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The Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous notifications
from consumers of an e-mail that gives the appearance of being sent from
the FDIC. The "From" line of the e-mail displays the name "Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation " and the subject includes the words
"Consumer Protection."
Current
versions of the fraudulent e-mail state:
"Who is
FDIC?
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) preserves and promotes
public confidence in the U.S. financial system by insuring deposits in
banks.
What can FDIC do for you?
Despite the efforts of law enforcement, Identity theft is becoming more
sophisticated and the number of new victims is growing. In general,
consumers are protected against liability for unauthorized accounts or
transactions under federal and state law and by financial industry
practices. Identity Theft can affect consumers in many ways, thats [sic]
why FDIC is presenting a new card insurance which can restore you up to
$500 if you are a victim of internet fraud.
Learn more about Consumer Protection > Card Insurance:
Clicking here will redirect you to a online signup page for this
program."
The e-mail
requests that recipients click on a hyperlink that is provided. This
directs the recipient to a "spoofed" Web page requesting the user to
enter personal information to receive $500 of "card insurance." The
requested information (name, phone number, Social Security number,
address, card number, bank name, card expiration date, card verification
code, and electronic signature/ATM PIN) could be used to perpetrate
identity theft and gain unauthorized access to bank accounts. Be aware
that the appearance of the fraudulent e-mails can be modified and that
additional variations are possible.
Consumers
should NOT access the link provided within the body of the e-mail and
should NOT, under any circumstances, provide any personal financial
information through this media.
The FDIC has
shut down the fraudulent Web site and is investigating the source of the
e-mails. Consumers are asked to report any similar attempts to obtain
this information to the FDIC by sending information to
alert@fdic.gov.
Information
about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents and other fraudulent
activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes
Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4004, Washington, D.C. 20429, or
transmitted electronically to
alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to federal deposit insurance or
consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form
that can be accessed at
http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.
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