Please beware of the following scam email in circulation which claims to be from the FDIC. The email contains a dangerous link. If you are ever unsure of an email, please give us a call at 734-662-1600.

Subject of the email: Each depositor insured to at least $250,000 per insured bank

Content of email message:
Dear Sirs,
Due to the adoption of a new security system, that is aimed at diminishing the number of cases of fraud and scams, all your ACH and WIRE transactions will be blocked until you update your security version in compliance with our new requirements.. In order to re-establish the full functioning of your account, we urgently prompt you to install a special security software. Please open the link below --------- to read the instructions and download all the necessary files.

We apologize for causing you inconveniences by this measure.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you experience any problems.

Yours truly,

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Security Department

12/27/11: Bank of Ann Arbor has been alerted that counterfeit checks appearing to be from Eastern Michigan University or Eastern Michigan University Foundation on a Bank of Ann Arbor account number ending with 20106 are in circulation again.  These checks are counterfeit and bear the account numbers of a closed account. Scammers are attempting to purchase merchandise that people have for sale on services like Craig's List. Often the check is for an amount greater than the selling price of the item.  Thieves ask the sellers to deposit the check sent (a bad check) and then have the seller send them back a check (a good check) for the difference.  By the time the seller receives notification that the first check is a fraud, the thieves have cashed the second check. 

If you receive a check from eastern Michigan University or Eastern Michigan University Foundation with an account number ending in 20106, do not attemp to cash, deposit or in any way negotiate it.  It is counterfeit and will not be honored.

Most of us are familiar with fraud involving automobiles being sold over the Internet. A fraudster will post a nonexistent vehicle for sale on the Internet, typically a luxury or sports car. The details of the vehicle, including photos and description, are typically lifted from legitimate websites. An interested buyer, hopeful for a bargain, responds and is told that the vehicle is located overseas. The fraudster then instructs the victim to send a deposit via wire transfer to initiate the shipping process.

In a new twist to this scam, the fraudster advised there was an issue with the initial wire transfer and sent the victim a cashier's check. The victim was instructed to cash the check and resend a second wire to a different account. Unaware that the check was counterfeit, the victim followed through as instructed by the fraudster. This resulted in the victim getting duped two times and the fraudster accomplishing his "double-dipping" strategy.

Victims should be vigilant when an Internet transaction involves wire transfers and cashier's checks. Most individuals believe that cashier's checks are as good as cash and they clear the day after they are deposited. However, banks are required to make the funds "available" in the individual's account within 48 hours, which can be days before the cashier's check clears or bounces. Once the bank makes the funds available, the counterfeit check circulates to incorrect Federal Reserve locations. Generally, the average cashier’s check takes up to two weeks to clear, not two days. The bottom line: fraudsters understand the U.S. banking system process and capitalize on victims' misconceptions of the term "available funds."

The IC3 has posted multiple alerts warning consumers of various types of counterfeit check scams. The most recent warning was in the IC3 Scam Alert, May 10, 2011, which is available at: http://www.ic3.gov/media/2011/110510.aspx.

To learn more on this scam, prevention tips, and available resources, consumers can visit LooksTooGoodToBeTrue's Types of Fraud page on counterfeit checks at the following link: http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/fraudtypes/counterfeitcheck.aspx.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received over 70 complaints since July 2011 reporting fraudulent e-mails claiming the recipient had been issued a traffic ticket. The spam, which spoofed a nyc.gov e-mail address, claimed to be from the New York State Police (NYSP). Complainants, throughout the U.S. and internationally, reported that the e-mail indicated a traffic ticket had been issued against them as a result of a moving violation. None of the complainants reported any monetary loss. The e-mail, as noted in the sample below, instructed them to print the ticket and mail it to a town court in Chatam Hall to plead.

Subject: Uniform traffic ticket
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKET
POLICE AGENCY
NEW YORK STATE POLICE
Local Police Code
THE PERSON DESCRIBED ABOVE IS CHARGED AS FOLLOWS
Time
7:25 AM
Date of Offense
07/05/2011
IN VIOLATION OF
NYS V AND T LAW
Description of Violation
SPEED OVER 55 ZONE
TO PLEAD, PRINT OUT THE ENCLOSED TICKET AND SEND IT TO TOWN COURT, CHATAM HALL., PO BOX 117

The attached file contained in the e-mail was called Ticket-064-211.zip and some of the recipients reported that their anti-virus software detected that it contained malware.
The NYSP has posted the following two alerts on their site warning consumers of this scam:
http://troopers.ny.gov/Public_Information/2011_News_Releases/07-06-11_Hoax_E-mail_Alert.cfm
http://troopers.ny.gov/Public_Information/2011_News_Releases/08-17-11_UTT_Hoax_E-mail_Returns.cfm

Here are some of the latest fraudulent attempts to get malware on your computer or reveal personal information.  The perpetrators can be quite careful to make their emails look authentic to lure you in to taking some action.  Be immediately suspicious of unsolicited emails asking you to click on a link to get a report, statement, or other document. 

