HARRISBURG, Pa. – Add Continental Credit Union to the growing list of fake credit union advertisements, which include Century CU and First Rate CU. The ad included a false Scranton, Pennsylvania address and the toll free number routed callers to Canada. The state attorney general's office said a number of similar ad scams with financial services-related names are cropping up around the state. In general, the ads offer the gamut from credit counseling and automobile loans, to personal loans, mortgages and debt consolidation. Consumers calling the toll-free number are then asked to either make a deposit in the fake credit union with a wire transfer or fill out a phony loan application and provide personal information. In the case of First Rate CU, ads placed in Rhode Island newspapers were secured with a credit card, which was later found to be fraudulent. Similar scams have now occurred in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, New York, South Carolina, Rhode Island and Washington. NCUA has issued a national alert and advises that credit unions spotting such suspicious ads call the Fraud Hotline at (800) 827-9650.
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