Take a good look at the photos of two people suspected in an identity theft scam reported by CrimeDex in this issue of Security Spotlight. Robberies seem to have taken on a characteristic of desperation as evidenced by the number of armed incidents reported. The blogs referred to in the Blog section below echo this increasing trend. Be prepared: always check IDs, and know what you need to do in the event of a robbery. Check out the products in the Banker Store featured below that can help you do just this.
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There are fifteen armed robbery suspects posted right now on BOL's Unknown Robbers page. One man robbed a California bank at gunpoint from a wheelchair! He managed to foil the cops with a slow speed getaway in the middle of the day. Witnesses say the man motored away in the wheelchair with his right leg wrapped in a cast, sticking straight out, and then got in a handicapped-equipped getaway van, possibly with the assistance of accomplices. Another suspect may have robbed at least six New York banks. The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The suspect displayed a semi-automatic gun in each robbery and pointed the weapon at customers and employees. This is the perfect time to ask yourself if you have the neccessary policies and procedures in place to protect everyone in your institution should an armed robbery occur.
Go to BOL's Bank Robbery page for more information.
Mystery shopper scams are ever present on BOL's Alerts & Counterfeits page and right now there are thirteen alerts posted with some variation of this scam. Among those, First Priority Bank in Pennsylvania reports that counterfeit official checks are in circulation with several scam letters including letters regarding employment, a consumer research study and a rewards program. Legends Bank in Missouri also reports counterfeit items bearing the institution's name associated with a sweepstakes scam. Another alert warns all financial institutions about fraudulent traveler's checks that do not indicate any affiliation with any major traveler's check issuer. They are referred to as "Travelers Cheques" and are being presented in $100 denominations. The front of the item shows an American flag overlaid with the Statue of Liberty and the U.S. Capitol Building, with "Support Our Freedom" directly beneath the image. The right side of the item includes a map of the United States and the words: "Issued by Federal Credit Union, D.C." The back of the fraudulent item shows the amount of $100 in each of the four corners with an image of the U.S. Capitol Building in the middle area. An image of an eagle in front of an American flag is on either side of the back. Alert your staff about these fraudulent items and help your institution avoid unnecessary loss.
Go to BOL's Alerts & Counterfeits to read about other alerts.
 BOL CrimeDex recently sent out an alert asking for help on behalf of the U.S. Postal Inspector's Office and the Secret Service in identifying these two individuals in connection with an identity theft investigation.
 
Do you know who they are?
Email BJGreen@uspis.gov with any information and reference CrimeDex Alert CA-2008-064.
Are you aware of the Craigslist overpayment scams? As with the overpayment scams that have plagued eBay sellers, counterfeit checks are being tendered to individuals selling items via Craigslist. The amounts are greater than the purchased items and sellers are told to deposit the checks, ship the merchandise and refund the overage to the buyer. Of course, the checks are not good and the seller is left holding the bag.
Subscribers to the BOL CrimeDex service receive many benefits, including pictorial alerts that keep them informed about the latest developments in financial crime. Learn more here.
If you have some interest in the success of forensics labs, the 2007 FBI
report is for you. It has stories such as the case in Chicago where a
restaurant that had been robbed at knifepoint had their surveillance video
enhanced and the image compared against the Illinois Drivers License
database. A match was found; the suspect was arrested. You'll find more,
including links to the report on the BOL Security Blog.
Are you concerned that some of your customers may fall victim to a scam
involving economic stimulus payments? Many people are falling for this. They
see it as free money from the government — and they want it now! With
promises of getting it sooner, the phishing emails are "phlying phast". Ensure that your staff is prepared to protect your customer, as well as answer some common questions.
This blog also has information from a Symantec report on phishing attempts.
Did you know that banks are a key target of phishing attempts?
We have more on the phishing report as well as possible questions you need
to consider about stimulus checks, plus resources to get customers the
correct information on the
BOL Anti-Phishing Blog.
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