Evite ser víctima de un fraude electrónico
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Cómo detener una transferencia a Western Union o Money Gram
Sometimes a payment needs to be stopped. For example: in case of fraud, or when a duplicate payment has been erroneously sent. Criminals launder billions of dollars overseas through financial fraud schemes like wire transfer fraud, corporate account takeovers, business e-mail compromise scams, and other financially motivated crimes. Detecting that you sent money to the wrong account within 24 hours is the best chance of recovering your money.
Qué hacer inmediatamente: Llame a su entidad financiera y pida que emitan un aviso de retirada de fondos para su transferencia.
Cómo detener una transferencia a Western Union o Money Gram
Western Union: Call the Customer Service number at 1-800-448-1492 (select option 5 to speak to a representative) or its Consumer Fraud number at 1-800-325-6000 (say "no," say "consumer Fraud," select 1 "protect me"). Western Union will need the individual's name and phone number(s), including any variations in the spelling of the name (such as nicknames, abbreviations or misspellings). Western Union will ask for the tracking number (MTCN), the name of the at-risk individual, and the telephone number on the transaction.
MoneyGram: Llame al número de Atención al Cliente en el 1-800-666-3947 (seleccione 5 "más opciones" y luego seleccione 5 "fraude"). Los no familiares deben llamar al Centro de Atención al Cliente general de MoneyGram al 1-800-926-9400 (seleccione 5 "más opciones" y luego seleccione 5 "fraude"). MoneyGram necesitará el nombre y el número de teléfono de la persona, incluyendo cualquier variación en la ortografía del nombre (apodos, abreviaturas o errores ortográficos).
Grandes transferencias internacionales
Para transferencias internacionales de más de 50.000 dólares, llame a su oficina regional del FBI
(https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices) y a la policía local. El FBI ofrece un proceso de Financial Fraud Kill Chain (FFKC) para ayudar a recuperar grandes transferencias internacionales robadas en Estados Unidos. El FFKC está pensado para ser utilizado como otra posible vía para que las instituciones financieras estadounidenses recuperen los fondos de las víctimas.
El FFKC sólo puede aplicarse si la transferencia fraudulenta cumple los siguientes criterios:
- la transferencia es de 50.000 dólares o más
- la transferencia es internacional
- su institución financiera ha iniciado un aviso de retirada de fondos SWIFT
- la transferencia se ha producido en las últimas 72 horas.
Si se cumplen estos criterios, se necesitará la siguiente información:
- Resumen del incidente
- Nombre de la víctima
- Ubicación de la víctima (ciudad y estado)
- Nombre del banco / cooperativa de crédito de origen
- Número de cuenta del banco / cooperativa de crédito de origen
- Nombre del beneficiario
- Banco beneficiario / cooperativa de crédito
- Número de cuenta del beneficiario
- Ubicación del banco / cooperativa de crédito beneficiario (si se conoce)
- Nombre del banco intermediario / cooperativa de crédito (si se conoce)
- Número SWIFT
- Fecha
- Importe de la transacción
- Cualquier información adicional que pueda estar disponible, como "para más crédito" o "a favor de"
Las transferencias electrónicas que se produzcan fuera de estos umbrales deben notificarse igualmente a las fuerzas del orden (http://www.ic3.gov/), pero el FFKC no puede utilizarse para devolver los fondos fraudulentos.
If any of the statements are true, ignore the request and contact your financial institution immediately.
- I don’t know the person/business receiving the money.
- I was pressured to send money immediately and told to keep it a secret.
- I was told to not answer any questions my financial institution may ask.
- I was told to give a false story for the true purpose of the wire.
- I received a large refund/overpayment and was told to send the extra money back.
- I am paying taxes or fees to receive an inheritance, lottery, sweepstakes prize, etc.
- I am paying taxes or fees to sell property or a timeshare.
- I received a wire request to help a relative in need and have not spoken to them directly.
