Is Your Money Safe? Capital Region Bank Accounts Being Hacked

According to CBS 6 News, viewers have been contacting the station with reports of fraudulent activity on their bank accounts. It seems as though Mastercard users are being targeted, so banks have been warning customers to check their account and report any suspicious activity. Unfortunately, many people feel as though their banks aren’t giving them enough answers to solve their problems. So it begs the question, is your money safe?

Nate Hallmark, a resident of Saratoga County, recently noticed that he had four fraudulent charges on his bank account with Sunmark Credit Union. As he went to his local branch to seek help, he noticed several other victims of the same crime.

“Every branch was flooded. The branch on Trieble Avenue, I would describe as basically a deli where they were handing out numbers” -Nate Hallmark (CBS 6 News)

Not only was this a troubling sight, but so was the fact that multiple people he knew personally were dealing with the same issue, on the same day. Many of these people had multiple charges that were fraudulent, including Hallmark’s roommate who also had a total of four.

Meanwhile, Schenectady County local Pamela LaBrake reported similar issues, this time with Trustco Bank. However, her number of fraudulent charges was vastly different, rounding out at a whopping 15 suspicious transactions. This unfortunately lowered her account all the way into the negatives.

“I went to check the account to see how much money we had left because I was going to get groceries and it was a negative $95 balance” -Pamela LaBrake (CBS 6 News)

Sunmark CEO Frank DeGraw sent a statement to CBS 6 News saying the credit union is aware of the recent suspicious activity and is working with Mastercard to mitigate the situation. Sunmark consumers who find fraudulent activity on their bank account are encouraged to report it at 866-SUNMARK or at a local branch.

Trustco Bank's Executive Vice President, Robert Leonard, explains that a relatively small amount of debit cards were hacked, and that those who have been affected are being assisted. They stopped the initial attack within a 24 hour period and claim Trustco's customer information is secure.

When asked exactly or roughly how many accounts were impacted, the banks seemed to be tight-lipped over the matter. -Briana Supardi, CBS 6 News

Hallmark and LaBrake, among other customers, are feeling neglected as they aren't being told exactly what happened or what preventative measures will be taken in the future. If you own a Mastercard, do yourself a favor and keep an eye on your account in case someone tries to steal your holiday shopping funds.