Text message scams target Yakima Valley Credit Union customers

YAKIMA, Wash. — Norma Lister uses her cell phone to connect to her children and grandchildren who live in Everett, Wash.

But for the past few weeks, scammers have attempted to use it as a gateway to her bank account.

The 65-year-old Yakima resident has received several text messages from people claiming to represent the Yakima Valley Credit Union. Lister's husband has received the same messages.

The messages state that the recipient's bank account has been closed due to unusual activity, and asks the individual to call a phone number with bank information.

Lister, who has an account with the credit union, knew it was a scam. She contacted the Better Business Bureau.

Lister is one of many residents in the Yakima Valley and one of tens of thousands nationwide involved in recent text messaging scams. These messages are designed to get people to give out sensitive information, such as a bank account number.

Last week, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden warned consumers of a similar scam. There, consumers were receiving text messages claiming to be from the Bank of the Cascades.

Text message scams are nothing new -- the Washington state Attorney General's office posted an entire Q&A devoted to the topic in 2007 -- but they have become popular this year as people become more anxious with the economy and the constantly changing banking industry, said Zan Deery, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau in Spokane.

The Better Business Bureau has already posted an alert concerning the scam, she said.

Here, the Yakima Valley Credit Union has been busy fielding calls from concerned customers. CEO and President Mina Worthington has fielded calls from across the state.

The credit union has reported the scam to several agencies including the FBI, the local police and the National Credit Union Administration and posted an alert on its Web site to remind customers that the credit union will never contact customers for sensitive information.

Lister, who says she understands that the credit union was not to blame, has placed alerts of her own, warning all her friends and family about the scam.

Worthington said most people have not fallen for the scam, but for the few people who have, the credit union has managed to intervene and prevent any money from being stolen from them.

"It's gotten to the point where we're spending a lot of resources to field these issues," she said.

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.