Memorandum
To: All Employees
From: Debra E. Sonderman,
Director
Office of Acquisition and Property Management
Senior Procurement Executive
Subject: E-mail Scam Alert and Update on Bank of
DOI
Supplement to Bank of
E-mail Scams: E-mail
scams or “phishing” are an attempt by criminals to
get an unsuspecting victim to divulge personal, confidential information under
the guise of a legitimate request. The
most common form of phishing is by e-mail. Pretending to be from legitimate companies,
financial institutions, or government agencies, the senders ask recipients to
“confirm” their personal information. “They
often use scare tactics—there is a problem with your last payment, or your
account is about to be closed—to prompt people to respond immediately with the
requested information,” said Susan Grant, Director of National Consumers
League’s National Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch Program. Typically, the e-mails contain links to phony
websites that look just like the real ones.
“When you enter your personal information on the bogus website, you
place it into the hands of identity thieves,” Grant said.
Bank of America will never
contact you via e-mail, telephone, or mail asking you to update or confirm your
account information.
1. Where does the investigation stand?
The Secret Service is
actively participating in the investigation with Bank of America and other law
enforcement officials. Law enforcement
authorities have indicated that they believe the tapes are lost and that there
is little possibility that the data will be misused.
2. Why were we not notified immediately?
This is an active
investigation which may be compromised by release of too much information.
3. I don’t have travel authority. I only have purchase authority. Am I affected?
It is probable that all DOI
cardholders' information is included in the missing data. All DOI accounts are being monitored.
4. I’ve heard that the missing tapes were not encrypted. Is this true?
Standard banking security
procedures were followed. Specific
security measures may not be divulged for obvious reasons; however, we may tell
you that the data may not be accessed by standard equipment or ordinary means.
5. Can I have my social security number and personal
information removed?
No, financial institutions
are required by the Patriot Act to collect and maintain this information before
issuing a credit card.
6. How can I obtain a credit bureau report?
For current cardholders, as
allowed for by law, Bank of America has contracted with TransUnion,
a national credit bureau, to notify you if certain activity on your credit
report (including personal accounts) may indicate the possibility of fraudulent
activity. You may reach TransUnion at 1-800-526-9104; give the special customer
access code: 9870.
7. Should I expect to see my government charge card account on
my credit report?
No, your government charge
card account will not appear on your personal credit report. The exception being, in accordance with the
GSA SmartPay contract, any cardholder whose past due
account has been cancelled and is not in a Bank of America approved payment
plan may be reported to the credit bureaus for having a past due account.
8. Who do I call to review my account?
For general questions on
your government account, call Bank of America Government Customers Service Unit
at 1-800-472-1424.
9. Who do I call to confirm my information
is contained in the missing data, and specifically
what data elements are included for my account?
Call the Special Bank of
America Project Office toll-free number at 1-800-493-8444.
10. Will cards be reissued?
There are no plans to
reissue government charge cards. These
accounts are being monitored. If you close
your government charge card account, without opening a new account, the
national credit bureau with which the bank has contracted will not notify you
if certain activity on your credit report may indicate the possibility of
fraudulent activity.
11. Must I use the government charge card for travel? For micropurchases?
Use of the government
charge card is mandatory for official government travel and micropurchases
where the card is accepted. The
government charge card continues to be a valuable tool in managing official
government travel and acquiring goods and services for the government. Use of the card allows access to government
rates for airline tickets, and facilitates tax exemption allowing more funds to
be used directly for Interior’s mission.
12. Where can I go for the latest information?
A special message board has
been established at
https://www.gov-eagls.bankofamerica.com
· Go to
“CLICK HERE” at the end of the Message Board for copies of letters,
frequently asked questions such as “What is Bank of
· Go to
“Privacy and Security” for information on Reporting Fraud and Identify
Theft.
You may also link to this
site from the Office of Acquisition and Property Management (PAM) homepage at http://www.doi.gov/pam/
under “New Releases” or “Integrated Charge Card.”