FRAUD ALERT: Sterling National Bank does not have any affiliation with
STERLING FINANCIAL SERVICES.
DATE REPORTED: June 3, 2009
TYPE: Newspaper advertisement
COMPANY ALIAS: “Sterling Financial Services” allegedly located at: 650 Fifth Avenue, Suite 203, New York, NY 10103.
“Sterling Financial Services” is in no way affiliated with Sterling National Bank or with Sterling Financial Services Company, Inc., an affiliated company which was dissolved in 2008.
DETAILS: A newspaper advertisement placed in the Kokomo (IN) Tribune (as well as other newspapers, including one in Iowa) offered “Guaranteed loans up to $500K. Bad credit ok. No fees. Call 1-800-707-4859.” (Other “800” telephone numbers were also used). When contacted, the entity identified itself as “Sterling Financial Services.” The prospective borrowers were asked to send funds, by wire or similar means, for “insurance” to secure a loan. It should be further noted that the wires were to be sent to individuals, not the identified insurance company.
Please remember that Sterling National Bank and its affiliates WILL NOT make a loan solicitation or direct that payments be sent to Sterling National Bank or its affiliates, in this manner. Specifically, Sterling would never direct payment to an individual employee.
If you have received such a notice or solicitation, please report the incident to:
Sterling’s Security Officer at (212) 575-5230.
ALERT: Sterling National Bank is NOT related to Sterling Bank in Houston, Texas
DATE REPORTED: February 20, 2009
TYPE: Notification of Lottery Winnings
DETAILS: It has been reported that persons have been contacted by a company named “Gross Investment Inc.,” in connection with notification of winnings from a “Shoppers Lottery”. Included with the notification was a check allegedly written on Sterling Bank (Houston, Texas). To avoid any possible confusion, this alert is posted to clearly state that Sterling National Bank is
NOT related to nor affiliated with Sterling Bank (Houston, Texas), nor does it have any connection to “Gross Investment, Inc” or any “Shoppers Lottery” program.
FRAUD ALERT: Sterling National Bank is NOT related to any of the following entities: Sterling National Lenders, Sterling National Financial or Sterling Investment Management.
DATE REPORTED: January 14, 2008
TYPE: Alleged applications for credit
COMPANY ALIAS: Any claim that Sterling National Bank, or its affiliates or subsidiaries, is related to Sterling National Lenders, Sterling National Financial or Sterling Investment Management is false.
DETAILS: It has been reported that persons have been contacted by Sterling National Lenders to send money up front in order to obtain credit.
Sterling National Bank and Sterling National Mortgage Company HAVE NO AFFILIATION OR ASSOCIATION with Sterling National Lenders, Sterling National Financial or Sterling Investment Management and is not party to any such lending arrangement.
Please remember that Sterling National Bank and its affiliates WILL NEVER request that payments be sent to Sterling National Bank or its affiliates, in this manner. If you have received such a notice or solicitation, please report the incident to
Sterling’s Security Officer at (212) 575-5230.
FRAUD ALERT: Consumer Research Mail.
DATE REPORTED: November 2008
TYPE:Mail (usually bearing Canadian postage)
COMPANY ALIAS: Fraud purportedly perpetrated by an entity posing as a consumer research and marketing company operating under a number of names, at various locations including Somerville, MA and Niles, IL.
DETAILS: Recipient is notified in mailing that he or she was selected to conduct surveys and act as a mystery shopper in various commercial establishments and to test payment systems, such as Western Union and Money Gram. Mailings contained checks purportedly written on an account at Sterling National Bank (usually in the range of $3,000 to $4,000). As part of the scam, the recipient is to deposit the check and (1) to receive a portion of the check for payment for his or her services; (2) to use a portion of the check as a mystery buyer in a commercial establishment; and (3) to use the remaining portion of the check (which comprises most of the amount of the check) to wire funds back to the sender in order to test the services at Western Union or other such money transmitting service. The checks received in these transactions have been fraudulent. The recipient of this fraud loses any monies wired to the purported consumer research and marketing company.
If you are a recipient of a letter similar to the letter described above, which includes a check purportedly written on an account at Sterling National Bank, please report the incident to Sterling’s Security Officer at (212) 575-5230.
FRAUD ALERT: Sterling National Bank does not have any affiliation with
STERLING NATIONAL DEBT MANAGEMENT
DATE REPORTED: September 8, 2008
September 11, 2008
TYPE: Newspaper advertisement offering availability of loans
COMPANY ALIAS: “Sterling National Debt Management,”(“SNDM”) allegedly located at:
1463 Commercial Layout, St. John, NB Canada V9K2Y6 OR
647 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500, New York, NY 10019
DETAILS: When contacted, SNDM claimed to be affiliated with Sterling National Bank. Persons contacting SNDM were asked
to send money in order to obtain a loan.
