Customer Care Center

Due to technology and the growth of the Internet, everyone is subject to fraudulent schemes and con games. Scams are constantly changing and becoming more sophisticated so we are caught off guard. Learn more about common scams.

Have you ever disclosed information to an unknown caller and then realized you shouldn't have given any information? When this happens, we become more aware of what to watch for; it is called social engineering.

Social engineering refers to tricking someone into revealing information that is useful to attackers and is done by email, phone or face-to-face. Social engineers are very good con artists who use their powers of persuasion to get victims to act against their own better judgment. The human factor is the weak link. Social engineering methods include:

Pretexting is the act of creating and using an invented scenario to persuade a targeted victim to release information or perform an action and is typically done over the telephone.

Phishing is the practice of luring unsuspecting internet users to a fake web site by using an authentic-looking email with the real organization's logo, in an attempt to steal passwords, financial or personal information, or introduce a computer virus attack.

Pharming is the hijacking of an official website's address, usually by hacking a Domain Name System server and altering the legitimate website's IP address so that users who enter the legitimate web address are directed instead to a fraudulent site where user names, passwords and perhaps additional personal information is collected for later illegal use.

How it works: With credit cards, a thief might counterfeit your current credit card or obtain a new card in your name. For example, a thief might steal a pre-approved card application from your mail and have the card sent to a different address. Or, a crook may work at a retail establishment where the card briefly may be out of sight. This person can swipe your card through an electronic "skimming" device that captures key account information from the card's magnetic strip and use the information to make fraudulent transactions.

With ATM and debit cards, the perpetrator might steal an existing card or make a new one. He might obtain your personal identification number (PIN) by shoulder surfing (watching over you as you enter your PIN at an ATM or checkout register), or convincing you to provide your PIN using a deceptive phone call or e-mail.

Best defense:

• Check your bank and credit card statements soon after they arrive and immediately report any unusual or unauthorized transactions to your bank. Country Bank makes it easy for you to keep up to date on all your Country Bank accounts by viewing your account information online. You may register for online banking.
• Remember that criminals steal credit card solicitations, bank statements and other important papers out of mailboxes, so take precautions with your incoming and outgoing mail. To sign up to receive your Country Bank statements electronically; register for eStatements after logging in to online banking.
• Contact your financial institution if your credit, debit or ATM card is lost, stolen or stuck inside an ATM.
• Never give your credit or debit card number or PIN in response to an unsolicited e-mail or phone call.
• Never write your PIN on your card or on a piece of paper in your wallet - memorize the number.
• Avoid going to the ATM in the dark or in a remote area or if people seem to be loitering by the machine.
• Steer clear of anyone offering to "help" you carry out a transaction - it may be a setup.
• Look for signs that the machine may have been tampered with or if there's a sign directing you to use one of multiple machines - one may be rigged with a keystroke recorder or a plastic insert that grabs cards until the criminals come for them. Walk away if you notice any suspicious signs.
• Be very skeptical if a retail employee swipes your credit or debit card through two devices instead of one - the second device could be a skimmer for recording your account information.
• Always take your credit, debit and ATM receipts with you.

Thieves are using e-mails, phone calls, and text messages to obtain your personal and financial information. Sometimes they can be pretty convincing but with just a bit of knowledge, you can prevent identity theft and unauthorized transactions.

Below is an example of a phishing e-mail, disguised as an official e-mail from a (fictional) bank. The sender is attempting to trick the recipient into revealing secure information by "confirming" it at the phisher's website. Note the misspelling of the words received and discrepancy. Such mistakes are common in most phishing emails.

The scam is called phishing. A thief sends out an e-mail which looks just like it came from a company which you are familiar. It may include the company's name, logo and even wording from the company's website. It also includes a convincing message explaining why you need to log in and verify your account information. The message may ask you to "update", "validate", or "confirm" your account information. Don't do it!

The email is likely a fake, meant to lure you to a website that doesn't belong to the company at all. It is used by the thief to steal your personal identifying information. Identifying information is any information that can be used to identify you, including your user name, password, debit and credit card numbers and account number.

If you fall into the trap and enter your log-in name, user password, or any other identifying information on this fake webpage, the thief will be able to use your information to steal your identity and make transactions on your account!

Best defense:

• Never click on the link provided in an e-mail if there is reason to believe it is fraudulent. The link may contain a virus.
• Never give out your personal or account information after following a link from an e-mail.
• Do not call any telephone number provided in a suspicious e-mail or phone message. If in doubt, call your financial institution directly using a telephone number you know or can verify; or go to the bank.
• If you disclose personal information, contact one of the three major credit bureaus listed below and discuss whether to place a fraud alert on your file. A fraud alert will help prevent thieves from opening a new account in your name.

View the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's multimedia presentation "Don't Be an On-line Victim: How to Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams."

