FRAUD ALERTS

Fraud E-mail Alert
May 8, 2008 - Don't Respond to Stimulus Payment E-mail Scam. Posted by Better Business Bureau, Birmingham, AL.

The Internal Revenue Service wants you to know there may be a scam waiting in your e-mail inbox that looks very official but is dangerous to you and your computer. "We're getting reports of people getting an e-mail that appears to come from the IRS and tells recipients to respond before May 10th to get their '2008 Economic Stimulus Refund,'" said IRS spokesman Dan Boone. Boone says there are three things the IRS needs people to remember:

1. The IRS never sends unsolicited e-mails. Never.
2. If you get a scam e-mail, don't access any links or attachments.
3. If you file a 2007 federal tax return with the IRS by Oct. 15, you don't
need to do anything else to get a stimulus payment.

According to Boone, if you have accessed a link or attachment in a scam e-mail, you may have allowed the scammer to download malicious software to your computer and you should immediately scan for viruses and spyware, plus be alert for suspicious activity on your financial accounts. "If you have actually responded to a scam e-mail by giving out your private information," Boone said, "you should immediately take steps to prevent identity theft. You may now be a prime target." Taxpayers can help the IRS stop scammers by sending the original scam e-mail to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. However, the e-mail must be forwarded using special instructions at IRS.gov or it loses the encoding needed to track it to its source, Boone said. Boone also cautioned that scammers make contacts in various ways. "While the IRS never sends unsolicited e-mails or text messages," he said, "we do frequently use the U.S. Mail and may even use a phone call or a visit to make contact with taxpayers." Scammers know this and may also use one of these methods to contact people, he said. However, the IRS usually already has information that includes your Social Security number, Boone said, so it would be unusual for an IRS employee to ask for that. And if the person is asking for credit card, bank account or PIN numbers, that's a big red flag that it's not the really the IRS contacting you, he said.

"Don't be a victim! If you have any doubt as to whether the person contacting you is really from the IRS," he said, "decline giving out any information until you have contacted the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-1040 to confirm that it is a legitimate contact."

For more information about tax scams, visit www.irs.gov and check out the Dirty Dozen, a list of tax scams updated each year by the IRS.

February 20, 2008 - Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union has been notified by the National Credit Union Association of an e-mail scam targeting credit union members and the general public. These fraud e-mails ask you to go to a website or call a 1-800 number to update your personal information. We ask that our members avoid responding to ANY unsolicited requests for personal information. AACFCU nor NCUA will ever ask you to provide, update or confirm sensitive information by e-mail.

Cash Advance Scam
We have recently learned that a cash advance offer scam has been targeting AACFCU members. Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union is NOT affiliated with any cash advance company. Therefore, if you receive a letter and/or call asking you to log on to their website, and provide your account information so they can make an automatic deposit into your account and then later debit your account for the payments, please contact Julie Smith at 1-800-448-4096 ext. 1722 immediately!

New Computer Virus May Prompt Online Fraud Attempt
Please be on the look out for a new computer virus that may be on your computer. This virus may cause a fraudulent screen to appear in the online Bill Payment window. The screen posts messages that attempt to trick you into providing sensitive information such as your account numbers and passwords – information the bill payment system already knows and you should not provide again.

If you are using online Bill Payment and a new screen appears out of context asking you to provide sensitive information, do not provide this information. If you’re in doubt about the validity of a screen, please contact us.

Check Fraud Alert
We have been informed that checks from Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union have been copied and forged under the premise of a Canadian Lottery scheme. If you have recently received one of our checks and were told you have won a lottery and asked to wire or send money from your account to receive the rest of it, please contact us.

Your credit union, along with financial institutions throughout the country, is experiencing check fraud in record numbers. This rash of crimes is costing credit unions and banks millions of dollars. Unfortunately check fraud is costing members as well.

When fraud occurs and a member deposits a fraudulent check into his/her account, that member becomes responsible for the check. If the check is returned as a fraudulent item, the money will be debited from their account. If the money is no longer in the account, it could lead to legal prosecution-- both civil and criminal.

Below you will find a simple test that could keep you from being a victim of check fraud. If you receive a check through the mail or FEDEX, ask yourself these questions:

	Is the check from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc? Is the amount of the check more than the item’s selling price? Does the seller ask that you wire him/her the difference?
	Did you receive the check via an overnight delivery service? Is the check connected to communicating with someone by email?
	Is the check drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
	Have you been informed that you were the winner of a lottery? Have you been instructed to wire, send, or ship money as soon as possible to a large U.S. city or to another country in order to claim the remainder of the alleged funds?
	Have you been asked to pay money to receive a deposit from another country? Are you receiving pay or a commission for facilitating money transfers through your account?

If you suspect the authenticity of a check or an offer of a cash reward visit one of our branch locations or call 1-800-448-4096.

Internet / E-mail Fraud Alert

Recently, there have been multiple e-mail fraud attempts, known as "Phishing", that were sent to some credit unions members that appeared to be from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) or Credit Union National Association (CUNA). This false e-mail asked for the recipient to click on a link to verify their credit union account registration. If the recipient proceeded to do so, the link directed them to a false website and asked for their credit union account number and PIN, along with other personal information. The false email indicates that the senders have limited access to your account. No one has limited access to your account.

Neither NCUA, CUNA, nor Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union asks credit union members for such personal information via e-mail. If you receive an e-mail that purports to be from NCUA, CUNA, or Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union and asks for account information you should consider it to be fraudulent, and you should NOT follow the instructions in the e-mail.

If you responded to such an e-mail and provided any confidential account information, please notify Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union immediately 1-800-448-4096