ID Theft
| Phishing Scams | Phone Scams | E-mail Fraud | Traveling Overseas? |
WARNING: Active Online Phishing Threat
We have discovered "phishing" activity in which users are presented a web page that requests certain personal data such as account number, social security number, ATM card, PIN and credit card information. This web page may be titled "Security Confirmation" and appears to come from within the online banking and billpay service, but it is actually a fraudulent page caused by malicious code that has infected your personal computers.
- If you see this web page, DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR INFORMATION and DO NOT SUBMIT THE FORM.
- Most anti-virus software providers have recently issued updated software which eliminates the malicious code. It is important that you update and run anti-virus protection software immediately to protect yourself.
As a reminder, we want to protect your identity and will NEVER ask you for your personal information online. If you ever receive a call, e-mail or unusual web page where this information is requested, DO NOT give this information out.
As your credit union, it is our responsibility to protect your financial assets and safeguard the confidentiality of your personal information.
We have been advised that there are some fraudulent websites on the internet that appear similar in format to that of a financial institution.
These phony websites may ask or E-mail you for confidential information such as social security number, date of birth, credit, ATM or debit card number and related personal identification number (PIN). The intent of these websites is to obtain information illegally to access customers' accounts and personal identities.
Individuals fraudulently claiming to represent local financial institutions will sometimes call people and ask for confidential information about their accounts. Please be assured that HarborOne will not ask for personal financial information over the phone or the internet, unless you personally initiate the conversation. We urge you to please carefully guard and protect your personal financial data.
Scam Alert - E-mail Fraud
"Phishing" is the act of sending an e-mail to as many people as possible requesting that they give personal information (SSN, account numbers, bank numbers, etc.). The e-mail is designed to look like it has come from or is supported by a bank or credit union. At some point, the e-mail may look like it was sent out by HarborOne.
We do not send e-mails requesting personal information under any circumstances. If you receive an e-mail that looks like it came from us and requests personal information, do not respond to the e-mail. Please forward the e-mail to security@harboronecu.com. along with your name and phone number, and keep the e-mail since we may have questions about it.
As a Member, your personal information is secure with us and we want to help you keep your personal information secure from anyone else attempting to use fraudulent methods to obtain it.
Scam Alert - E-mail Fraud
How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam.
Internet scammers casting about for people's financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go “phishing.â€
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with – for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The message directs you to a Web site that looks just like a legitimate organization's site, but it isn't. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
The FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, suggests these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:
- If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don't ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company's correct Web address. In any case, don't cut and paste the link in the message.
- Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins "https:" (the "s" stands for "secure"). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.
- Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
- Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
- Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
- Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov. If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC's Identity Theft Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from ID theft. Visit www.ftc.gov/spam to learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam.
A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It's especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Finally, your operating system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Traveling Overseas?
IMPORTANT NEWS
The growing number of fraudulent ATM & debit transactions has caused us to review locations that pose a higher fraud risk. Effective immediately, access to your funds through ATM & debit card will not be available in the following countries:
Burma
China
Cuba
England
Estonia
Iran
Italy
Japan
Korea
Lithuania
Malaysia
Mexico
Nigeria
Northern Ireland
Poland
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Singapore
Spain
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Wales
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and suggest that you look into alternatives such as American Express Travel Cards or Travelers Cheques. Visit any of our branches for more information.
