Let’s just call it Fraud

March 30, 2009 By 7 Comments

Ok – so on Sunday, I get two texts. 

3:11 pm 877-823-0477@1stfinancialfcu.org   Call us immediately at 877-823-0477.  Verification needed on your debit/ATM card.  Thank you.

5:31pm 8664600895@1stfinancialfcu.org 1st Financial F.C.U. Call us at 1-866-460-0895 to find out why your debit/ATM card was blocked.

I am afraid of things like this.  So afraid, in fact, that I won’t even call the number for fear they can track down my credit card and bank info just from my return call.

So, I call my bank (while we are driving home) They tell me not to call back.  That the text is fraudulent.  I am grateful I didn’t call.

then at 4:57 today, I get this text:

877-285-8766@1stfinancialfcr.orgPlease call us immediately at 877-285-8766. Verification needed on your debit/ATM card.  Thank you.

I’m still not calling.

Then I get a call at 8pm. I don’t recognize the number, but I answer.  An automated voice tells me my ATM/Debit card is blocked, and to press 1 for customer service. 

Still freaked out.  I’m not pressing one. Paranoid, I know. By the time I run up the stairs to ask my husband his thoughts, the call is disconnected.  My husband is mad.  He calls the number back.  The voice messages says, “thank you for calling Eli Kirk“.  Jeff presses zero to get an operator and is told that calls like ours have been coming in all night.  The calls are not originating from Eli Kirk – their number is being cloned.  In fact, another person who called back had given their credit card number out and their account instantly had money taken out.

Hate these  wretched people.

I feel terrible for 1st Financial Federal Credit Union too, because, they do, in fact exist.  They have an alert on their homepage to let people know the texts and calls ARE NOT coming from them. 1st Financial has offices in the St. Louis area.  Both my husband and I are getting texts.

Tonight, we both sent emails to the Missouri Attorney General.  It is scary to me that these thieves are able to clone numbers like this.

Jeff even called one of the numbers they left in a text – an automated voice asks you to enter your 16 digit credit card number.  And that’s it.  No way to get to a person.

The advice I’ve been given: don’t ever give out your info based on an email, text or incoming call.  Don’t even click on a link within an email.  Type in the web address you know for your bank.  Call your bank or credit card company directly.  Don’t let them take advantage of you!

Did I mention I hate them?

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Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Can we talk? Tagged With: , , , ,
  • http://happyarewe.wordpress.com stacey @ tree, root, and twig

    I hate having to believe that there are really people like this in the world. It just doesn’t make a shred of sense to me why people wish others such ill will. Boo, hiss!

  • http://www.becomingsarah.com Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com

    That’s unbelievable!

    A few years ago, somebody stole my banking information. It’s a horrible violation of privacy and I cannot believe that there is still scum out there who think they’re somehow entitled to other peoples’ money.

    I hope they catch those guys!

  • http://beccasbackyard.blogspot.com Becca

    I hate stuff like this. Scammers got my dad about a month ago, but he was smart enough to tell me about it right away and got it taken care of.

    A few years ago, I got into pen palling, finding people online but writing real letters. Well one day, I got a call from a guy asking to be my friend. I asked how he got my number…my dad had given it to him. Thankfully the guy was harmless and I asked him to just please not call me again, and he listened. But I asked my dad what happened, and he said the guy had called asking for me and my dad said “you have the wrong number, here is her number”. I told my dad anyone who is my actual friend knows my parents are divorced and would never call him for me. Since then, he has told me when people called, but he has always told them they had a wrong number.

    Now, I enter contests. A few weeks ago, my dad got a call saying I had won a contest but they needed his card number. So he gave it to them!!!!!! The next morning he told me about it and I told him I never put his info down at all, and to never give out his card number again. Thankfully he called his bank to cancel his card and no money had gone missing.

    I hate these scammers because they get genuinely nice people like my dad. He gave them the number because he didn’t want me to lose out on a contest. :(

  • http://www.writingsofawahm.com BrandyEllen

    I would say that’s crazy, and although IT IS CRAZY – it is what our world has come to. People seem to stoop to any level to try and gain personal data from people so that they can wipe them dry. It’s so sad people have nothing better to do! Lucky for you – you are a smart person and didn’t play into this – unfortunately for many others they DO NOT know this is a scam :-( And then well you know what happens we see it on the news every night almost!

  • http://themommyrambles.blogspot.com Alexia

    I hate scammers. I’ve gotten them for facebook and myspace too. I’ve learned to go straight to my site and log in because if there was a problem it would show up there as well as having an e-mail.

  • http://www.preppymama.blogspot.com Gina

    This is so scary. Can you imagine how many people freaked out and put their number in? I report stuff like this all the time to the Attorney General and FCC.
    We get automated telemarketing calls constantly we are thinking of changing our number and blocking it.
    Thanks for posting this so others are aware.

  • http://www.stampinmom.com StampinMom

    OMG, that is crazy how they can clone the number like that, ugh! What is this world coming too, with people like that :-( You were smart not to give out your info…unfortunately they do get many people that way. Cute blog btw…found you on twitter.

    Jamie :-)