'Brad'

Brad

FDIC Special Alert 6/13/2006 (64.76.34.177) -

Special Alert

SA-163-2006

June 13, 2006

TO: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer)

SUBJECT: Consumer Alert

Summary: E-mails to financial institution customers that fraudulently claim to be from the FDIC attempt to obtain highly sensitive personal information, including bank account information. These e-mails falsely indicate that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.

FDIC Consumer Call Centers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., have begun receiving a large number of complaints by consumers who received an e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The e-mail informs the recipient that Department of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has advised the FDIC to suspend all deposit insurance on the recipient’s bank account due to suspected violations of the USA PATRIOT Act. The e-mail further indicates that deposit insurance will be suspended until personal identity, including bank account information, can be verified.

This e-mail was not sent by the FDIC and is a fraudulent 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.

Information related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2006/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

Acting Director

Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection

Distribution: All FDIC-Insured Institutions

Comment #1 Sweetness from Earth, the Universe -

Thank you very much for that information. However, there are many different companies (or I should say false companies) that are sending out these kinds of e-mails all the time. The best way to protect yourself from this type of thing is to make sure you do not answer any e-mails of that nature and call your bank to find out if this is in fact a true request.

First of all banks and financial institutions do not send out e-mails to request any kind of confidential information from their clients.

So beware of anything of this nature coming to you and check with the original sourse. I'm sure they will deny that anything like that is being done for their institution via e-mail.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER answer an e-mail with any kind of confidential information. You make a telephone call and that's usually all it takes to find out if it is false.

Comment #2 imaginarydivabc from vancouver, bc -

Same thing with the top 3 auction sites like Ebay. They will never ask for your information via email. They encourage you to go to their site to log in and access the information.

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