Please remember that Sterling National Bank and its affiliates WILL NEVER request personal or financial information from its clients,
or the general public, via email, phone or letter, nor direct that payments be sent to Sterling National Bank or its affiliates, in this manner.
If you have received such a notice or solicitation, please report the incident to Sterling’s Security Officer at (212) 575-5230.
FRAUD ALERT: Sterling National Bank does not have any affiliation with
STERLING FINANCIAL SERVICES.
DATE REPORTED: September 9, 2008
TYPE: Mail and email
COMPANY ALIAS: Claiming to be associated with “Sterling Financial Services” allegedly located at:
1463 Commercial Layout, St. John, NB Canada V9K2Y6 OR
647 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500, New York, NY 10019
DETAILS: Communication states recipient has won money and requests recipient to send money to a Canadian address in order to obtain winnings.
Please remember that Sterling National Bank and its affiliates WILL NEVER request personal or financial information from its clients, or the general public, via email, phone or letter, nor direct that payments be sent to Sterling National Bank or its affiliates, in this manner.
If you have received such a notice or solicitation, please report the incident to Sterling’s Security Officer at (212) 575-5230.
FRAUD ALERT: Sterling National Bank logo being fraudulently used
DATE REPORTED:September 23, 2008
TYPE: Mail
COMPANY ALIAS: Claiming to be “Sterling National Bank,” bearing a copy of the bank’s logo
DETAILS: Notifying recipient by letter from a Canadian address that recipient has won a contest. Letter included a fraudulent check payable to the letter recipient.
It is illegal for banks to sponsor games of chance. Sterling National Bank has never sponsored any illegal contest. Also, please remember that Sterling National Bank and its affiliates WILL NEVER request personal or financial information from its clients, or the general public, via email, phone or letter, nor direct that payments be sent to Sterling National Bank or its affiliates, in this manner.
If you have received such a notice or solicitation, please report the incident to Sterling’s Security Officer at (212) 575-5230.
Recognizing Email and Website Fraud
One of the most common types of email fraud is the practice of sending a phony email message, which is sometimes referred to as "phishing." Such phony emails are disguised as legitimate, and often include company logos that look real.
But they're actually from criminals who send thousands of emails at a time to random addresses. These criminals are trying to entice you to visit a phony website and provide personal and confidential information, such as online IDs and passcodes, or Social Security numbers and account numbers. Although the site may look like a bank's, it is not - which is why this practice is known as "spoofing."
The Account Manager or Money Transfer Agent is one of the newest scams. An email or an advertisement on the web tries to recruit you to be an account manager or transfer agent for a fictitious company. These scam artists steal money from an unsuspecting person's account and transfer the money into your account. Then the criminals ask you to send the money to them. The lure is that you get to keep a percentage of the money as your "commission." This opens your personal holdings to fraud - and, if your account is used in an online scheme, you can be liable for lost funds.
Spotting phony email messages is not always easy. Sometimes, they may ask you to reply directly, or provide a link that takes you to a website that appears legitimate but is not. In either case, these phony email messages generally ask you to provide sensitive personal, financial, or account information.
More tips for spotting fraudulent emails:
- Fraudulent emails are trying to trick you in to providing your personal information. Sterling National Bank emails will never ask you to reply to an email with any personal information or data, such as your Social Security number, ATM or Check Card PIN, or any other sensitive information. In addition, when you sign in to Online Banking always make sure to look for your SiteKey.
- Urgent appeals claim that your account may be closed if you fail to confirm, verify, or authenticate your personal information immediately. Sterling National Bank and most other financial institutions will not ask you to verify information in this way.
- Requests for security information claim that the bank has lost important security information and needs to update it online. Sterling National Bank and most other financial institutions will not ask you to verify information in this way.
- Typos and other errors are often the mark of fraudulent emails or websites. Be on the lookout for: typographical or grammatical errors; awkward, stilted, or inappropriate writing; and poor visual or design quality.
- Too-good-to-be-true offers are often just that. Don't get mixed up in fraudulent activity by believing emails or web advertisements that offer to help you earn money by transferring cash.
Protecting Against Email and Website Fraud
- Always look for your SiteKey™ when you sign in to Online Banking.
- If you receive an email claiming to be from Sterling National Bank that appears to be suspicious, do not click on any links it provides or reply to it - simply forward it to abuse@sterlingnationalbank.com then delete it.
