FBI Fraud Alerts

New Email Fraud Alert via Phishing (March 2005)
The Central West End Bank has become aware of a serious attempt to gain personal customer information via fraudulent means. Your financial institution’s customers or employees may receive a fraudulent phishing e-mail to request debit card and personal information. This e-mail purports to be from Visa or MasterCard and requests that cardholders enroll in the Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode programs immediately by clicking a link located within the e-mail.
Please do not respond to this type of message. If you have received this type of e-mail, alert the Central West End Bank immediately via telephone at (314) 367-8800. Neither Visa nor MasterCard contact cardholders directly to request they enroll in Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode. A sample of a fraudulent e-mail text is below.
Consumer Alert (February 2004)
Financial institution customers are receiving fraudulent emails claiming to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). These emails are attempts to obtain highly sensitive personal information about the bank’s customers and their bank accounts by falsely indicating that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.Deposit insurance on our customer’s accounts cannot be suspended. DO NOT respond to these types of requests for personal information. Neither the FDIC nor Central West End Bank will ever contact you via email and request personal information.
Counterfeit Cashier’s Check Scam (December 2003)
Banks are witnessing incidents of customers being defrauded by counterfeit cashier’s checks. Below is an example of this type of scam.
A customer arranges to sell a car for $10,000 on the Internet. He receives a cashier’s check from the purchasing party in the amount of $15,000 with a request from the purchaser for a return of the difference. The customer deposits the check in his/her bank and is to return $5,000 via wire transfer to the purchaser of the vehicle. Because the customer unknowingly deposited a counterfeit cashier’s check, the check is returned, the customer is out $5,000 and the car.
What you should do: If you receive a large cashier’s check from a transaction of this kind, bring it by any Central West End Bank to have it reviewed. Our associates can contact the bank or credit union on which the check was drawn to confirm its authenticity.
If the check is counterfeit, it should be reported immediately to your local law enforcement office.
Phishing Scams (November 2003)
“Phishing” scams abound on the Internet. These scams are attempts to obtain your personal banking information, such as ATM/Debit Card account numbers, PIN numbers or Social Security numbers, by falsely representing the request as an official bank document.
Never respond to these types of requests. Central West End Bank will never request personal information via an email, phone survey, or written letter. Central West End Bank personnel are trained to identify themselves and verify who they are speaking with prior to any exchange of information.
If you mistakenly respond to a “Phishing” scam, contact any of your Central West End Bank immediately.
Our Web Site
The use of Central West End Bank’s website is for informational purposes only. We provide this security alert to you to advise you that Central West End Bank will not request non-public information, such as account numbers, PINs, Social Security numbers, or other personal identifying information that would allow a perpetrator to gain access to its customers’ accounts, steal the victim’s identity, or sell the information to others.
DO NOT EVER GIVE OUT CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OVER AN E-MAIL.
We appreciate your interest in viewing our site and welcome your call during our business hours.For more information call or visit your nearest Central West End Bank.
Contact The Central West End Bank Today for All Your Banking Needs.Telephone: 314-367-8800E-Mail: information@cwe-bank.com
Copyright 2005. The Central West End Bank. All Rights Reserved.