GEMC Federal Credit Union


	(March 2013) Identity Theft WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM. Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. It’s a serious crime that can wreak havoc with your finances, credit history, and reputation — and can take time, money, and patience to resolve. Follow this link to learn what to do if you are a victim of identity theft. IRS TAX RELATED IDENTITY THEFT. If you feel you have been a victim of tax fraud (i.e., your SSN has been used to file a false federal income tax return to obtain funds), please visit the IRS website for information on filing an Form 14039 “Identity Theft Affidavit” directly with the IRS. In addition, if you wish to share your IRS tax information with local law enforcement, you will need to complete IRS Form 8821-A “Disclosure Authorization” and submit it directly to the IRS. IRS Site: How Do You Report Suspected Tax Fraud Activity?
	(October 2012) Fraudulent Email Alert (Federal Reserve) Recently, some members have been receiving what appear to be legitimate emails from the Federal Reserve Bank. The subject line says “Immediate Transfer Approved”. Please be aware that these emails are NOT legitimate emails and are attempts at “phishing”. The following information is from the Federal Reserve: The Federal Reserve Board regularly monitors fraudulent solicitations and communications that purport to be made with the approval or involvement of the Federal Reserve or Federal Reserve officials. These scams often take the form of e-mail messages that seek to obtain personal information that is later used to commit fraud or theft. The Federal Reserve does not communicate directly with consumers. Individuals should be suspect of any e-mail message that claims to be from the Federal Reserve or references a Federal Reserve product or service. Recipients should not click on any links contained in these types of e-mails and should delete them immediately. In general, consumers should verify the legitimacy of potential service providers before providing personal financial information or entering into a business transaction. Consumers who suspect that their personal financial information has been compromised should contact their financial institution and local law enforcement officials. To file a complaint about a suspected fraudulent e-mail, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center at: www.ic3.gov. Information about specific scams is available on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's website at: http://www.newyorkfed.org/banking/frauds_scams.html. To learn more about how to guard against fraud or scams visit the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Help Center.
	(September 2012) Fraudulent Email Alert (FDIC) This message is to notify you of two fraudulent e-mails in circulation claiming to be from the FDIC. Please consider both to be fraudulent. The first fraudulent email includes statements pertaining to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 and the Investor Protection Law under the Securities Act of 1933. The contact information claims to be fdic.gov@execs.com, and the area code of (646) is used is for the Washington Office. The FDIC does not have email addresses @execs.com and (202) is the area code for the Washington Office. A form, which is attached to the cover letter, purports to be an "FDIC Claimant Verification" form. It too is fraudulent. The second fraudulent email claims to originate at support@fdic.gov and pertains to ACH transactions. The recipient is told that an ACH transaction has not been delivered; the recipient is requested to download the update via a link. These e-mails are fraudulent and were not sent by the FDIC. Recipients should consider these e-mails as an attempt to steal money or obtain personal or confidential information from the recipient. Recipients should NOT, under any circumstances, send funds as requested or provide any personal financial information. Also, please do not click on the links provided in the fraudulent emails, as this may load malicious software onto end users' computers. As a reminder, the FDIC does not send unsolicited emails to consumers or business account holders.
	(July 2012) President Obama is Not Offering to Pay Your Utility Bills Please be aware of this new scam currently circulating in GA. Never give out your Social Security Number, bank account information or credit card number unless you have initiated contact and feel comfortable with the the person you're speaking to on the phone. Only you are in the best position to protect yourself against fraud. To read more, click here: http://atlanta.bbb.org/article/president-obama-is-not-offering-to-pay-your-utility-bills-35055
	(June 2012) GEMC FCU and other credit unions in GA are experiencing an increase of fraudulent activity around "Secret Shopper" scams, a newer version of fake check scams. Don't be a victim. Take a moment to read about this and other scams in an article from the Federal Trade Commission. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre40.shtm
	Brochure: Authentication in an Internet Banking Environment - How to keep yourself safe on the internet
	The IRS Released it's "Dirty Dozen" Tax Scams list. This year's scams include: Phishing, Identity Theft, and Tax Preparer Fraud as the top three scams. Click to read more and learn how you can protect yourself this tax season.
	Turn to these trusted resources for more information on how to protect yourself against scammers: - Consumer Federation of America: www.consumerfed.org/consumer-privacy - National Consumers League: www.fakechecks.org or www.fraud.org - Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm - U.S. Postal Inspection Service: www.deliveringtrust.com