Member Services

Fraud Prevention Center - Recent Alerts

Listed below are the alerts that St. Mary’s Bank has recently received and/or experienced. You may contact our Member Contact Center for additional information at 1-888-786-2791.



03/19/08- NEW ALERT! - Advance Fee Loan Scams

The FDIC has reported an increase in Advance Fee Loan Scams that prey on consumers who may be under financial duress and may be looking for “guaranteed” loans or are promised loans in return for fees paid upfront by the loan applicant.  The following are warning signs that may indicate a loan offer is not legitimate:

  • The loan approval is "guaranteed." Lenders do not typically guarantee loans before analyzing the applicant's financial condition, credit history and ability to repay.

  • The loan applicant is required to pay upfront fees to a third party or individual. Loan fees are normally paid to a business after the loan has been approved.

  • The lender or loan processor may be located outside of the United States.

  • Fees are requested using a retail wire transfer system. A password is sometimes used by the overseas receiver to pick up the funds in an attempt to hide the true identity of the criminals and make funds more difficult to trace.

    More information about fraudulent advance loan fee scams can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/loans.shtm

    01/28/08 - Mystery Shopper Scam
    Various counterfeit checks have been received by members with instructions to evaluate Western Union locations as part of a “Mystery Shopper” program.  Instructions note to keep a portion of the funds as “salary” and to remit the larger portion via Western Union in order to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the payment system.   Included may be an official looking questionnaire to note how friendly the representative was, if the area was clean, etc.  After the funds have been sent, the check is returned as counterfeit resulting in financial loss to the depositor. See the section of this site labeled “Counterfeit Checks/Lottery Scams” for more information.

    12/18/07 -     American Express $500 checks
    American Express has reported that counterfeit $500 travellers and gift checks are in circulation.  If you receive American Express checks (or any other type of check) with instructions to deposit/cash the items and return some of the funds, do not do so as they are likely to be counterfeit! You may call 1-800-525-7641 to verify American Express checks. See the section of this site labeled “Counterfeit Checks/Lottery Scams” for more information.

    10/30/07 - CUNA Phishing E-mail
    Some members have reported receiving e-mails from “CUNA” asking that they call a phone number or click on a link to resolve a compromised credit card. Please be aware that CUNA has reported this as a phishing scam and you should not click on any link or respond. If you have responded and provided private data, please contact our Member Contact Center at 1-888-786-2791 for assistance. See the section of this site labeled “E-mail Scams” for more information.

    8/13/07 - Increase in Counterfeit US Postal Money Orders
    We are seeing an increase in counterfeit US Postal Money orders being received by members through the mail. If you receive postal money orders (or any other type of check) with instructions to deposit the items and return some of the funds, do not do so as they are likely to be counterfeit! You may call 1-866-459-7822 to verify US Postal Money Orders or visit your local post office to determine if they are valid. See the section of this site labeled “Counterfeit Checks/Lottery Scams” for more information.

    7/3/07 - Beware Fraudulent FDIC Mailings
    FDIC reported that fraudulent emails, mailings and faxes are being sent out with the purpose of gaining sensitive personal information. FDIC never contacts banking customers directly and you should never respond to such requests. See the section of this site labeled “Email Scams” for more information.

    6/12/07 - Increase in Counterfeit Checks for Government Grants
    We are seeing an increase in counterfeit checks being received by members for an alleged “grant” they have received from the US Government. While there are legitimate US grants available, these grants are typically for projects that benefit the community and require detailed accounting and oversight by the government. They are never checks randomly mailed out. Be wary of any check randomly received especially if you get instructions to deposit the check and return some of the funds to another individual. See the section of this site labeled “Counterfeit Checks/Lottery Scams” for more information.



    Please check this page again as we are constantly updating with new alerts.

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