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Special Alerts
| SA-163-2006
June 13, 2006
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| TO: |
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer) |
| SUBJECT: |
Consumer Alert
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| Summary: |
E-mails to financial institution customers that fraudulently claim to be from the FDIC attempt to obtain highly sensitive personal information, including bank account information. These e-mails falsely indicate that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.
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FDIC Consumer Call Centers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Washington,
D.C., have begun receiving a large number of complaints by consumers who
received an e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The
e-mail informs the recipient that Department of Homeland Security Director
Tom Ridge has advised the FDIC to suspend all deposit insurance on the recipient’s
bank account due to suspected violations of the USA PATRIOT Act. The e-mail
further indicates that deposit insurance will be suspended until personal
identity, including bank account information, can be verified.
This e-mail was not sent by the FDIC and is a fraudulent attempt to obtain
personal information from consumers. Financial institutions and consumers
should NOT access the link provided within the body of the e-mail and should
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. Until this is achieved, consumers are asked to report
any similar attempts to obtain this information to the FDIC by sending information
to alert@fdic.gov.
Information 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
Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2006/index.html. To learn
how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please
visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.
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Sandra L. Thompson |
| |
Acting Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection |
Distribution: All FDIC-Insured Institutions
NOTE: Paper copies of FDIC Special Alerts may be obtained through the FDIC's
Public Information (1-877-275-3342).
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