More than a hundred HeritageWest customers called the credit union Tuesday, primarily between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., to inquire about a computer-generated phone call that claimed to be from HeritageWest. The call, which went primarily to cell phone numbers, was an automated message telling the recipient their HeritageWest Visa Card had been suspended. It then said to press “1” to re-activate the card, and after pressing the number the message asked for the person’s card number, expiration date, and PIN number.
“It was an automated caller system that somehow picked up local prefixes in the Tooele County area and started calling, and I think it was even calling non-credit union members,” said HeritageWest CEO Steve Christensen. “We don’t know where it came from, but we’ve turned the situation over to law enforcement to get it stopped. E-mails have also been sent out to the city, county and other people or groups that have contacted us.”
Christensen said the credit union would never ask its members for that kind of information.
“We put blocks on the cards of people who gave that private information out — and there were a handful of people who did give it out,” Christensen said. “We already have that kind of information in our system and wouldn’t need to ask for it.”
Brett Valdez, marketing manager for HeritageWest Credit Union, said members who gave their private information out will be issued new credit cards.
“People should expect to receive their new cards in the mail in five to seven days,” he said.
Debbie Winn, executive director at the Tooele County Chamber of Commerce, said she sent a notice from HeritageWest out to all chamber members to warn them of the scam.
“We were just trying to get the word out more, and we have already heard replies back from people that had it happen to them,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve heard of a scam with an automated system in town.”
Caller ID showed the call as coming from an incomplete six-digit number typically starting with 206, according to Christensen. Even though cell phones seemed to be the main target, landline phones were also called.
Police were starting an investigation into the scam this morning.
“We just barely got notice of this yesterday, and we’re coordinating with HeritageWest Fraud Specialist Andrea Staheli,” said Tooele City Detective Aaron Shepard. “Andrea said there have been a couple of victims, but I haven’t seen any reports yet. It’s obviously a case of fraud and identity theft, and once we get a hold of all the documentation, then we’ll see how to proceed with it.”
Christensen said customers should never give out credit card or bank account information over the phone, and that if a customer calls the credit union, only certain questions regarding their membership would be asked by the company. Anyone who has already given out this data in response to the scam should call 1-800-682-6075 to cancel their cards immediately.
“If someone is still called by this message or one like it they should hang up, or if they have important information from the call like the Caller ID number, they should call law enforcement and let them know what’s happening,” Christensen said.
Doug Radunich: dougrad@tooeletranscript.com
I am pretty sure they didn't send you a letter telling you of "new ownership." They have actually been pretty diligent about to make sure people knew is was just a name change. I actually like the name change.
And what would that have anything to do with being a target for fraud. I agree with theGRtower that the real problem is with people that fall for something like that. Just don't give out that information!
i was thinking tfcu was a type of bank
sorry
im with tfcu and got a letter telling me of the new ownership