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Consumer Alert: Phishing Scams Go Local

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:!: Disclaimer: Any information provided is only marginal advice and not a substitution for professional advice. Please contact the police if you feel you may have been a victim of a crime. Use any information entirely at your own risk.

Before getting to the consumer alert, a little aside in the form of an opening monologue:

I wish folks who feel driven to commit crime would consider honest alternatives. One could start a business and prosper using the same amount of energy it takes to steal from their neighbors. And not end up in the slammer, to boot! :grin:

Alas, we live in an age of quick-fix caffeinated energy drink instant gratification and people would rather risk jail than earn an honest buck.

It certainly doesn’t help when our government is perceived as one gargantuan criminal enterprise. Actually, one could argue it has become such a fugly beast. The government should not expect people to obey the same laws they are breaking themselves.

Fortunately we do have choices in our lives. And in spite of what other people are doing cutting corners, we can rely on our moral centers to guide us. My guiding principle is an axiom I came up with similar to the Golden Rule:

:idea: When one person or group suffers, we all suffer…

Causing suffering via crime for personal gain only ends up hurting everyone, including oneself. All is interconnected and codependent via the Web of Life.

[End opening monologue]


Here are some terms used in this article (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Voice phishing

Voice phishing is the criminal practice of using social engineering over the telephone system to gain access to private personal and financial information from the public for the purpose of financial reward.

The term is a combination of “voice” and phishing. Voice phishing exploits the public’s trust in landline telephone services, which have traditionally terminated in physical locations known to the telephone company, and associated with a bill-payer.

Voice phishing is typically used to steal credit card numbers or other information used in identity theft schemes from individuals. [source]

Caller ID spoofing

Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to indicate to the receiver of a call that the originator of the call is a station other than the true originating station.

For example, a Caller ID display might display a phone number different from that of the telephone from which the call was placed. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the motivation is considered malicious by the speaker or writer. [source]


Palatial main hall of a China CITIC Bank branch {Nanjing's Zhongshan St.}

[This photo used for generic illustrative purposes only]


Here’s a type of telephone phishing scam you may not be aware of:

You get a call you think is from your local bank where you have an account. The caller informs you of a problem or issue with said account. You think everything is copacetic and this is a legit call because:

  • You have an account with that bank.
  • Your caller ID verifies it is a call from your bank.
  • The person calling knows your name.

However, it turns out this phone call is a scam. Here is how the scammer does it:

  • They identify a local bank in your city or town knowing some people will have an account there in your community.
  • Using publicly available phone records (White Pages) the thief matches names with phone numbers in your city or town. They telephone people personally by name in your locale claiming to be from a local bank. A certain percentage of people called will have an account with the bank the crook claims to work for.
  • Even worse yet, the more sophisticated scammers will spoof the caller ID so the call appears to be from said local bank.
  • The criminal then proceeds to extract personal information from the victim so they can then steal their hard-earned bucks and/or steal their identity.
  • Thus the perfect personalized phishing scam!

:!: Note: The criminal dirtbag on the phone may try to scare you or imply dire consequences if you don’t immediately provide them with personal information about your bank account.

If you do get a call appearing to be from a financial institution you have a relationship with:

  • Don’t worry about being rude and end the call immediately!
  • Initiate your own call using the customer service phone number on your bank statement. And inquire if there is something you need to be concerned about.
  • One could also not answer the phone call and let it go to voice-mail. Then call the bank (with a number known to be legitimate) to see if there is anything to be concerned about.

Historic Bank Building {Downtown Denver, Colorado} at night

[This photo used for generic illustrative purposes only]


If you want to know the one-liner takeaway rule of thumb from this rather extensive missive:

:idea: Only initiate contact yourself (carefully using the phone number on your billing statement) to financial institutions — no matter what someone who contacts you says.

The same kind of thinking can be used to prevent becoming a victim of on-line phishing: You might get an email from what appears to be your bank. But in reality some of the links in the email take you to the criminal’s phishing website.

The only sure way to really to be safe: one must (carefully!) bookmark and use these on-line login page links exclusively. Clicking on links in emails can be dangerous!

Be well…

Claude DiDomenica
Co-founder, Columnist and Blogmaster
Secretary of Innovation
“In imagination & creativity we trust…”

“Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.”
–Mark Twain


Mark Twain {circa 1900: Life Magazine}



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