WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, FBI Highlight Panel Discussion Focusing on Threats to Mid-Ohio Valley. The growing need for Mid-Ohio Valley residents to protect their personal and financial information was the focus of Thursday’s “Consumer Protection” program presented by Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Mid-Ohio Valley. WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey was the featured speaker, urging area residents to “stay on guard at all times”. “Scammers can be very convincing and smooth” said Morrisey. “They have one job, and that is to separate you from your money or your identity, and they will do anything and everything within their power to do that. More often than not, they will seem to be friendly, helpful or concerned about you”. Shelene Shrewsbury, a certified Counselor with Consumer Credit, indicated nobody was safe from the efforts of identity thieves. “These people don’t discriminate; it doesn’t matter to them if you are nine years old or ninety-nine. They are looking for any social security number that would allow them to open fraudulent accounts. We have experienced a local situation in which a 3rd grader was sent a notice that they had been declined credit. The parents actually came to us after receiving this letter and we advised them to immediately pull a credit report and check for similar activity. In fact, our agency recommends that everyone pull their credit report at least annually. A lot of times, constant vigilance can be your best defense.” The Attorney General also made it a point to remind residents that it wasn’t unusual to find scammers also using an opposite approach; frequently using scare tactics and threats to create a sense of urgency. “Recently, we issued a release about a jury duty scam in which people were getting calls about missing a jury summons and facing jail time if they didn’t immediately pay a fine using a pre-paid debit card. It was a scam, but some people paid it out of fear. Another scam focused on the IRS. In that scam, people called and said the consumer owed back taxes and had to pay immediately or face penalties, possibly jail time or deportation (if they were immigrants.) Scammers are master manipulators and they will do whatever it takes through kindness or threats to take your money. Yet another scam focused on someone calling senior citizens and posing as a family member who was in trouble overseas. The caller would ask for “Grandma” or “Grandpa” and say they needed money and to not tell anyone else in the family because they were embarrassed. The caller would give the impression of urgency and beg the citizen to wire money right away.” Scammers are also getting increasingly sophisticated in their approach and presentation. Ramona Warner, Internet Crime Specialist with the FBI’s Clarksburg bureau warned “large retailers like Target and Neiman Marcus have had their customer’s payment information stolen. Consumers must be diligent when checking their debit and credit card statements. If you see a transaction that you have not made, call the card provider immediately! Early detection will most often save you from having to pay fraudulent transactions“. “Phishing” scams, typically e-mails that appear to have been sent from a reputable financial institution, are frequently seen in this area as a way in which to solicit a consumer’s safeguarded account and password information. Elysia Atkinson, Vienna Branch Manager of People’s Bank, offered that any legitimate bank or credit union “would never ask to verify personal information over the phone or e-mail.” Atkinson went on to advise any individual “concerned their accounts may have been compromised…should contact their bank immediately and ask for a review of the account”. John Jackson, Executive Director of Consumer Credit, indicated this was part of the agency’s commitment to providing more education and prevention programs. “We have an obligation to Mid-Ohio Valley residents to share our resources and be more active in protecting the financial health of our community.” Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Mid-Ohio Valley is a non-profit organization, committed to providing Credit & Housing Counseling, Financial Education, Debt Management Programs and Representative Payee Services to the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 18:32:51 +0000
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