We have been made aware that some of our members are receiving phone calls from a source claiming to be ELGA CU indicating that their debit card has been blocked and that they are to push 1 to reactivate their card. The number on the caller ID is appearing as (718) 683-3104 and, if a return call is attempted, the caller receives a busy signal.

Please be assured that ELGA is not the source behind these calls and that this activity is a scam. Please avoid following the instructions detailed above and never give any of your personal information to a party calling you claiming to be ELGA or claiming to be acting on our behalf. As a member, we have all of your necessary personal information on file and only ask for such information to verify identity on incoming calls.

If you have any further questions or you’ve been among those contacted by the scammers, please call our contact center at (810) 715-3542. Thanks for your understanding and, as always, allowing us to serve you.

Sincerely,

Member Service
ELGA Credit Union

Tips for Avoiding Mortgage Modification Scams

Homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments should beware of con artists and scams that
promise to save their homes and lower their mortgage debt or payments.

If you are struggling to pay your mortgage and are seeking a mortgage modification, keep the following tips in mind:

• You can apply to the federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) on your own or with free help from a housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Applying to the program is always FREE. For more information on how to apply, call the Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE (1-888-995-4673) or visit www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov.
• Only your mortgage servicer has discretion to grant a loan modification. Therefore, no third party can guarantee or pre-approve your HAMP mortgage modification application.
• Beware of anyone seeking to charge you in advance for mortgage modification services – in most cases, charging fees in advance for a mortgage modification is illegal.
• Paying a third party to assist with your HAMP application does not improve your likelihood of receiving a mortgage modification. Accordingly, beware of individuals or companies that ask you for payment and tout success rates or claim to be “experts” in HAMP.
• If an individual or company claims to be affiliated with HAMP or displays a seal or logo representing the U.S. government in correspondence or on the Web, you should check the connection by calling the Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline.
• Beware of individuals or companies that offer money-back guarantees.
• Beware of individuals or companies that advise you as a homeowner to stop making your mortgage payments or to not contact your mortgage servicer.

Financially troubled homeowners can avoid scams by working with a HUD-approved housing counselor to understand their options and to apply for assistance. Assistance from HUD-approved housing counselors is free, and homeowners can reach them by calling the Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE (1-888-995-4673) or by visiting www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov.

This message is courtesy of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program
(SIGTARP), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. To report illicit activityinvolving HAMP, dial the SIGTARP Hotline at 1-877-SIG-2009 (1-877-744-2009). For more information, visit www.SIGTARP.gov and www.ConsumerFinance.gov.

from CUNA Mutual:

Holiday Shopping Alert

As the holiday season approaches, it is important to be aware of potential scams. Con artists are working hard to get their hands on your member’s money as well as personal and financial information. To help reduce the risk and protect credit union members, we offer a list of potential scams along with tips for a safer and smarter holiday shopping season.

Alert Details

Many consumers will be using their mobile devices and computers to conduct their holiday shopping and so will the cyber scammers! Mobile device scams are a top threat this year based on the increase in mobile malware and malicious apps. Consumers should be aware of all potential threats in order to safeguard their funds and personal information this holiday season.

Let’s work together to keep the scammers away from credit unions and your members. Potential scams and tips to be aware of and share with your members are listed below.

Holiday Scams and Tips

• Watch for mobile malware – especially deals for black Friday and cyber Monday.

• Be cautious when looking for free mobile apps – may be an attempt to steal information.

• Watch for malicious screensavers, ring tones and e-cards.

• Watch for purchase offers of fake anti-virus software – this scam may trick you into purchasing the software.

• Secure your computer – at a minimum, have anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall.

• Remember to turn off your computer when you’re done shopping.

• Watch for social media scams – phony Facebook and Twitter sites or other online promotions and contests.

• Beware of scammers advertising popular holiday items.

• Check out the seller of items – research before you buy.

• Don’t fall for the mystery shopping scam asking you to shop for $XX dollars (ex: $100).

• Online coupon scams may ask for your personal or financial information using email.

• Holiday phishing scams – Don’t fall for emails, text messages or phone calls asking for personal or financial information.

• Monitor credit, debit and account numbers used for your holiday shopping to help identify any unauthorized usage.

• Vacation scams – don’t post holiday pictures until you are back home.

• Lighted parking lots – survey the parking lot surroundings. Make sure you have your car keys in your hands before entering the parking lot.

• If an offer or item sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.

• Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or call toll-free 1.877.ftc.help (1.877.382.4357)

The president this week proclaimed October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and urged Americans to observe it with “activities, events and trainings that will enhance our national security and resilience.”

ELGA Credit Union is committed to protecting our members by providing Computer Safety Education through DDI Frontline and letting you know of current online risks and scams.

Computer Safety Education Program.

Click on the Logo for FREE online training, articles and quizzes!

These documents were created as part of a joint effort between the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS‐ISAC).

Info on Work at Home Schemes: Fraud Advisory for Consumers Jan2011 (PDF)

Corporate Account Takeovers: Fraud Advisory for Businesses Jan2011 (PDF)

These are excellent documents showing how the fraud is being run and how you can protect yourself or your business.

Special Alert

SA-10-2011 January 12, 2011

TO:	CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer)
SUBJECT:	Consumer Alert
Summary:	E-mails fraudulently claiming to be from the FDIC are attempting to get recipients to click on a link, which may ask them to provide sensitive personal information. These e-mails falsely indicate that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports from consumers who received an e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The e-mail informs the recipient that “in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, federal, state and local governments…” the FDIC has withdrawn deposit insurance from the recipient’s account “due to account activity that violates the Patriot Act.” It further states deposit insurance will remain suspended until identity and account information can be verified using a system called “IDVerify.” If consumers go to the link provided in the e-mail, it is suspected they will be asked for personal or confidential information, or malicious software may be loaded onto the recipient’s computer.

This e-mail is fraudulent. It was not sent by the FDIC. It is an 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.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC’s Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2011/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

	Sandra L. Thompson
	Director Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

Note: Paper copies of FDIC Special Alerts may be obtained through the FDIC’s Public Information Center, 877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200.