CUNA's website has been copied for phishing

The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) has just advised that its web site, specifically the www.creditunion.coop page is being phished. Phishing attacks typically begin with e-mail messages purporting to come from established companies. Web page links within the e-mail messages direct recipients to web sites disguised as official company web pages where the recipient is asked to enter personal information such as their social security number, account number, password or credit card information. A study by the Gartner technology research firm shows 52 million U.S. Internet users received phishing e-mail during the past 12 months, from which 1.8 million consumers divulged information and one million fell victim.

Reportedly, the phishers have copied the www.creditunion.coop page and are replicating it exactly as it appears on CUNA’s site. The phishers have reportedly manipulated the text in their "FRAUD ALERT" box to say the following:

“As the Internet and information technology enable us to expand our services, CUNA is committed to maintaining the trust customers have placed in us for protecting the privacy and security of information we have about you. In order to protect your information against unauthorized access, identity theft and account fraud we earnestly ask you to update your profile.”

CUNA says earlier in the week they were successful in shutting down the site; however, they’ve now learned that it was moved to a new location, which is reportedly located on a server in Bejing, China. CUNA is working to resolve the issue.

What can you do to avoid being “hooked” by a phishing scam:

• Don’t respond to email or pop-up messages that asks for personal or financial information, as legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email;
• Never e-mail personal or financial information because e-mail is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organizations Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure;
• Be sure to review credit card and account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges;
• Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date, and
• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.