Watch For Phony Bank Correspondence

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2002 -- Watch out for correspondence that claims to be from your bank's "fraud control department." Fraudulent bank correspondence is the latest twist in the identity fraud epidemic, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) said recently.

The scheme uses fictitious bank forms and fraudulent bank correspondence, claiming to be from the fraud control department of the customer's bank, in an attempt to steal the identity and money of bank customers by having the customers disclose personal and banking information.

"This scheme has the potential to be very effective because the bank correspondence and questionnaire appear to be from a bank's fraud control division, including a toll-free number for the customer to use and the enclosure of a postage-paid, preaddressed envelope for use in returning the completed form," the OCC said.. Anyone who has completed and returned a form they think might have been fraudulent should immediately contact the bank to verify that the form was, in fact, a hoax. Then, the consumer should:

1. Contact the fraud department of each of the three major credit bureaus and report that your identity has been stolen.

   	Equifax	Experian	TransUnion
   Address	PO Box 740241 Atlanta, GA30374-0241	PO Box 2104 Allen, TX75013	PO Box 390 Springfield, PA 19064-0390
   Order Credit Report	1-800-685-1111	1-888-397-3742	1-800-916-8800
   Report Fraud	1-800-525-6285	1-888-397-3742	1-800-680-7289

2. For any accounts that have been fraudulently accessed or opened, contact the security department of each affected creditor or financial institution. Consider closing these accounts. Also, on any new accounts you open, consider using a password, but do not use your mother's maiden name or previously used passwords.
3. File a report with your local police department or the police where the identity theft took place. Retain a copy of the police report in case your bank, credit card company, or others need proof of the crime at a later date.

If you received a fictitious form but did not complete and return it, the documents and any relevant information should be brought to the attention of your local police department.

Additional information on identity theft, and the precautions to take to prevent becoming a victim, can be found at the Federal Trade Commission's Web site.