Below is a fraudulent email sent to me in an attempt to obtain my account user id and static password. What makes this email scam particularly attractive is I rarely use my Chase account and when I go to the legitimate site, it seems to echo what is being said below – that my account has problems, and it did!
From: Chase Bank [mailto:online@onlinebanking.chase.com]
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 9:16 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Important Alert!
Chase Bank Online® Department Notice
You have received this email because you or someone had used your account from different locations.
For security purpose, we are required to open an investigation into this matter.
In order to safeguard your account, we require that you confirm your banking details.
To help speed up this process, please access the following link so we can complete the verification of
your Chase Online® Banking Account registration information :
To get started, please click the link below:
https://www.chase.com
Please Note:
If we do no receive the appropriate account verification within 48 hours, then we will assume this Chase Bank account is fraudulent and will be suspended. The purpose of this verification is to ensure that your bank account has not been fraudulently used and to combat the fraud from our community.
Regards,
Chase Bank - Chase Online® Banking Department
|
| Securities (including mutual funds and variable life insurance), annuities and insurance products are not bank deposits and are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency of the United States, nor are they obligations of, nor insured or guaranteed by, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., CISC, CIA, CMIA or their affiliates. Securities (including mutual funds and variable life insurance) and annuities involve investment risks, including the possible loss of value. |
Here you see the bogus web site: http://c-spin.net/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi. They were taken down, so no threat.
![clip_image002[4] clip_image002[4]](http://hagsblog.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54f09d3138834015433247123970c-pi)
What sucks is the real URL did this to me when I tried to double check to make sure all was fine:

Note that I get an IE warning about the Chase web site. These types of warnings are danger signals that make me not trust using Chase at all. It creates fear. It is poor web design to use fancy designs that call into question the security of your site.
So, at 10:50 AM on Monday June 20th, I pick up the phone - here is what happened:
10:50, I call the reactivation process (877-242-7372). I followed the automated instructions (hit 2), entered my account number printed on my card statement.
10:52, #1 person tells me my account is closed. I explain I am staring at my statement which clearly shows no problems. Agent says she handles debit cards and I need to go to the credit card department, long wait transfer
10:58, #2 Tracy came on and said my account was closed. I explained I don’t use my physical card anyway, but have open account and simply want online access to the account information to manage it. That got me transferred to the Internet desk in India. I have to repeat my personal information for the third time. I get placed on hold with horrible quality loud distorted music. The image of Chase is reaching new lows as I’m listening.
BTW, this log is being generated real time while I’m waiting…… 11:15. I begin to take names and departments as know I’m in the rabbit hole.
11:16, #3 Sushma informed me that I need a new credit card number. I don’t want a new credit card; I simply want online access to my account to monitor an open Chase account. Back on hold…
11:19, Sushma is going transfer me to ISC. I have an online fraud alert on my account it seems (this supports what the fraud email has told me)
11:21, again transfer to hold and loud distorted music. I’m amazed that the 2nd largest US bank has such a poor quality phone system?
11:25, #4 Nancy answers from “Telephone Banking” with poor headset is attempting to pick up this issue. I have no idea how or why Nancy’s department got into this mix. Best she can see is my online access can’t be established because I don’t have an active card. I have an active account, but not a card. It seems a fraud issue was being checked into when the account was flagged. Nancy attempts to adjust headset, but little success. Every sentence has to be repeated.
11:29, put on hold to determine where to transfer and again, loud distorted music.
11:31, Nancy says she is transferring me to “Electronic Money Movement “ – I’m like “Uh?”
11:39, #5 Calandre in “Operations Preventions Department” cannot find the account number and says it is closed and case closed. Calandre said to go into a branch and figure it out. Remember, what started this off is an email and what I want is to NOT go into a bank. She doesn’t see any fraud, gives me 800-945-2006, a tough love lecture, and transfers me.
11:47, Automated system and I enter card number, zip code and it coughs up all my balance details. A bit strange to have all my balance details accessible with only an account number and zip code?
11:49 #6 Tiffany in credit card department answers. Finally a quality phone connection, coupled with an aware person. Tiffany has instant credibility. My card ending in 3832 is indeed marked closed. Tiffany used to work in the security department so she understands to read the account notes to see what is happening – notes indicate 04/10 fraud report which was valid, January 2011 address change request which was valid, then I called in to get something changed and they needed to call me back. I recall this happening and I recall calling Chase back 3 times because they never returned my call to verify me. The account was then closed without any thing being sent. Bill however continued and my payments continued. We both have a clearer picture of what happened.
11:58, Tiffany puts me on hold so she can contact security folks to get this straightened out – I feel comfortable knowing she is working toward a resolution. Chase image rising with Tiffany.
12:15, Tiffany spoke to supervisor and needed to do some research and apologized for long hold. Tiffany is a professional.
12:16, Trish didn’t answer. Tiffany was frustrated and said “never mind, let me explain what the status is.” She explained that since the account was not able to be verified in January, it was closed. Because it has been so long the account has been marked as permanently closed and cannot be reopened. I have to reapply, the balance is forever linked to a closed account and can never be viewable via an online account. Paper is the only option. This account is setup to be paid automatically from my USBank account.
12:26, Call ended 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Whew…. There has to be a better way.
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