ROCKINGHAM — Police are warning residents of yet another scam.
The Rockingham Police Department posted an announcement to its Facebook page on Tuesday about a scam involving unauthorized accounts being opened with TD Bank.
“Several Rockingham citizens have received correspondence of unsolicited bank accounts being opened in their names,” the post reads. “If you receive any unsolicited correspondence from TD Bank regarding an account that has been opened in your name, you do not have to file a formal report with law enforcement.”
Instead, the department encourages residents to contact the bank directly at 888-751-9000 to get the account closed.
“They will close the account, contact the FTC for you, and even contact the credit bureaus on your behalf if you like,” the post concludes.
TD Bank has 10 branch locations in the Carolinas, according to the corporate website.
In 2014, TD Bank reached a settlement with multiple states, including North Carolina, over a data breach that affected more than 1,000 customers in this state.
Last November, there were reports of a similar scam involving Vangaurd and Navy Federal Credit Union.
Scoltand County Sheriff Ralph Kersey urged residents not to respond to the letters or phone calls, but instead contact the N.C. Attorney General’s Office.
According to the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, the state ranks 18th in identity theft.
The 2019 Data Breach Report found that 1.08 million North Carolinians were affected by data breaches that year, which was a 45% decrease from the previous year.
However, the 1,210 data breaches reported to the A.G.’s office that year was the highest ever. Around 75% of those breaches were due to hacking or phishing scams.
The A.G.’s office offers tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft including protecting your mail, passwords and computer transactions. For a full list visit: https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/protecting-your-identity/protect-yourself-from-id-theft/
