Fraud Resources

Identity theft is a serious crime. It occurs when someone uses your personal information — like your name, social security number, or banking details — without your permission. It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name.

Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information with these helpful tips.

• Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.
• Don't carry your social security card in your wallet or write your social security number (SSN) on a check. Avoid giving out your SSN only if absolutely necessary.
• Don't give your personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
• Never click on links sent in unsolicited e-mails; instead, type in a web address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date.
• Don't use obvious passwords like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your social security number.

Senior financial exploitation, fraud or improper use of senior's resources for another's profit or advantage is illegal. Exploitation usually involves someone the senior knows, such as a family member or caregiver. Fraud is usually perpetrated by a stranger, such as a telemarketer or investment promoter.

To prevent fraud, we encourage all individuals to:

• Keep personal documents (social security card, birth certificate, checkbook) locked and only share them when absolutely necessary.
• Use strong, unique passwords for online banking and enable two?factor authentication.
• Regularly review bank and credit card statements — set up email or text alerts for large or unusual transactions.
• Limit account access: avoid adding unnecessary joint owners; if you need help, use a narrowly scoped Power of Attorney drafted by a trusted attorney
• Keep a trusted family member or friend informed and set up regular check-ins about finances.

Some members have reported receiving fraudulent calls claiming to be the credit union. If the credit union is calling you regarding your debit card it will come from our local phone numbers or the suspicious activity tracking service the credit union contracts with.

For reference, the suspicious activity calls will come from 877-253-8964, the service will provide the card’s last four digits, and a case number. If you are still suspicious, please contact Card Services at 207-783-2096, we have access to a log of all members the suspicious activity tracking service has reached out to.

Another recent scam is Caller ID Spoofing. This is where a scammer spoofs or uses a local business phone number and pretends to be that business calling. Here’s some reminders:

• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes" or "No".
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security Numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information.

A LogMeIn Scam is a type of tech support scam where scammers pose as support agents or something of the sort to ask victims to install software like LogMeIn.

The way the scam works is as follows: you receive a call on your home or office phone line and the scammer confirms you use a computer (they may or may not have your email address or something for valid information to confirm). Then they proceed to ask you to download the program LogMeIn, which gives them access to your computer and any of your data on the computer.

This is a scam and you should not allow the scammers access to your computer and reputable companies typically would not contact you in this manner for an unprompted service call.

In a phishing attack, a fraudster spams the Internet with an e-mail claiming to be from a reputable financial institution or e-commerce site.

The e-mail message urges the recipient to click on a link to update their personal file or carry out some transaction. The link takes the victim to a fake website designed to look like the real thing. However, any personal or financial information entered is routed directly to a scammer.

How to protect yourself from phishing:

• Be aware of any email that asks you to provide any personal, sensitive information, either via e-mail or at a web site.
• Your credit union will NEVER ask for sensitive information about you in an e-mail.
• Tell us if you think you have received a fraudulent e-mail.

On the rise is a credit card scam, this phone scam is particularly deceptive because the scammers already have your credit card number and other personal details — they only ask for the one piece of information they’re missing, such as the security code (CVV) on the back of your card.

Since they sound convincing and seem to “verify” your identity by providing accurate information, many people let their guard down. Understanding how this Visa and MasterCard scam works can help you spot the red flags and protect yourself from financial fraud.

The scam works like this - caller: 'this is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?'

When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297.00 to $497.00, just under the $500.00 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?'

You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for security.'

You will need to refer to this control number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works.?The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do,' and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number but after the call, you call back within 20 minutes to ask a question. The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.

If you receive this call you can simply hang up and file a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police say they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urge us to tell everyone we know that this scam is happening. As always you can contact our Card Services Department with questions, 207-783-2096.

We have been notified that some members are receiving automated calls saying they are from Community Credit Union and wanting to verify account information. Community Credit Union would never call and ask for your personal information or for you to verify account information in this manner.

Recently many debit and credit card users experienced fraudulent charges caused by a possible breach in a merchant’s system. First and foremost, please know that you can always give us a call to discuss any issues or questions you may have.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind.

• Members have zero liability as all signature-based transactions are protected by zero liability fraud protection so no member will lose any money as result of any fraud that has or may occur
• We have a number of advanced fraud protection and fraud prevention systems in place that operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to identify and eliminate fraudulent card activity
• We have reissued cards that have been or could have been involved in any fraudulent activity associated with any breach
• Remember to always protect yourself and watch out for fraudulent or unusual activity: monitor and review your accounts on a regular basis and report any unusual charges and activity; do not give out any personal information via phone or email, as financial institutions and/or credit card companies will not ask for this information in this manner; report any suspicious solicitations and activity to your financial institution and local authorities

The Maine Credit Union League has been notified that a phishing scam involving text messages is currently affecting credit union members. The text message indicates that the members ATM Card has been frozen. The member is asked to call a 1-866 number to reactivate their card by entering the full 16-digit card number and their PIN.

If there is ever a chance of fraud, Community Credit Union will attempt to contact you regarding fraud on your account through our fraud monitoring text message system. Only our official systems and numbers are reputable sources.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind to avoid being compromised:

• A text alert from us warning of suspicious activity on your card will NEVER include a link to be clicked. Never click on a link in a text message that is supposedly from us. A valid notification will provide information about the suspect transaction and ask the cardholder to reply to the text message with answers such as ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘help’, or ‘stop’.
• A text alert from us will always be from a 5-digit number and NOT a 10-digit number resembling a phone number.
• A phone call from our institution’s automated dialer will only include a request for your zip code, and no other personal information, unless you confirm that a transaction is fraudulent. Only then will you be transferred to an agent who will ask questions to confirm that you are the actual cardholder before going through your transactions with you.
• We will NEVER ask you for your PIN or the 3-digit security code on the back of your card. Don’t give them out to anyone, no matter what they say. Hang up and call us directly.
• Regularly check your account online to see if there are any suspicious transactions that have occurred, but especially If you are unsure about a call or text message you’ve received. If anything looks amiss, call us directly for assistance.