject: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Counter-terrorism Division and Cyber Crime Division J. Edgar. Hoover Building Washington DC

Attention,

Records show that you are among one of the individuals and organizations who are yet to receive their overdue payment from overseas which includes those of Lottery/Gambling, Contract and Inheritance. Through our Fraud Monitory Unit we have also noticed that over the past you have been transacting with some imposters and fraudsters who have been impersonating the likes of Prof. Soludo of the Central Bank Of Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Aziza, Anderson, Wallace Fred, none officials of Oceanic Bank, Zenith Banks, Kelvin Young of HSBC, Smith Williams, Daniel Wilson, Ibrahim Sule, Dr. Philip Morgan, Dr. Usman Shamsuddeen and some imposters claiming to be The Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Cyber Crime Division of the FBI gathered information from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICCC) formerly known as the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) of how some people have lost outrageous sums of money to these imposters. As a result of this we hereby advise you to stop communication with any one not referred to you by us.

We have negotiated with the Federal Ministry of Finance that your payment totaling Two million and three hundred thousand us dollars will be released to you via a custom pin based ATM card with a maximum withdrawal limit of Three thousand us dollars a day which is powered by Visa Card and can be used anywhere in the world were you see a Visa Card Logo on the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). We have advised that this should be the only way a which you are to receive your payment because it?? more guaranteed, since over Fifteen billion us dollars was lost on fake cheque last year 2009.

We guarantee 100% receipt of your payment, because we have perfected everything in regards to the release of your Two million and three hundred thousand us dollars to be 100% risk free and free from any hitches as its our duty to protect citizens of the United States of America. (This is as a result of the mandate from US Government to make sure all debts owed to citizens of American which includes Inheritance, Contract, Gambling/Lottery etc are been cleared for the betterment of the current economic status of the nation and its citizens as he has always believed Our Time for Change has come because Change can happen).

Below are few list of tracking numbers you can track from FedEx website to confirm people like you who have received their payment successfully.

Name : Donny Peterson: FedEx Tracking Number: 870456747216 Name : Angela L.Johnson: FedEx Tracking Number: 870456750392

To redeem your fund you are hereby advised to contact the ATM Card Center via email for their requirement to proceed and procure your Approval of Payment Warrant and Endorsement of your ATM Release Order on your behalf which will cost you 260us dollars only nothing more and no hidden fees as everything else has been taken cared of by the Federal Government including taxes, custom paper and clearance duty so all you will ever need to pay is 260us dollars only.

Contact Information
Name: Lucas Thompson
Email: llucasthompson1@yahoo.cn

Do contact Lucas Thompson of the ATM Card Center via his contact details above and furnish him with your details as listed below:

Your full Name:
Your Address:
Home/Cell Phone:
Occupation:
Age:

On contacting him with your details your files would be updated and he will be sending you the payment information in which you will use in making payment of 260us dollars via Western Union Money Transfer for the procurement of your Approval of Payment Warrant and Endorsement of your ATM Release Order. After which the delivery of your ATM card will be effected to your designated home address without any further delay, extra fee or any authority raising eyebrow.

Upon receipt of payment the delivery officer will ensure that your package is sent within 24 working hours. Because we are so sure of everything we are giving you a 100% money back guarantee if you do not receive your ATM CARD Shippment Confirmation within the next 24hrs after you have made the payment for shipping.

Once again we are so sure of you receiving your payment at no any other cost as we have taking it upon our duty to monitor everything in other to cub cyber crime that is perpetrated by those impostors.

Thanks and hope to read from you soon.

ROBERT S. MUELLER,

DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
TELEPHONE: 206-666-5283
FAX: 206-666-5283

Note: Disregard any email you get from any impostors or offices claiming to be in possession of your ATM card, you are hereby advice only to be in contact with Lucas Thompson of the ATM card center who is the rightful person to deal with in regards to your payment and forward any emails you get from impostors to this office via the above fax number so we could act upon it immediately. Help stop cyber crime.

It's late at night and the phone rings.  "Grandma, I need help!" the caller breathlessly explains; adding that he has wrecked his car, been arrested, has a medical emergency or some other urgent need for funds, most often in Canada.  What would your grandparents, or parents - or even you - do getting this call?  This is what is often called the "Grandparent Scam," "Grandchild Scam," or "Emergency Scam," and it catches more victims than you might expect.  Help us spread the word about this scam!