How they work: There are many variations of this fraud but they all follow the basic script. You receive an unsolicited and extremely attractive offer of a product, service, loan, credit card, vacation, business opportunity or similar deal, and it may include a cashier’s check which you are asked to deposit, but you are told you must send money (supposedly to cover fees, taxes, shipping and handling, and so on) or divulge bank account numbers before you receive anything in return. The promised goods or services never arrive or they come with significant flaws.

Popular versions include:

• You are notified to complete an on-line survey in order to receive an official check. Once you receive the official check, you are notified to wire a certain amount to an address outside the U.S. After you wire the funds and deposit the official check, you will find that the check is fraudulent.
• A Nigerian scam involves an unsolicited e-mail or letter from someone claiming to be an official from a foreign government or corporation promising a lucrative reward or business opportunity if you will “help” by paying certain up-front expenses or allowing the temporary use of your U.S. bank account (which crooks can drain if you give them your account number).

Best defense:

• Be extremely skeptical of any unsolicited offer that seems unrealistic and requires you to send a payment or provide bank account information before receiving a service or product.
• Do not reply to an unsolicited letter or e-mail offering a major reward in exchange for your financial assistance or bank account information.

Example:

Complete a survey on-line and receive cash! The victim completes a survey on-line and receives an “Official Check” in the amount of $2,500.00 through the mail. The victim is notified to keep 10% of the check and forward the remainder to an address outside the U.S.

This is a scam. The check is no good, even though it appears to be a legitimate cashier’s check. The scam gets you to wire money to someone you don’t know. If you were to deposit the check and wire the money, your bank would soon learn the check was fraudulent. You would be out the money you wired and you are responsible for the fraudulent check.

The victim receives a letter or email stating he won a lottery or sweepstakes. Originally it was either the Canadian lottery or the El Gordo lottery in Spain; however scammers are now using any manner of sweepstakes including the Publisher's Clearing House. The "winner" is given a counterfeit check to finance the taxes and fees associated with collecting the prize. The victim is asked to cash or deposit the check and wire some of the money to an individual who is collecting the "tax". Most times there is a contact phone number that the person can call; however, it is a number for the scammer on a non-traceable cell phone who is safely outside the U.S. The victim is told not to disclose his good fortune until he collects the grand prize. The scammer keeps the wired funds, and the "winner" loses the cash wired and is responsible for the counterfeit check.

The scammer may claim to be from a foreign company that needs assistance in collecting their accounts receivable from their U.S. clients. All the victim is required to do is receive checks, deposit them, keep a percentage for themselves, and forward the rest of the funds via wire to their employer. Obviously the checks are counterfeit and the victim takes the loss.

The victim is to be a "mystery shopper". The victim is sent a counterfeit check and is instructed to use the funds to complete several transactions, the largest of which is a Western Union wire transfer, and evaluate the service they receive. Of course the wire is sent to the scammer and the shopper is left with the bad check and can not recover the amount wired. This scam puts some pretty tight time frames for completion and urges the victim to keep the assignment secret from everyone. They have also printed fake bank phone numbers on the face of the check.

Everybody loves eBay including the scammers. The victim places an item for sale on the internet, the winning bidder contacts them to arrange payment but there is a catch. The buyer is overseas and shipping needs to be arranged. Payment is sent in the form of a counterfeit check in excess of the purchase price. The seller is asked to wire the excess money to the buyer's shipper who will arrange pickup of the item. The money is wired before the check comes back, leaving the victim with the counterfeit check.

The scammer surfs personal ads or matchmaking websites for unsuspecting victims. He befriends someone and becomes involved in a cyber relationship. Once the victim is hooked, the scammer says he wants to come to the U.S. to be with the victim. He asks for money to fly to the U.S. and if the victim cannot or will not send it, a counterfeit check is sent from a "relative" of the overseas companion. The victim is asked to cash the check and forward the money to the overseas companion so he can purchase a plane ticket. If this is done, the victim is left with the counterfeit check and loses the money sent.

The victim receives a letter, fax or email from someone overseas but this time the scammers are writing to inform the victim that a long lost relative has died or has been killed. The departed relative has substantial assets in the foreign country that he has left to the only surviving heir, the victim. The victim is told the "attorney fees" must be paid to claim the inheritance. If the victim does not have the means to pay the fees, he is put in touch with someone who will loan him the money. The loan comes in the form of a counterfeit check. In the meantime, the victim wired the "attorney fees" and is left with the counterfeit check. Again, this scam has the potential to evolve into very large sums of money.

Funeral chasers visit the family of a recently deceased person, claiming that the decedent made a down payment on merchandise which is scheduled for delivery the next day, but there's a balance due. They mention facts about the decedent designed to assure the family that the collector is legitimate. However, such facts are easily found in obituary columns and elsewhere. At times like these, family members may be easy to convince, and the so-called balance due is often paid. Try not to make quick decisions under emotional or stressful conditions. Take time to think. Ask to see a receipt or order signed by the deceased.