New Scam Alert

By: fedweek

An Airman from Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., noticed the latest scam when the account balance was $124.90 less than it should have been. The toll-free number listed on the transaction seemed to lead to a mortgage company named “Equity First.” The Equity 1st Mortgage company of Wilmington, N.C., is not involved in the scam but the company has handled some 100 phone calls from scam victims since at least 2006. In each case the amount withdrawn was $124.90. The scammers apparently generate random routing and account numbers, into which they try to deposit one cent, said an Equity 1st spokesperson. If the one-cent deposit clears, the perpetrators know the account is active and begin to withdraw funds from the account. Depositors should check their accounts for suspicious deposit or withdrawal amounts, said the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado. The Airman was unnamed for privacy reasons.