Monday, April 20, 2009

We have received reports of a "vishing"* attempt targeting individuals who have a phone number at home or at work with the prefix "889".  This includes non-members of our Credit Union as well as members who are in the Albuquerque 889 phone number exchange.

This recorded phone message claims to be from New Mexico Educators and requests that the recipient enter confidential financial information from a touch-tone phone. The number displayed on caller ID has an out-of-state prefix.

Please be advised that New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union will NEVER contact you for account numbers, credit card or debit card numbers, CCV numbers, PIN numbers, or any other private information. 

If you believe you have received this call and provided your personal financial data, please contact us immediately at 889-7755 (800-347-2838 from outside the Albuquerque area).

* Vishing 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. Vishing exploits the public's trust in landline telephone services, which have traditionally terminated in physical locations which are known to the telephone company, and associated with a bill-payer. The victim is often unaware that formerly difficult-to-abuse tools/features of caller ID spoofing, complex automated systems (IVR), low cost, and anonymity for the bill-payer widely available. Vishing is typically used to steal credit card numbers or other information used in identity theft schemes from individuals.