Once the scammers reach someone willing to listen, they will work to convince "grandpa" to wire money quickly, often to Canada where the funds disappear.  They may ask for the grandparent's bank account numbers to "help" speed the process along, knowing that once they have that number, they have access to any funds in the account.

Occasionally the scammers already have the name of the grandchild ("Grandma, it's Susie..."), which isn't too difficult to find online through genealogy or other websites.  But often, the con artists don't even provide a name, hoping that the elderly victim may have trouble identifying voices on the phone or write any voice differences off to the stressful situation the "grandchild" is under.  The caller usually will try to convince the grandparent not to talk to other relatives ("Dad will kill me if he finds out!").

Luckily, if the intended victim is aware of this type of scam, it's fairly easy to detect following some simple tips.

• If the caller doesn't identify him or herself - don't help them!  Instead of saying "Bob, is that you?" ask which grandson is on the phone. 
• If the caller did give the identity of one of your grandchildren, ask for details to confirm it's really him or her - their middle name, birthday, favorite pet, etc.  Before sending any money, call their home, school, work, or even their parents to find out if they are truly traveling outside the country. 
• Be extra cautious on the telephone.  Whether a distraught grandchild or helpful bank employee "verifying" information, remember it's very easy for scammers to hide their identity over the phone.  The voice may sound friendly even if the motivation is evil.
• Always guard your bank account number.  Remember that once you've given this number to someone, for any reason, they then have access to continue to take money from your account. 

For anyone victimized by this type of distressed loved-one call, BBB recommends reporting the incident immediately to local police departments and state Attorneys General offices. If there is a request to wire money to Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre has established the PhoneBusters hotline and Web site to report such fraud. Reports can be filed easily online through the PhoneBusters site at: www.phonebusters.com, or by phone, toll free at, 1-888-495-8501.  

03/05/2010

The following email has began circulating again. It seems to pop up each year at this time. This is a fraudulent email.

Please be cautious about opening any links from emails like this. These links may contain malicious software which can harm your computer or allow the perpratrators to gather personal information about you without your knowledge. Icon Credit Union does not do business in this manner. If there was an issue with your account you would be notified personally by phone, not via email.

01/28/2010

The following email is being circulated in an attempts to defraud our members.
Please be aware of this and other methods used to gather your personal information for criminal purposes.

Dear VISA card holder,

A recent review of your transaction history determined that your card was used at an ATM located in Greenland, but for security reasons the
requested transaction was refused. You need to complete the VISA Card Holder Form. You can do this by clicking the link below:

http://reports.cforms.visa.com/secureapps/vdir/cholderform.php?ref=XXXXXXXXX&email=hq_acctdept@boiseoffice.com

VISA Cards Support

Ref: DIK8NJSOS7LPZ5H2QR57O6G581UFNGDGZ07RTYSQM738E8V0Y66JASR1QU2YF5K9D6RO

A new e-mail “phishing” scam seeks to plant malicious software on the computers of recipients who open an attachment purportedly related to the purchase of an airline ticket.

The fake e-mails use the names of various U.S. airlines including Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, US Airways, Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Midwest Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines.

The e-mail messages urge recipients to confirm a ticket purchase they never ordered. The e-mail requires an entry by thanking recipients for buying the tickets using the “Buy flight ticket online” service offered by the airline. Giving fake details of the purchased ticket, it asks them to confirm the purchase by printing the invoice and the ticket after clicking on an attachment in the mail.

However, when unsuspecting recipients click on the e-mail, a malicious software program downloads onto their computers. This “malware” enables the fraudsters to gain confidential information such as credit card access codes, Social Security numbers, and net banking passwords by allowing them remote access to the computers..

Airlines say there are a couple of things inside the mail that should warn people of the scam. The e-mails contain mistakes in spelling and grammar, and the formats in which the itineraries are presented are different than those used by the airlines.

You should be aware that these e-mails are not coming from the airline. If the format does not look familiar to you, and you have not recently purchased a ticket, do not open the attachment. Delete the e-mail right away.

View an example of the email

A local credit union received information from their member, who had been solicited over the phone by "Progressive Lending," asking the if he would like to take out a loan to consolidate his debt and have one payment. The member thought it sounded like a good deal and provided his verification of employment, a copy of his social security card and driver's license.

