Consumer Alerts11/2009 Washington, D.C. (November 2009) — More than half of consumers are expected to do their holiday shopping over the Internet this year. The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today issued tips to help consumers stay safe and secure when ordering online. “A few simple precautions can make a big difference,” said R. Michael Menzies, ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Easton Bank and Trust Co., Easton, Md., “Community banks are committed to making sure that our customers have the information they need to shop safely and securely anywhere, anytime. It’s even more important at this time of year to remind people of the steps they can take to protect their personal information when shopping online and lessen the likelihood of fraud. The Internet offers incredible convenience, and most businesses online are legitimate. We just urge customers to use their good common sense.”
10/2009 The FDIC is warning that fraudulent e-mails claiming to be from the agency are in circulation. The e-mails come from the address “FDIC consumeralerts@fdic.gov” and have a subject line that reads: “FDIC Alert: check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage.” The e-mail tells recipients that, “Recently FDIC has officially named the bank you have opened your account with as a failed bank, thus, taking control of its assets.” The e-mail then asks recipients to visit the FDIC Web site to check their deposit insurance coverage and provides a fraudulent link. It then instructs recipients to “download and open your personal FDIC Insurance File to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage.” Recipients should consider the e-mail an attempt to collect personal or confidential information. The FDIC does not issue unsolicited e-mails to consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should not follow the link in the fraudulent e-mail. Read FDIC Alert. 02/2008 The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week warned about a phishing e-mail involving a harassment complaint that purports to be from the EEOC. The bogus e-mail contains a trojan horse virus that is likely to harm a recipient's computer if the user clicks on the referenced Web link and/or downloads the attached file. EEOC's policy is to use the U.S. Postal System -- never an e-mail -- to notify employers that an employment discrimination charge has been filed. Such bogus e-mails should be deleted immediately, the agency said. Read more. 11/2007 YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM TELEMARKETERS IN FIVE YEARS: But the calls could start coming for millions of people next year when phone numbers begin dropping off the national Do Not Call list. The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the list, says there is a simple fix. But some lawmakers think it is a hassle to expect people to re-register. EXPIRATION DATE Numbers placed on the registry, begun in June 2003, are valid for five years. For the millions of people who signed onto the list in its early days, their numbers will automatically drop off beginning in June if they do not enroll again. CLICK OR CALL TO RE-ENLIST People can register their home and cell phone numbers or file complaints at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222. The registry prohibits telemarketers from calling numbers on the list. THE EXCEPTIONS Organizations engaged in charitable, political or survey work are exempt. Companies that have an established business relationship with a customer also may call for up to 18 months after the last purchase, payment or delivery. 10/2007 The FBI warned the public against three separate Internet scams that continue to flourish through spam e-mails. The warning comes after the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received a rising number of complaints from citizens. In one scam, an e-mail recipient receives an electronic greeting card containing malicious software. The cards, which are also referred to as e-cards or postcards, are being sent via spam. Like many other Internet fraud schemes, the perpetrators use social engineering tactics to entice the victim, claiming the card is from a family member or friend. Although there have been variations in the spam message and attached malware, generally the spam directs the recipient to click the link provided in the e-mail to view their e-card. Upon clicking the link, the recipient is unknowingly taken to a malicious Web page. In another scam, fraudulent e-mails misrepresent the FBI and/or Director Robert S. Mueller III and give the appearance of legitimacy due to the usage of pictures of the FBI director, seal, letterhead and/or banners. The types of schemes using the director's name and/or FBI are lottery endorsements and inheritance notifications. The third is spam e-mail which claim to be from an official of the military sent on behalf of American soldiers stationed overseas. The scam e-mails vary in content; however, the general theme of each is to request personal infomation and/or funds from the individual receiving the e-mail. These spam e-mail messages are hoaxes and should be immediately deleted. Consumers need to be wary of unsolicited e-mails, that request them to take any action even if that means just clicking on an attachment. It is possible that by double-clicking on attachments to these messages, recipients will cause malicious software -- viruses, keystroke loggers or other Trojan horse programs -- to be launched on their computers. For further information on computer safety tips visit the FBI website at www.fbi.gov and the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov. 12/2006 The holiday shopping season is in high gear, and millions of Americans are beating the crowds by sitting in front of their computers this year. Online shopping is convenient and continues to grow in popularity, but buyers need to beware when spending their money in cyberspace. Follow these stops to help stay secure:
by Neale S. Godfrey for the ABA Education Foundation 02/2006 Take this quiz to gain a perspective on your child's financial personality. 1. If you give your child money, does he or she save it? Yes NoScoring the test: Not So Fast For all the parents whose children scored as savers, don't start with popping the champagne corks just yet. Most of us would say that saving money is one of the most important things to teach children. That makes sense for a number of reasons, including the fact that it's so hard for us to do it but we all have experienced the discomfort of being around an "extreme saver." We all know an extreme saver. He is usually a family member on the "other side." He shows his true colors when you go out to dinner. You've seen the routine. It's his turn to pay. The check is on the table, but he doesn't reach for it. You wait but there's no movement. You reach for the check. He got you again. The extreme saver can pose problems, for him and others. But so can the extreme spender, and more of them. The ideal is right in the middle: a careful spender and a disciplined saver. The way to teach this to your child is by presenting role models. If you're not the ideal role model, then perhaps you'll have to change your own behavior. For more tips about raising financially responsible children or for bank marketing programs, products and books, go to Neale Godfrey's Web Site or call (908)879-8898. Neale S. Godfrey is the family finance expert for the American Bankers Association Education Foundation. She was a former bank president and is an acknowledged expert on family finance. |