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Credit Card Fraud

Email Fraud

SCAMMERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEW FEDERAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE!

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is warning Texans to be aware of a scam that has emerged in connection with the proposed federal economic stimulus package. under recently passed legislation, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will mail tax rebate checks to eligible Texans over the next few months. President Bush has indicated he will sign the package into law Wednesday, February 13, 2008.
Several Texans recently filed complaints with the Office of the Attorney General after receiving unsolicited e-mails and telephone calls from purported IRS agents claiming that the taxpayers are eligible for "Bush refunds." The scammers demand taxpayers' Social Security and checking account numbers, claiming the IRS will use the information to directly deposit "rebate checks" into the taxpayers' accounts.
This is outright identity theft fraud, warns Attorney General Abbott. The IRS does not call or e-mail taxpayers unexpectedly to demand personal information for direct deposits. Taxpayer solicited in this manner should just hang up or delete the e-mail.
Texans who have received these bogus solicitations can file a complaint with the IRS at www.irs.gov or by calling (800)-829-1040. Consumers also can report such calls to the Texas Attorney General's office, at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/ .

BEWARE OF FAKE CHECK SCAMS!
* What you SHOULD know.
* What you SHOULD do.

www.fakechecks.org

If someone you don't know wants to pay you by check. . . but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It is most likely a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.

There are many variations of the fake check scam. It usually starts with someone offering to:

• Give you the first installment on the millions you'll receive for agreeing to transfer money from a foreign country to your account for safekeeping
• Buy something you advertised
• Give you an "advance" on a sweepstakes you've won

The scammers often claim to be outside the US, saying they cannot pay you directly, and that they will have someone who owes them money send you a check or money order. The amount of the check or money order may be more than you are owed, so you are instructed to deposit it and wire the balance to the scammer or to someone else. Or you are told to wire some of the money back to pay a fee to claim your "winnings." In either event, the crooks send a phony check or money order with instructions to deposit it in your account. After you have wired the money back to the scammer, you learn that the check or money order has bounced---you are left responsible for the funds!

Bounced Checks Can Cost You
These fake checks look so real that even credit union tellers may be fooled. Under federal law, financial institutions must make the funds you deposit available quickly---usually within one to five days. Just because you can withdraw the money doesn't mean the check is good. Forgeries can take weeks to be discovered.

CAUTION: It is important to keep in mind that under the law, you are responsible for the checks and money orders you deposit because you are in the best position to determine how risky the transaction is. When a check or money order bounces, you owe your financial institution the money you withdrew.

How Scammer Find Their Victims
- Scan newspaper and online advertisements for people listing items for sale
- Check postings on online job sites from people seeking employment
- place their own ads with phone numbers or email addresses for people to contact them
- call or send emails or faxes to people randomly, knowing that some will take the bait.

If you think someone is trying to pull a fake check scam, don't deposit it---report it! Contact the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center, www.fraud.org or (800)-876-7060. There are also more detailed tips about fake check scams in the telemarketing and internet fraud sections of the Web site.