Contact Center Solutions Industry News

TMCNet: Liberty Bank targeted by text scammers

[December 22, 2009]

Liberty Bank targeted by text scammers

Dec 22, 2009 (Santa Cruz Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- BOULDER CREEK -- Jill Hitchman, first vice president at Liberty Bank, is advising customers charged for scam text messages arriving on their cell phones to ask their cellular service providers to reverse the charges.

"I believe people have been successful getting these charges reversed or waived," she said.

Felton resident Dan Selling reported both he and his wife got text messages on their cell phones Wednesday night saying their Liberty Bank cards were blocked and could be reactivated by calling 831-216-1105.

"Each of these messages cost me 20 cents," Selling said. "I know it's not much, but it could add up." Several others reported to a site that tracks telemarketers and scammers, http://whocallsme.com, that they too have received calls from that number.

A reverse search identified the number as an unpublished number based in Felton.

Liberty Bank, which is based in South San Francisco and has local branches in San Lorenzo Valley, was targeted in October by scammers making automated phone calls to local residents indicating their bank account was compromised and urging them to "press one for security." Hitchman advised customers not to provide their bank account number or personal identification number.

The FBI investigated but no arrests have been made.

That incident resulted in bank customers becoming well-informed about the hazards of giving out personal information, according to Hitchman.

She suggested businesses using a voice over Internet protocol, VoIP, or PBX phone system take precautions with the security of their phone systems.

Hitchman said scammers are hacking into legitimate business phone systems by running programs that make numerous password attempts until they find some that work. Once they access the phone system, they send out text messages and in some cases can re-route a return call to a different voicemail system.

"At a minimum, business owners or managers should be notified of excessive password attempts," Hitchman said. "It would be safer to have a system that locked up the system after an excessive number of attempts." To see more of The Santa Cruz Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.santacruzsentinel.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

[ Back To Contact Center Solutions Homepage's Homepage ]


Related Contact Center Solutions Articles
[ View all Contact Center Solutions Articles ]

Socialize with us

FREE Contact Center Solutions eNewsletter

Click here to receive your targeted Contact Center Solutions Community eNewsletter.[Subscribe Now]

Industry News

Featured Resources

Contact Center Solutions Glossary of Terms

Press Releases

About the Contact Center Solutions Community

    Welcome to the Contact Center Solutions Community The Contact Center Solutions Global Online Community, Sponsored by Interactive Intelligence, is designed to serve as the industry's premier resource for information and research on Contact Center Solutions technology and deployment strategies.