CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — This past weekend, the Homeland Credit Union bank was under the attack by a hacker or team of hackers who sought to gain financially from what is known as a Bank Identification Number (BIN) attack.
The Chillicothe-based bank has five branches throughout the Scioto Valley, with their main campus on Bridge Street.
What a BIN attack entails involves an individual or organization writing a program which targets specific banks through the BIN which is significant to the issuer. This hacker then uses a form of software to randomly generate the remaining digits of a bank card to then gain access to numerous individual accounts. Because of the sophistication of this software, multiple account card numbers can be tested in a short duration. Typically, in these cases, the hacker attempts to take from these accounts in small dollar amounts.
According to the CEO of Homeland Credit Union, Shayne Poe, their fraud service team was able to prevent most of it on Saturday, June 4, but the bank cards that were affected have been compromised and require replacement or management. When asked, Poe stated that less than 1,000 users were attacked and new cards will be issued. Individuals who have been affected by this BIN attack can go directly to Homeland Credit Union’s office in Chillicothe and have a new card printed on site, or request to have their new card sent to them within five to seven business days. Additionally, to help with further fraud prevention, users can use a system they use known as “SecurLOCK,” which keeps track of all purchases, and allows users to manage their cards if they fear that a fraud attempt may have taken place.
Users who were affected by the BIN attack took to Facebook with their suggestions or issues, seeking answers for the hackings that took place. Belle Finley Jones praised the SecurLOCK app, stating, “I have an old debit card that was canceled a couple years ago due to fraud but is still on my SecurLOCK app as a hot card. It has been denied 31 times and tried all around the world. Luckily, the jokes on them with this number. As soon as I was notified, I turned off my other cards.”
Poe said all accounts impacted will be “made right.”
“Rest assured, no Homeland Credit Union member who has been subjected to the BIN attack will lose any money. All of the fraudulent charges and fees will be reimbursed in full by Homeland Credit Union. We are also working to replace the compromised cards in a timely manner. We are proud of the way our team established security measures and worked to mitigate the losses and charges well into the night and morning hours this past weekend. We are sorry for the inconvenience this incident has caused and appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to deal with the matter going forward.”
For those interested in preventing identity theft, the U.S. government has the following tips:
For starters, they suggest that individuals not share their Social Security number, birthday, or other valuable personal information with someone just because they ask. Only share it if absolutely necessary.
Additionally, they recommend that those with bank accounts review their monthly statements and billing statements. Finally, in this age of online banking, they advise that anyone who uses such services should consider using their personal device’s security features and/or use additional data protection services and virtual private networks (VPN).