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Click for Robinson, Texas Forecast

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott
 
 

CONSUMER ALERT
Beware Of Spam E-mails Claiming To Originate From The Office Of The Attorney General

A brazen, new spam e-mail featuring Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s photograph and the Office of the Attorney General’s Web page banner has recently hit inboxes statewide.

The fraudulent e-mail message, which may include the subject line, “ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS,” is given the false appearance of legitimacy because it is adorned with the agency’s distinctive online logo and an image of Attorney General Abbott. In the e-mail text addressing the recipient by name, a vague security alert warns about a “transaction with the United Nations.” The entire e-mail reads:
 
Attn: [Recipient Name],

This is the office of the attorney general of Texas we are using this private email box to contact you for our security reasons because a lot is going on now and so many of our citizen wish to hear from this office daily but we have choose this medium to attend to our good citizen.

[Recipient Name], we wish to inform you that your transaction with the United Nations concerning your package that is on hold now is a legitimate transaction and you must try and see you provide all that is been requested for the security of this great country.

You are at a safe hand and we are giving you % 100 assurances to continue with them and make sure that your package is being released to you.

Thanks.

 

 

Savvy e-mail users have increasingly learned to identify and delete fraudulent e-mails that falsely appear to originate from legitimate banks, credit card companies and government agencies. Recipients should not respond to the sender or click on any Web links that may appear within the message. Activating Web links that appear in unexpected e-mails may direct users to fraudulent Web sites or allow identity thieves to capture users’ sensitive personal information.


Texans can protect their e-mail addresses from spammers by working with their Internet service providers to install free filters, blocks and other junk mail management services. All computer users should also familiarize themselves with a Web site’s privacy policy before providing their e-mail addresses. Most legitimate vendors allow users to prevent the company from sharing their information with unauthorized third parties.

Abbott signature

Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott
 

CONSUMER ALERT

Spoof Credit Union E-Mails Could Ruin Consumers' Holidays

A new, dangerous identity theft scheme is targeting credit union customers across the country. According to consumer and credit union groups, spoof e-mails are directing credit union customers to call a telephone number and confirm their personal information. Consumers who make the call do not reach their credit union, but instead end up on the telephone with a scam artist who wants to steal their identity.

Savvy consumers have increasingly learned to identify and delete spoof e-mails that falsely appear to originate from legitimate banks or credit card companies. Known as "phishing," these e-mails direct consumers to a decoy Web site that allows the scammers to collect all the information they need to empty the customers' bank accounts and ruin their credit.

"Phishing" scams have been around for years, but increasingly sophisticated criminals now send e-mails instructing consumers to call a telephone number instead of clicking on a link. This tactic, known as "vishing," can be especially effective because consumers who encounter a live person are much more likely to let down their guard.

The latest "vishing" scam immediately disarms consumers by specifically warning about similar schemes. One recently circulated e-mail reads:

Dear Credit Union Customer,

We regret to inform you that we have received numerous fraudulent emails which ask for personal account information. The emails contained links to fraudulent pages that looked legit. Please remember that we will never ask for personal account information via email or web pages.

Because of this we are launching a new security system to make Credit Union accounts more secure and safe. To take advatage [sic] of our new consumer Identity Theft Protection Program we had to deactivate access to your card account.

To activate it please call us immediately.

The e-mail provides a telephone number with a U.S. area code, adding to its air of legitimacy. In an especially brazen move, the e-mail offers identity theft tips and links to the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft prevention Web site. Consumers who think the e-mail is legitimate call the number and furnish sensitive information to a person they believe is a trusted credit union employee. Only when their identity is stolen do they realize it was all a scam.

These "vishing" scams combine the "phishing" ploy with a Web-based telephone scheme. The telephone numbers that appear in these e-mails are set up through VoIP, which is an Internet-based telecommunications service. Even though the phone number appears to be based in a familiar U.S. area code, the scammers are most likely in other countries and impossible to track down.

Consumers who receive this or any other unexpected e-mail or phone call seeking personal information should not respond. Consumers who have concerns about their account should contact their credit union by calling the telephone number that appears in the local directory or on their periodic statements. Never click on a link or call a telephone number that appears in an unexpected e-mail.