The member soon received the loan forms in the mail. Before signing, he reviewed the documents carefully. The first red flag was in the agreement, under number 14 of the terms and conditions it stated, "...the guarantee shall be governed in accordance with the laws of Chicago," the member thought he was working with a local company. The second red flag was the required payment of an insurance premium for the loan before the funds could be disbursed.

At this point the member attempted to contact the company with the phone number provided. The number was not legitimate, and neither was the company "Progressive Lending." It has been determined that the phone call most likely came from a foreign country. The member must now watch his accounts and credit reports more than ever, because of the personal information he provided this fake company.

An advertisement for "Progressive Lending" has been found in a local newspaper and reads as follows:

Need a loan? We can help.

Banks say no, we say yes.

Low rate on all loans.

Good or Bad credit, it's ok.

Progressive Lending (logo with circle and arrow)

Personal Loans, Mortgages, and Auto loans

We do it all

Apply now by phone quick approval

[1-800 number provided]

ICON can not stress enough, the importance for members to know who they are talking to before releasing personal information over the phone or online. If you do not initiate the conversation, use extra caution.

They rushed down to the bank, only to discover that their money had already been withdrawn. The thief had used the stolen cell phone to text "hubby" from the contact list and obtained the PIN. Within 20 minutes, the thief had withdrawn all of the money in their bank account.

Moral of the lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc. More importantly, when sensitive information is being requested through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.

A member received a different version of a phishing email claiming to be from NCUA (National Credit Union Administration). This latest email referred to transactions and the possibility of the account being frozen. The NCUA does not have anything to do with the monitoring of transactions on accounts. As stated below, the NCUA does not, and will not contact credit union members or staff to request personal information. If you receive a similar email, delete it immediately without selecting any of the links provided. View a sample of the phishing email.

Reported 07/31/07 - A member received a phishing email claiming to be from NCUA (National Credit Union Administration). The NCUA does not, and will not contact credit union members or staff to request personal information. If you receive an email of this nature, delete it without selecting any of the links provided. View a sample of the phishing email.

The Idaho Credit Union League received an official looking email about IRS Rebates asking the recipient to log onto a site to get their advance rebate. Please be aware that the IRS is NOT emailing information about rebates to ANYONE. View information on this from the IRS web site.

A local credit union had their web site phished on Monday. Members and non-members received an official looking email asking for their account information (including their PIN). Some members input their information into the fraudulent web site and had their accounts accessed by thieves via ATM’s in California. The emails appear to have been sent out of Canada and may have phished customers at several different institutions.

The Idaho Department of Finance helped the credit union in their effort to close down the phishing web site The credit union indicated the web site has been reported and that, from the Internet response, has been restricted by the registrar or other entity.

Members should always be on their guard when receiving emails or phone calls requesting personal information. If you receive such a request, and are not sure if it is legitimate - hang up the phone, or delete the email and contact the credit union at a known phone number or email.

View a copy of a recent phishing attempt that was reported to CUNA Mutual regarding a "Teacher of the Year" award.

The following article appeared in The Idaho Statesman newspaper on Sunday, December 9, 2007:

"Calls asking you to renew your license plates over the phone are a scam, the Idaho Transportation Department said in a warning issued Friday [December 7, 2007]. Anyone giving out that information could become a victim of identity theft, officials said.

The Department of Motor Vehicle offices does not solicit vehicle registration renewals by telephone. You can renew your license in person, by mail, or online at www.itd.idaho.gov.

Anyone who receives such a call should get as much information as possible then call police, Smith said.

If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, contact the Idaho Attorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division at 334-2424 or toll free at (800) 432-3545."

Do all that you can to protect your personal information in person, over the phone, through the mail, and online.

An email scam is circulating, professing to be from the IRS. The email tells taxpayers that that IRS has calculated their "fiscal activity" and they are eligible to receive a tax refund.

The email either comes in the form of a web page titled, "Get Your Tax Refund!", or provides a link to this false page. The web page has the appearance of the genuine interactive "Where's My Refund?" page that resides on the official IRS site.

On this false web page, taxpayers are asked to enter their social security number and filing status - as well as their credit card account numbers. The IRS does not send emails to taxpayers to advise them of refunds or to request financial information.

If you receive an email such as this, delete it immediately without selecting any links, or providing any personal information of any kind. If you have questions, contact the IRS office directly using a known phone number - not one provided by the email.