HNB Fraud Watch Protection
Tips to Avoid Fraud
1. Keep track of the balances on any account that have a plastic payment card. Monitoring any drastic changes is the best warning system. Sign up for balance alerts through the HNB Netteller and GoDough Mobile Banking for your HNB accounts.
2. If you receive a call from a bank employee, realize that is okay to hang up and call the bank to find out if the call was legitmate. Do not call a number provided by an unknown person, call the number you find on the back of your cards or here on our website.
3. Do not use an ATM unless you have some privacy around you, people should not be lingering around and don’t converse with others while you are using the ATM. If any parts of the ATM are loose or unstable, or the ATM looks drastically different than you last saw it, do not use it, instead go to one you feel more comfortable using or visit a branch to withdraw money.
4. Report any incidents that could put your card information at risk. If an ATM captures your card, do not assume that it is by fault of the ATM, a criminal may have staged this and will retrieve your card later. In either situation, you should notify the bank and request a new card as soon as possible.
5. If for any reason you feel that your card information may have been compromised by a merchant, ATM or any business, notify the bank and ask for a new card number. Remember to change your PIN number as well.
New Scam for the Summer of 2012
The summer heat wave is blasting people across the country, but don’t let your fried brain trick you into believing a new scam spreading across the country. For example, Dayton Power & Light in Ohio says customers have been calling in to report a trickster who’s telling people President Obama will pay their utility bills as part of a bailout plan. The scammers are asking people to register for the program, and provide personal and financial information in the process. The whole thing is a sham, says DP&L, according to the Dayton Daily News. Other reports of such scams have been popping up elsewhere, including New Jersey, California, Wisconsin, Florida and many other states.
“The scammers are simply fishing for personal information as part of the identity theft fraud. Unfortunately, many victims received forwarded emails or text messages from friends and family,” said DP&L spokeswoman Lesley Sprigg. “The scam uses email, Twitter, phone calls and even door-to-door visits. Sometimes, utility customers are asked to provide the number on the back of their Social Security cards. It is a way to get Social Security numbers, bank account or routing numbers to use in identity theft.”
The scammer is assuring targets that the bills will be paid off, and have even been providing a bogus confirmation numbers. Victims are realizing soon enough that no, the bill has not been paid, and yes, they still must pay it. And in the process, scammers are stealing money from victims’ bank accounts using the personal information.
As always, never give out personal information like a Social Security Number or bank account numbers over the phone from anyone who calls you. DP&L says anyone getting a call from someone claiming to be part of the program or claiming to be from DP&L should hang up and call the utility’s customer service number at 800-433-8500. If you’re in another state, make sure to contact your utility company as well.
Don’t fall for ‘Obama will pay electric bill scam,’ warns DP&L [Dayton Daily News]
Thousands of Americans fall victim to utility payment scam [Associated Press]
Fraudulant Check Scams
We have received phone calls from supposed winners of the North-American Sweepstakes Lottery to verify the authenticity of checks drawn on Honesdale National Bank that they have received.
These checks are fraudulent and we advise you not to deposit or attempt to cash them. They will be returned by HNB to the bank that attempts to collect on them.
Callers may contact Kevin Colgan at (570) 253-3362, ext. 1497.
Recipients can fax a copy to us at (570) 251-9519.