Phishing scam on Grand Forks AFB doesn’t produce a catch

  • Published
  • By Capt. David J. Madgett
  • 319th Air Base Wing Civil Law
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE --  Several Grand Forks AFB personnel were recently contacted by an individual or individuals fraudulently claiming to be in positions of authority here on base. The individual calling requested confidential personal information from base personnel. Fortunately, the individuals who were contacted identified the caller as a scammer and refused to provide any confidential information. This incident highlights the importance of being alert and suspicious when giving out personal information. Disclosure of personal information has the potential to disrupt our mission both directly and indirectly. Direct mission impact may result from disclosing the movements or location of personnel. Indirect mission impact may result from disclosing personal financial information which can cause additional stress and distract individuals from their work.

With this in mind, several questions should be in the forefront of our minds when presented with requests for personal information:

1) Is the request reasonable? If the bank doesn't have your social security number, they have some big problems. A bank most likely won't call you for this type of information.

2) Have I, or can I, independently verify the individual or organization requesting the information is who they claim to be? Consider the fact that telephone numbers can be easily spoofed and web addresses and electronic links may not be to an organization's actual website.

3) Is this the safest reasonable method for transmitting this data? Always using the most secure method of information transmission is not reasonably possible. Accordingly we must quickly weigh the cost and the benefit of transmitting personal data using less secure means. Try not to email personal financial information.

4) What follow-up can I take to assure that the information I provided was used as I intended? Check credit card and bank statements as soon as you receive them.

If you would like more information, check out the Federal Trade Commission website at http://www.ftc.gov . If you believe you have mistakenly provided your personal financial information be sure to follow up with your financial institutions as soon as possible. As always, your base legal office is always happy to help.