​​DUBLIN – Four days after a ransomware attack crippled Patelco Credit Union’s systems, the union was still unable to inform its members when banking operations would return to normal.

The Dublin-based credit union has not disclosed further details in regards to the security breach, which has left its members unable to make electronic payments, deposits and transfers since last weekend.

On Tuesday, customers continued to attend in queues at ATMs and were still forced to go to Patelco branches across the state to withdraw money, but were still unable to access their account balances or online banking information.

Enrique Juarez, certainly one of the credit union's estimated 500,000 members, visited the branch on Story Road in San Jose to inquire about his Social Security check, which had bounced and has been his only source of income since he retired in January. A bank worker told him to examine with the federal agency, he said Tuesday.

“I've never had a problem,” said Juarez, a retired warehouse employee who lives in San Jose. “Everything is frozen, I can't even check my account balance until the problem is resolved – and they don't know” when that can occur.

Ahmed Banafa, a lecturer at San Jose State University and a cybersecurity expert, said Tuesday that it was likely that hackers had penetrated the bank's internal databases via a “phishing email” and encrypted their contents, locking the bank out of its own systems.

“The hackers usually demand cryptocurrency, they demand payment. That's why it's called ransomware,” Banafa said.

Patelco is estimated to administer over $9 billion in assets in 37 branches across the state. It is unclear how most of the bank's 500,000 accounts were compromised and the extent to which the bank's assets have been affected.

Banafa called Patelco an “easy target” for hackers, or a low-security goal akin to schools and hospitals, in comparison with other better-known corporations with more sophisticated cybersecurity safeguards akin to federal government databases. It's possible the hackers are targeting either personal information from bank customers or money directly from the credit union, he said.

“Hackers can take this kind of information and sell and exploit it on the dark web,” Banafa said, referring to illegal online servers that sell contraband and other illegal services.

He said the hackers would likely demand a sum of cash from the credit union to return its systems to normal, and they’d proceed to carry the bank's accounts hostage until the bank either finds a option to circumvent the hack or until the hackers are paid. He said payment will likely be demanded in cryptocurrencies akin to BitCoin and is usually wired to an offshore account outside the U.S.

After Patelco waited greater than 24 hours to offer an update on the initial attack on Saturday, Banafa said, “It was clear they were having problems.”

Patelco arrange its own website on Monday to notify customers of the breach, with one other message from CEO Erin Mendez. Mendez wrote that they’re continuing to work with “external cybersecurity experts” to revive Patelco's functionality and that they’re cooperating with law enforcement.

“To our valued members – rest assured that we will refund any fees you are charged late due to this outage. If any of our members have concerns about late payments impacting their credit score, we will write letters on your behalf. We will also waive any Patelco overdraft, late payment or ATM fees until we are back up and running,” Mendez wrote.

She added: “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience our members have experienced and look forward to providing further updates in the coming days and weeks.”

Banafa said the perpetrator also deliberately carried out this attack by selecting the start of a brand new month and an upcoming holiday because the goal.

“The timing is very bad for the users, but it's well planned for the hackers,” Banafa said. “The problems are made worse by the timing… The people who planned this planned it when there was a lot of money at stake.”

Many customers face the issue of paying their rent, mortgage and other bills.

“I don't feel comfortable using my card even though I could,” said Lakeisha Thomas of downtown San Jose. She added that her bills are piling up and he or she's afraid of overdrawing her account because she doesn't understand how much money is in her account at any given time. “I don't want to owe anything later.”

Jermaine Johnson, a Mountain View resident, said in an interview that he would likely move his savings account to a different bank after first hearing in regards to the debacle 4 days ago on Tuesday.

“It's scary to begin with,” Johnson said. “If I didn't have the small amount of money that's in there, I'd be even more scared. But it's scary because you put your money in a place that you think is safe and then it turns out it's not safe.”

I hung up last summer because I assumed the Xfinity customer support representative was really helpful. I needed to make a late payment and handle the present bill. The representative took my information over the phone, I saw the payment posting in my account and thought nothing of it.

Only I didn't actually speak to an Xfinity representative. Just a few weeks later, my Wi-Fi stopped working. I contacted Xfinity again and the representative told me that the corporate had shut off my web connection for non-payment.

It took several hours-long phone calls with various Xfinity representatives over greater than per week, one other unsuccessful payment attempt, and several other frustrating account freezes before I spotted I had been scammed.

A current report The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has listed the highest 10 corporations reported as scammers by U.S. consumers last yr. People like me lost greater than $200 million to someone pretending to be a representative of those corporations.

Topping the list of most counterfeited products was electronics retailer Best Buy and its tech repair service Geek Squad. Also on the list were Amazon, PayPal, Apple and yes, Comcast/Xfinity.

Fraudsters have gotten increasingly more sophisticated, making it increasingly difficult to detect them.

“We use email, text messaging, online services, automatic payments,” said Emma Fletcher, senior data researcher on the FTC. “We get alerts. We use these different technologies everywhere and they hit us where we are. They use them too. And they use them in ways that make them seem very similar, if not identical, to the way the real company might use the technology.”

