Athens Review, Athens, Texas

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July 30, 2008

Scam targets e-mail users

Local bank warns against giving out personal information

By Lauren Ricks STAFF WRITER

Scammers tried to trick Franklin Bank customers out of more money last week — this time using e-mail.

Vice President Branch Manager Tere Lawyer said it didn’t work this time.

“People are starting to get real smart about it,” Lawyer said.

Franklin Bank’s name has been used by scammers on several occasions recently. Among the most recent examples, text messages were sent via cell phone with bogus claims regarding peoples’ bank accounts.

Lawyer said the problem is the scammers are targeting customers of many large banks.

“People trust banks and they give out their information,” Lawyer said. “They should never, ever do that because banks will never call asking for information. They already have it.”

An opening sentence of an e-mail circulated states, “Due to recent attacks targeting Franklin Bank, we are introducing a fully upgraded banking system. This new feature will protect your VISA credit card.”

The e-mail directed to click on a link to take advantage of the new “security upgrade.”

“It’s playing on people wanting to be safer,” she said.

Lawyer said the Web site referenced in the e-mail has been disabled for several days. She said the Information and Technology department went to the Web site and requested that the server disable it.

She said she went to the Web site before it was shut down to find out what was being requested.

“The minute you log in they ask for your card number, pin number, Social Security number and account number,” she said.

Lawyer said someone has obtained a large amount of numbers the bank has had disabled. She said the numbers were in Florida, New York, Georgia and in countries in Europe.

“We just find the numbers and shut them off,” Lawyer said.

She said about 10 people’s identities have been stolen by the scammers since January.

Lawyer said the victims are required to file a dispute for each fraudulent transaction. She said the process can take months.

“In the meantime, they are left hanging,” Lawyer said.

She said the bank will never ask for any information either on the phone or through e-mail.

“It’s not Franklin Bank and it’s never going to be,” she said.

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