- I am sending money to a person I’ve only had an online relationship with.
- I was emailed instructions to change the payment information for an existing or recurring wire.
- I received the wire request from my boss or another executive and have not been able to speak with them directly to confirm the request.
- I was unable to contact the requestor by phone or in person to validate the wire request.
- I called the requestor at the phone number they provided and not at the phone number I have on record.
- I am wiring funds to pay for the start-up costs of a new business or new investment.
Any of these red flags may indicate that the transaction is not legitimate. Remember, if you’re pressured to send money and not tell anyone, it is a scam.
Siga los siguientes consejos para evitar las estafas en las transferencias electrónicas.
Be vigilant when it comes to wire transfers and verify the information from trusted sources. If you receive an email, you need to make sure it’s from a trusted source. If you receive a text, you must make sure it’s from a trusted source. If you receive a call, you need to make sure it’s from a trusted source.
- In real estate transactions: The seller should sign the wiring instructions, and the signature should be notarized, if possible. Even then, the seller should verify the closing instructions over a phone call initiated by the law office, using contact information received prior to any discussion of proceeds and wires. Confirming a phone call verification via email is a good practice and a great way to document the file, but email verification alone is inadequate.
- Verify every wire request: The more personal the verification, the better. Have the seller sign wiring instructions at the closing ceremony in the presence of an attorney. If the seller cannot attend the ceremony, the wiring instructions should be included in the deed package.
- Review emails and verify instructions: If wire instructions are received via email, mail or phone, you should always verify you are speaking with the right party by meeting in person or following a call-back procedure using a phone number from a third-party source. This practice will ensure you are confirming with the correct individual. If wiring instructions are ever changed, you should presume the change to be fraudulent. Review the modified instructions in detail for any inconsistencies and always follow a call-back procedure.
- Advise buyers to not accept wiring instruction changes: Hackers target emails with wiring instructions. Then, they use this information to send a modified email with updated directions for wiring money into their personal account. This type of scam is not covered by E&O insurance, so it is extremely important for real estate professionals to protect themselves and their clients in this situation.
- Verify the authenticity of wiring instructions sent from a free email service: If wiring instructions are attached to an email from a free service like Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL.com, you should assume they are fraudulent. Sometimes, hackers set up an alias account with a very similar name to send modified instructions. Examining the account name in detail is a good idea. Because the hacker already has access to the original account, he or she may use the same account in all other correspondence.
- Don't use free email accounts: These accounts have major security issues, and they are likely being mined for data by their providers. Plus, they may be in violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. If you are currently using a free service, find a more secure and professional alternative.
- Beware of unusual activity: Be wary of wires going to any account that is not in the name of the seller. Also, be suspicious of any account with a geographic location different than the seller. There are possible explanations for different names and odd locations, but these red flags should be explored in detail, not via email.
- Don't send wires overseas: Once money leaves the United States, it is likely gone forever.
- Regularly change your passwords: Updating your password on a regular basis ensures someone can’t acquire your password and use it to access your private accounts.
Cómo evitar perder los fondos de la liquidación de la vivienda en un fraude electrónico
- Never wire funds to anybody or any institution unless you have checked the wire instructions independently with your title company, settlement, or closing agent.
- If you can’t or won’t confirm the information over the phone, most title companies, settlement companies, and closing agents post their wire instructions online, so be sure you check their official websites. If they do, you can compare those instructions with the instructions you received.
- Algunos agentes confirmarán las instrucciones que recibió por teléfono si les da la información que recibió. Sólo tienes que asegurarte de que hablas con la persona adecuada en el lugar adecuado.
- Debe tener una buena relación de trabajo con su agente liquidador para asegurarse de que conoce esa fuente "de confianza".
- La forma más segura es ir a ver al agente de cierre o liquidación en persona y luego ir a la institución financiera para iniciar la transferencia bancaria. De este modo, tendrá información cara a cara con su fuente de confianza.