Scammers often attempt to make it seem to be you have to act quickly to either win money or avoid losing money. A well-liked scam involves a membership that’s about to renew or a charge that you simply didn’t authorize. Often the quantity is so large that it would alarm you and cause you to call back.

When you're in a rush to repair an issue, you possibly can get careless, like I did. I used to be two months pregnant and distracted on the time, so I used to be relieved when someone offered to take my payment over the phone – regardless that that's not how we often pay the bill.

He also told me that if I had any problems I could call them directly, which was one other red flag that I ignored. Customer service representatives rarely give direct numbers.

“They present themselves as someone who can protect your money or solve the problem,” Fletcher said. “They can seem like they're very helpful, but in reality they're leading you down a path to taking your money.”

Sometimes scammers play bad cop and threaten fines or jail time if the items aren't paid for. Other offers sound “too good to be true,” in line with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Nowadays, scam messages should not as obvious as they was, as they contain quite a few spelling and grammatical errors. The email or website could also be only one letter or number unsuitable. If you’re unsure about something, stop communicating and speak to the corporate directly through a verified channel.

I actually have to confess, I never thought I may very well be scammed. I had the preconceived notion that scams only work on individuals who aren't tech-savvy. But younger individuals are more prone to report losing money than older people, Fletcher said.

However, older consumers are likely to report more frequent tech support scams, and their losses are likely to be much higher.

“It's definitely important for everyone to realize they're at risk,” Fletcher said. “'Oh, it doesn't happen to people like me. It happens to these other people who are gullible or whatever or older.' Everyone has a stereotype of who it's going to happen to, and it doesn't apply to them.”

Remember that the implications transcend the loss of cash. I used to be very embarrassed after I was scammed and felt like I couldn't protect my family. While it's easy in charge yourself, keep in mind that you’re a victim.

“There is a non-financial toll on such a transaction,” says Bao Vang, vp of communications for the Better Business Bureau in Minnesota and North Dakota. “It's not just about the money.”

Do not call numbers or click on links that appear online claiming to have problems with considered one of your devices, Best Buy says. Best Buy doesn’t make unsolicited calls to customers.

If you receive an unexpected message or call that makes you suspicious, hang up. Also, don’t give distant access to anyone who guarantees to repair your device. Once they gain access, scammers can install malware that they’ll use to steal personal information.

“As scams become more sophisticated, we have a team of experts and numerous resources dedicated exclusively to fraud prevention and consumer education, including showing consumers how to recognize warning signs and protect themselves,” Best Buy said in a press release.

Best Buy has a fraud prevention team that works with the FTC, federal agencies and other retailers. The retailer has also created a suggestions website at bestbuy.com/stopfraud.

Don't trust the caller ID, even when it looks like Microsoft or one other company is asking. Scammers can spoof official-looking phone numbers, in line with the BBB. Plus, it's easy for scammers to plant fake numbers online.

From what I can remember, I quickly Googled a number to talk to an actual Xfinity representative. I do know it could be tempting to make use of a number posted online by a “helpful” customer to talk directly with a customer support representative, but only trust the lines on an organization's official website or your bill.

If you’re thinking that you may have been scammed, report it on to your bank. Even before I reported it, my bank sent me a message saying my card number was used abroad. I had to alter my card number twice. I used to be capable of get my a reimbursement, but that doesn't at all times occur.

Another place to report fraud is the BBB Scam Trackerthat lets you seek for questionable phone numbers, web sites or scams by company name. In my search, I discovered quite a few stories much like mine.

You must also report fraud cases to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Data from this site is shipped to several law enforcement agencies. In April, a brand new federal rule on government and company identity fraud went into effect, allowing the FTC to file lawsuits in federal court to get better money for defrauded consumers and impose civil penalties on violators.

Remember that real corporations won't let you know to purchase gift cards or pay with Bitcoin. And if that sounds weird, hang up and check out contacting an organization using a verified number.

Discount carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, once slated as merger partners, each stepped up their game in serving customers but remained at the underside of an annual customer satisfaction survey for 2023-24, a national research firm said.

Despite recording more improvement points than some other airline, South Florida-based Spirit ranked last within the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study by CFI Group of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The study, released Tuesday, assessed the performance of not only the country's major airlines, but in addition hotels, automobile rental corporations, ride-hailing services and online travel services.

Overall, all industry segments serving travelers showed improvements within the eyes of consumers, a lot of whom are still able to travel despite rising prices and inflation.

As a part of the survey, travelers rated airlines on several service metrics, including baggage handling, boarding process, call center, cleanliness of aircraft cabins and restrooms, and quality of food (each paid and free). loyalty programs, mobile apps, luggage racks, seating comfort and staff performance at airport gates and ticket counters.

The percentage of respondents who said that they had complained decreased year-over-year: 26% of business travel respondents said that they had filed a grievance in 2024, down from 48% in 2023. Of the leisure travelers surveyed, only 13 said so % said that they had complained about it 17% last 12 months.

“Airline customer satisfaction has risen to new levels, reaching levels not even seen before the pandemic disrupted travel,” said Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of promoting at Michigan State University and research director emeritus at ACSI, in an announcement. “Mobile operators have recovered strongly, showing that the innovations and service improvements implemented over the last two years have resonated with customers.”

