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Last modified: Friday, October 30, 2009 2:48 PM CDT
Don’t fall for e-mail bank scam
by Erin C. Hevern • Daily News
A nationwide fraudulent e-mail scam hit North Dakota Wednesday, causing state bank officials to be concerned about their consumers.
The e-mails, to date, are sent to holders of a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) account, notifying them their account now sits with a failed banking institution.
The consumer is directed to click on a hyperlink, which will download a file said to check their deposit insurance coverage.
Rick Clayburgh, president and CEO of the North Dakota Bankers Association (NDBA), said the FDIC would never make contact with their clients via e-mail.
"I think the way that e-mail was set up there is enough confusion to it we felt it might create enough interest that some consumer might fall for it," Clayburgh said. "We wanted to alert consumers to be careful."
As the FDIC continues to work with the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team to determine the exact effects of the file, recipients should consider the software as an attempt to collect personal and confidential information.
The NDBA is advising financial institutions and consumers to not access the Web site given in the e-mail or download the files provided on the site.
"There are people out there that pry on unsuspecting consumers all the time and they are getting more sophisticated at times," Clayburgh said.
Clayburgh added that banks in North Dakota are currently sound and secure, and are not in a situation where the FDIC would close an institution.
NDBA officials encourage consumers to contact their local banker if they receive the e-mail and have questions regarding the protection of their funds.
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