 Notice from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stating that a case is closed and reports accessed via a link.

Warning that the Federal government is considering a 1% tax on all banking transactions.  The information is misleading (yes, a bill was introduced but is extremely unlikely to even get out of committee) and the email often contains a link that could put malware on your computer.

When you get an email that seems out of the norm, that is unsolicited or contains unfamiliar links,  we recommend that you:

• Delete it immediately
• Never open it
• Never click on its links
• Never open its attachments
• Never reply or forward it

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports of fraudulent e-mails that appear to be from the FDIC and contain an infected attachment.

The fraudulent e-mails have addresses such as "no.reply@fdic.gov" or "notify84zma@fdic.gov" on the "From" line. The message appears, with spelling and grammatical errors, as follows:

Subject line: "FDIC notification"

Message body:

"Dear customer,
Your account ACH and WIRE transaction have been temporarily suspended for security reasons due to the expiration of your security version. To download and install the newest installations read the document(pdf) attached below.

As soon as it is setup, you transaction abilities will be fully restored.

Best Regards, Online Security departament, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation."

The e-mails contain an attachment "FDIC_document.zip" that will likely release malicious software if opened. These e-mails and attachments are fraudulent and were not sent by the FDIC. Recipients should consider these e-mails an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, or to load malicious software onto end users' computers. Recipients should NOT open the attachment.

Financial institutions and consumers should be aware that these fraudulent e-mails may be modified over time with other subject lines, sender names, and narratives. The FDIC does not directly contact consumers, nor does the FDIC request bank customers to install software upgrades.

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents, and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 3501 North Fairfax Drive, CH-11034, Arlington, Virginia 22226, 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.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2011/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

In light of the damage caused by Hurricane Irene, we remind you to beware of fraudulent emails and websites purporting to conduct charitable relief efforts. To learn more about avoiding online fraud, please see "Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes". 

The IRS does not send taxpayers unsolicited e-mails about their tax accounts, tax situations or personal tax issues. If you receive such an e-mail, most likely it's a scam.  These schemes may take place via phone, fax, Internet sites, social networking sites and particularly e-mail.  Many impersonations are identity theft scams that try to trick victims into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to access their financial accounts. Some e-mail scams contain attachments or links like PDFs or reports that, when clicked, download malicous code (a virus) that infects your computer or direct you to a bogus form or site posing as a genuine IRS form or Web site. 

Some impersonations may be commercial Internet sites that consumers unknowingly visit, thinking they're accessing the genuine IRS Web site, IRS.gov. However, such sites have no connection to the IRS.

Taxpayers who receive a suspicious e-mail claiming to come from the IRS should take the following steps:

• Avoid opening any attachments to the e-mail, in case they contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
• Avoid clicking on any links, for the same reason. Alternatively, the links may connect to a phony IRS Web site that appears authentic and then prompts for personal identifiers, bank or credit card account numbers or PINs.
• Visit the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov, to use the “Where’s My Refund?” interactive tool to determine if they are really getting a refund, rather than responding to the e-mail message.
• Forward the suspicious e-mail or url address to the IRS mailbox phishing@irs.gov, then delete the e-mail from their inbox.

The IRS website has lots of news on current scams and ways to protect yourself. Visit it for the latest information.

E-mails fraudulently claiming to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) are attempting to get recipients to click on a link, which may ask them to provide sensitive personal information. These e-mails falsely indicate that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.

The fraudulent e-mail informs the recipient that “in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, federal, state and local governments…” the FDIC has withdrawn deposit insurance from the recipient’s account “due to account activity that violates the Patriot Act.” It further states that deposit insurance will remain suspended until identity and account information can be verified using a system called “IDVerify.” If consumers go to the link provided in the e-mail, it is suspected they will be asked for personal or confidential information, or malicious software may be loaded onto the recipient’s computer.

If you receive this email do NOT access the link provided within the body of the e-mail and do not under any circumstances provide any personal information through this media. The FDIC is attempting to identify the source of the e-mails and disrupt the transmission. Help them out by reporting any similar attempts to obtain this information by sending information to alert@fdic.gov.

Read the full alert from the FDIC.

The IC3 receives a high volume of complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. In these scams, a caller claims that the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other internet check cashing services.

One of the most insidious aspects of this scam is that the callers have accurate information about the victims, including social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. The method by which the fraudsters obtained the personal information is unclear, but victims often relay that they had completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls began.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim's home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide to the victims any details of the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers threaten victims with legal actions, arrests, and in some cases physical violence if they refuse to pay. In many cases, the callers even resort to harassment of the victim's relatives, friends, and employers.

Some fraudsters instruct victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain dollar amount, on a specific date, via prepaid visa card. The statement further declares that the victim would never dispute the debt.

These telephone calls are an attempt to obtain payment by instilling fear in the victims. Do not follow the instuctions of the caller.

If you receive telephone calls such as these, you should:

• Contact your banking institutions;
• Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file;
• Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger;
• File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.