The index was created on the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business in collaboration with other organizations, including CFI, which now conducts the survey. It isn’t any longer affiliated with the university.

Alaska Airlines, during which a door plug flew out of considered one of his planes during a flight over the Pacific Northwest in January, topped the survey for the second consecutive 12 months, followed by American Airlines.

Discounters register improvements

Among discount airlines, Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit had the most important gains within the survey “as they enhance their value propositions,” the organization said in its statement.

Asked for further details, a CFI spokeswoman said the three airlines “have achieved improved results this year in flight experience metrics such as check-in/boarding, in-flight services, travel planning and staffing.”

“Now that legacy airlines have charged so many fees for seat selection and baggage, low-cost airline customers may perceive a greater value proposition,” she said.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant was followed in descending order by Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, unidentified airlines within the “All Others” category, then Denver-based Frontier and South Florida-based Spirit.

Spirit, which is moving to a brand new headquarters complex in Dania Beach, didn’t immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

The airline is emerging from a lengthy turbulent period highlighted by two failed merger deals Recall from an engine manufacturer As a result, 20 of the greater than 200 aircraft remained on the bottom.

At a ceremonial opening of the headquarters Last week, Ted Christie, CEO and president, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel the corporate was desirous to start communicating about what it desires to do for its customers.

“We have listened to what our guests have told us over the years. We listened to what the markets were saying,” he said. “And we haven't had a chance to tell our story and tease what's going to happen next, and we're going to take that opportunity.”

Christie didn’t elaborate. But before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline took initiatives to indicate that it wanted higher relationships with its customers. The airline modernized its fleet, installing seats with more legroom and upgrading technology to extend schedule reliability.

More recently, the airline ranked in the highest quadrant of the U.S. Department of Transportation's monthly on-time scorecards. For example, in January this 12 months, the corporate ranked fourth in the general share of reported flights that arrived on time, at 72.5%, based on the department.

SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Monday rejected a proposal aimed toward cracking down on the way in which a number of the nation's largest utilities spend their customers' money.

Consumer groups say utilities are finding ways to get around these rules. They accuse them of using customers' money to fund trade groups that lobby lawmakers and for television ads disguised as public service announcements, including some recent ads from Pacific Gas & Electric.

A bill within the state legislature would have expanded the definitions of prohibited promoting and political influence to incorporate things like regulators' decisions on tariffs and concessions for electric and gas corporations. It would also allow regulators to punish utilities that violate the foundations.

On Monday, the bill didn’t pass a legislative committee for the second time, despite fierce opposition from utilities, including Pacific Gas & Electric.

“We have seen too many examples of blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars across the state,” said Democratic Sen. Dave Min, who authored the bill that didn’t pass Monday. “I know consumers are outraged about this.”

PG&E opposed the bill, saying it will strip state regulators of the authority to look at utilities' costs and judge whether it was “fair or reasonable” for purchasers to pay for them.

Additionally, PG&E lobbyist Brandon Ebeck said it's appropriate for purchasers to pay the corporate's membership fees, which go to numerous industry associations, because they profit customers. He noted that these groups coordinate emergency response and wildfire training. When the war in Ukraine began, the Edison Electric Institute—a national association representing private utilities—sought surplus equipment to send to Ukraine.

“There are many advantages for customers,” said Ebeck.

The bill was part of a bigger backlash against rising electricity prices in California. Electricity is pricey in California, partially due to the hassle required to keep up and upgrade electrical equipment to scale back the chance of wildfires in a state with long, dry summers.

As rates have continued to rise, utilities comparable to Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric are facing increasing scrutiny from consumer groups over how they spend the cash they receive from their customers.

Matt Vespa, senior attorney at environmental group Earthjustice, said Monday's vote was “incredibly disappointing.” He said current rules for utilities “incentivize them to see what they can get away with.”

Min and consumer groups, for instance, said PG&E spent as much as $6 million on television promoting to advertise its plan to bury power lines to scale back the chance of wildfires. Some consumer groups opposed this plan since it increased customers' bills.

The ads first aired in 2022 and show CEO Patti Poppe wearing a tough hat with the corporate's logo and say the corporate is “transforming your hometown energy provider.”

The utility accounted for the expenses for those ads through a customer-funded account dedicated to reducing wildfire risk, as first reported by the Sacramento Bee. PG&E spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo said the corporate has not yet asked regulators to review those costs. The California Public Utilities Commission will resolve whether the ads may be funded with customer money.

Paulo noted that state regulators allow utilities to make use of customer funds to fund television security communications.

“Our customers have told us they want to know how we are investing to improve safety and reliability,” Paulo said. “We also use digital communications and email communications, but some customers do not have internet or email access, so we use methods such as television spots to communicate with all of our customers.”

Some consumer groups say the promoting has crossed the road.

“Only at PG&E would (Poppe's) attempts at rebranding be seen as a 'safety message,'” said Mark Toney, executive director of the Utility Reform Network. “This blatant misuse of fee money is exactly why we need SB 938 and its clear rules and required disclosures for advertising costs.”