Abbott signature

Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

Law Enforcement Update

Fighting Mortgage-Related Scams

The home mortgage crisis is one of the great problems looming on the horizon for Americans. A combination of forces – including fraud, subprime lenders with lighter credit standards, decreases in the market value of homes, and interest rate increases – have led to a dire situation. With many Texans facing foreclosure and at risk of losing their homes, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is working with major lenders to protect homeowners.

Home ownership lies at the heart of the American dream, so foreclosures can be devastating for homeowners, their families, and ultimately for the community. Equally troublesome, foreclosures are already negatively impacting the economy, affecting interest rates, decreasing property values and harming financial markets.

We are doing all we can to help Texans keep their homes. Earlier this year, the OAG concluded its investigation into Ameriquest, a subprime lender that deceived homeowners into refinancing their homes at unfavorable mortgage rates. Under a settlement negotiated by the OAG, Texas homeowners received more than $21 million in restitution from the lending giant.

We are also cracking down on scam artists who are trying to exploit fearful homeowners to take advantage of this tough situation. Many fraudulent "foreclosure rescue" services collect exorbitant fees from at-risk homeowners, promising to prevent foreclosure. The scammers just worsen the situation, often accelerating the foreclosure process by advising homeowners not to speak directly to their lenders to resolve their problems.

Homeowners are not the only ones harmed by mortgage-related scams. A growing number of scam artists are duping lenders, mortgage companies and other businesses in the mortgage industry. Mortgage fraud involves intentionally or knowingly making a false or misleading written statement to obtain property or credit, including a mortgage loan. This type of fraud can take many forms, but the most common schemes include fraudulent appraisals, inflated income on loan applications, and even identity theft.

According to the FBI, mortgage fraud is one of the fastest-growing white collar crimes in the United States. Mortgage fraud is also a real problem in Texas. A 2006 report by the federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ranked Texas fourth in the nation for real estate mortgage loan fraud.

Fraud may be committed by a sole borrower seeking a personal loan, or it could be committed by a criminal seeking to obtain and purchase loans as part of a larger scheme, such as money laundering. Mortgage fraud may also include unlawful kickbacks to buyers, investors, property or loan brokers, appraisers, and title company employees.

Recognizing the pervasive mortgage fraud problem, the Texas Legislature took action to increase cooperation among law enforcement agencies by creating the Texas Mortgage Fraud Task Force.

Task force members, including the attorney general and top state real estate, banking and consumer credit regulators, held their first meeting in September. Future task force meetings will improve interagency communications and further law enforcement's efforts to track and reduce mortgage fraud in Texas. The new legislation also authorized the attorney general to prosecute criminal mortgage fraud cases in coordination with local prosecuting attorneys.

The OAG is committed to protecting Texas homeowners. Public officials must continue working with lenders, educating homeowners and prosecuting scam artists as we strive toward a solution to this troubling situation. The dream of home ownership is too important to ignore.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

 CONSUMER ALERT

Jury Duty Scam Just Another ID Theft Trick

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the country have reported the resurgence of an old trick known as the jury duty scam.

In this scam, potential victims receive calls from people posing as court officers. The caller informs the victim that he or she failed to appear for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for his or her arrest. After alarming the victim, the caller then seeks to "confirm" the victim's Social Security number and other personal information. After divulging this information, the victim is often told that the entire matter can be instantly dismissed by paying a fine. All the victim needs to do is provide a credit card or checking account routing number.

By the time the call ends, the scammer has all the information necessary to open lines of credit under the unsuspecting victim's name. Identity thieves can quickly empty the victim's bank accounts or run up staggering credit card bills.

As with many ploys to obtain consumers' personal information, it is likely that many of these identity thieves are actually thousands of miles away, often in other countries and out of reach of U.S. law enforcement. Under this scheme, criminals simply go through the phone book hoping that sooner or later someone will provide the sensitive information they need to steal an identity.

This ploy is particularly effective because it causes victims to react immediately out of fear, rather than taking the time to reflect about the information being requested. While citizens could face legal consequences for failing to respond to a valid jury summons, legitimate court officers would never leave threatening messages on someone's voicemail to demand personal information and immediate payment of a fine.

Consumers who receive such a call can verify whether they must appear for jury duty by calling their local courthouse or district court. Consumers should NEVER hand over personal information in response to an unsolicited telephone call or e-mail, no matter how legitimate it might appear.

For more information, contact the Office of the Attorney General at (800) 252-8011 or visit the Attorney General's Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us

Abbott signature

Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas