Gorham Savings Bank

PHISHING RELATED TO ISSUANCE OF ECONOMIC STIMULUS CHECKS. Click here to view an article from the Federal Bureau of Investication

Want to learn how to protect your Checking Account? Click here to view an article from the Federal Reserve Board

Con artists know that people trust the FDIC name. That's why they may use our name and seal in fraudulent e-mails trying to obtain valuable information from consumers and businesses. These types of scams are commonly referred to as "phishing." Con artist use fake Web sites and e-mails to obtain valuable personal information from consumers.

The FDIC does not send out unsolicited e-mails or ask for detailed personal information. Additionally, the FDIC does not ask people for the PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts. If you get this sort of e-mail appearing to be from the FDIC, you should assume that it is fraudulent.

To report a fraud, send an e-mail to the FDIC financial crimes unit at alert@fdic.gov or call the FDIC toll-free at 1-877-ASK-FDIC 91-877-275-3342).

Visa has been made aware of a growing fraud scheme involving $500 Visa branded counterfeit travelers checks affecting both consumers and merchants.

Criminals in Nigeria and the United States are mailing or couriering counterfeit travelers checks to U.S. consumers either unsolicited or in settlement of goods including internet orders, rental deposits and others.   The checks are sent along with a request that the accompanying checks be cashed, a percentage of the value retained for the recipient’s benefit, and the balance remitted to addresses mainly in Nigeria/West Africa.

The scam also affects merchants.  Criminals or consumers are attempting to use the counterfeit checks for merchandise and receiving cash for the balance.  According to reports from U.S. merchants, the criminals then attempt to return the merchandise for cash. 

Consumers should be cautious of ANY payments received from unknown sources.  For more information, see the alert below on scams using counterfeit checks/money orders.

Phone calls, E-mails, and links to websites that fraudulently claim to be from known businesses are requesting that recipients provide highly sensitive personal information, including bank account information. Please remember Gorham Savings Bank will never ask for sensitive account information unless you initiate the call.

• Is the check you received for an item you sold on the internet (and possible for an amount higher than the selling price)?   
• Have you been informed that you won a lottery, but you need to pay fees and/or taxes before you can collect your big "winnings"?
• Have you been instructed to wire, send or ship money (possible via Western Union)?
• Is the check connected to communicating with someone via email?