As we
mentioned a few weeks ago, scammers are always out on the lookout to take advantage
of unsuspecting consumers. As one of the more prominent brands in the mortgage
business, we have certainly seen our share of stories from customers who have
been targeted by those with less-than-pure intentions.
One such
story came to us here on the blog. A customer received an e-mail stating her
account had been suspended because "it may have been used by a third party." In
order to get it re-activated, all she had to do was click on a link that
brought up a web page, and input her personal information in the spaces
provided to "confirm" her identity (something we never require).
Luckily,
this customer recognized some key red flags in the request: Her name and
account number were not present in the communication; None of the contact
buttons worked; and there had been no additional contact via phone or letter to
confirm the issue.
If you
should receive a similar e-mail, there are three key steps you should take:
1. Do not
click on the link in an e-mail. There is a good chance it is a virus, worm or
contains a key logging tracker.
2. If
you've received one of these e-mails, please forward it to
emailspoof@citigroup.com. These scams can continually evolve, and even slight
variations like differences in the embedded links will aide our investigations.
3. Once you
have forwarded the email to emailspoof@citigroup.com, delete it from your
inbox, then delete from your deleted items folder.
The second
instance that has come to our attention lately came from a blog entry where the
author received a letter in the mail, claiming the Citi Homeowner Assistance
Program is reaching out to a select group of consumers, that they were
selected, and that they should call an 800 number (provided in the letter) to
take advantage and lower their monthly payments.
Again, we
are happy to report this customer in question was vigilant and skeptical. In
very small print at the bottom, he noticed the line, "This information was
obtained through public records. We are not an affiliate of, not endorsed by,
nor associated with Citi Mortgage Co., or any government agency."
Nowhere in
the letter did the company identify themselves, and the 800 number provided in
the letter only produced a generic answering machine message. This was clearly
a case of a company attempting to miss-lead the consumer into believing they
were receiving this message from CitiMortgage.
With that
in mind, here are a few key things to look for in any correspondence from Citi:
Both our global letter stationery and our current stationery have the
following:
- Citi logo
(may or may not be in color)
- CitiMortgage
logo (usually printed in black and white)
- Citi
disclaimers at the bottom of the letter
- Return
address
Of course
somebody who really wants to trick you could include that information as well,
and so you should still always remain vigilant, but knowing to look out for
those key pieces of information should help you avoid falling for letters like
the one mentioned above.
If you
don't recognize a transaction on your account or suspect fraudulent activity,
please call 1-800-283-7918. The few minutes are well worth the effort when
contrasted with the potential long-term damage caused by an identity theft that
isn't promptly identified and eliminated.
Buying a new home can be a difficult process, especially when choosing which mortgage broker to use. I am also here looking for professional mortgage to get the best deal.
Reply to this comment by mortgage knoxville on 11/22/2011
Buying a home can be daunting. At Citi Mortgage we do our best to keep the process simple. Visit the mortgage classroom page our website for more information about the mortgage process at Citi. The URL to the page is provided below: www.citimortgage.com/Mortgage/displayPurchaseLanding.do?page=pur_classroom
© 2011 Citibank, N.A., equal housing lender, member FDIC. Citibank, Citi and Citi with Arc Design are service marks of Citigroup Inc.
© 2011 Citibank, N.A. This is not a commitment to lend. Terms and conditions of programs, products and services are subject to change. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Certain restrictions may apply on all programs. Offer cannot be combined with any other mortgage offer. Citibank, N. A., equal housing lender, member FDIC. Citibank, Citi and Citi with Arc Design are service marks of Citigroup Inc.
Reply to this comment by CitiMortgage on 12/02/2011 in response to mortgage knoxville
I did a copy/paste from an e-mail I received this week asking for personal information. As you can see, they posed the e-mail as an official Citibank communication. I wanted you to be aware of this. If you need to contact me, please use my e-mail. Thanks.
Here it is:
Citibank New York Account Crediting Alert
Sent By: "Citibank Alert" On: Jan 01/14/11 7:01 AM
Reply to: xxxxx@xxxxx.com
CitiBank New York,
USA, 10007.
DATE: 14/01/2011.
E-mail: citibonline@accountant.com
WELCOME TO CITIBANK NEW YORK
Account Crediting Alert
Attention: Beneficiary,
This is to bring to your acknowledgement that we received the transfer of your fund worth the sum $27,000,000.00 only from the Central Bank of Nigeria Africa. We hereby oblige you to send your information and banking details of the account, where you desire the fund to be routed into. The following Information are needed:
1 Your Full Name:
2.Your Current Address:
4.Your telephone number(s):
5.Banking details:
6.Scan copy of your valid ID card (For perusal).
Please take note that; without your id card the transfer of your fund cannot be completed into your bank account. Your identification is very vital.
Your urgent response to the above directives is imperative.
Treat this E-mail notification as urgent.
Best Regards.
CITIBANK NEW YORK
DIRECTOR IN CHARGE (MRS. IRENE CLAUDE)
Copyright © Citigroup, Inc. 2010. All rights reserved
Reply to this comment by Jim Cipriano on 01/14/2011
Thank you for contacting us about the suspicious email you received. The email is clearly a scam intended to obtain your personal information. Email scams have proliferated over the past year, causing tremendous hardship to unknowing consumers across the country. Luckily, you recognized the red flags.
If you are ever in doubt about the authenticity of an email communication from CitiMortgage, follow these three key steps:
1. Do not click on any links within the e-mail. Often times the message contains an embedded virus, worm or key logging tracker that can capture your personal information.
2. Please forward the suspicious email correspondence to emailspoof@citigroup.com. Information contained within the email can aide in our investigation.
3. Delete the email from your inbox, then delete from your deleted items folder.
It is always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to privacy matters.
Reply to this comment by CitiMortgage on 02/01/2011 in response to Jim Cipriano