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Common Fraud and Scams

Stay Safe from Scams: What Our Members Need to Know

Your protection is our top priority. Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting people through phone calls, texts, email, and even social media. Learn how to recognize, avoid, and report scams to keep your personal and financial information safe.

Common Scam Scenarios

  • Phishing Emails & Texts: Scammers pose as your credit union or a trusted company and send urgent messages asking you to "verify your account" by clicking a link or entering personal details.
  • Phone Spoofing: Fraudsters call from a number that appears to be your credit union or another trusted institution and ask for sensitive information. Spoofing is when a fraudster makes their phone number, email address, or website look like it’s coming from a trusted source — such as your credit union. This tricks you into believing the communication is genuine.
  • Fake Prize/Lottery Scams: You’re told you’ve won a prize or lottery and must provide personal information or pay a fee to claim it.
  • Impersonation of Relatives or Friends: You receive a call, text, or email from someone claiming to be a distressed friend or family member asking for money urgently.
  • Investment or Romance Scams: Scammers establish a personal relationship or offer “can’t miss” investments to gain your trust and steal your savings.

Things to Remember

  • Never share your account numbers, passwords, PINs, or Social Security Number in response to unsolicited calls, texts, or emails.
  • We will never ask for your online banking password or full PIN—especially through email, text, or phone.
  • Be wary of urgent requests or scare tactics — scammers often pressure you into acting without thinking.
  • Check the sender’s email address and phone number carefully. Even a tiny change can indicate fraud.
  • Don’t click on suspicious links or download attachments from unknown sources.

Common Scams and Tactics

  1. Requests to move or "protect" your money.
    • ​​Scammers pretend to be from a bank, government agency, or tech support and ask you to move your money to a "safe account."
      • Real banks never ask you to transfer money to protect it.
      • This is often used in bank impersonation scams.
  2. Urgent message about account problems.
    • ​​Examples:
      • "Your account will be locked!"
      • "Suspicious activity detected - verify now!"
      • Messages claiming your account will be locked unless you act immediately.
      • Scammers create panic and urgency so you don't stop to verify.
    • Safe action:
      • Contact the company directly using their official website or phone number, do not use information given in other ways.
  3. Fake fraud alerts.
    • ​​These may look like they come from your bank or services such as:
      • PayPal
      • Amazon
      • Apple
      • Microsoft
    • They ask for:
      • Login credentials
      • Verification codes
      • Banking information
    • Real companies never ask for personal passwords or codes by email or text.
  4. Too-good-to-be-true offers.
    • ​​Examples:
      • Free prizes
      • Unexpected refunds
      • "You've won a lottery you never entered"
    • These are designed to trigger excitement and curiousity, so people ignore warning signs.
  5. Unusual payment methods.
    • ​​Scammers often demand payment using:
      • Gift cards
      • Wire transfers
      • Cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin)
      • Digital vouchers (iTunes, Google Play)
    • Why? Because these payments are hard or impossible to reverse.
  6. Pressure to act quickly.
    • ​​You might hear things like:
      • "You must act within 10 minutes."
      • "Your account will be shut down today."
    • This tactic prevents you from:
      • Verifying the message
      • Asking someone for advice
  7.  Threats of legal action or arrest.
    • ​​Scammers may claim to be from goverment agencies such as:
      • Internal Revenue Service
      • Social Security Administration
    • Real agencies do not threaten arrest over the phone or demand payment immediately.
  8.  Poor Grammar or Misspellings.
    • ​​Many scam messages contain:
      • Spelling mistakes
      • Awkward wording
      • Strange formatting
    • This can be a sign the message is coming from overseas scam operations.

Simple Rule:

  • If someone asks for money, passwords, or verification codes unexpectedly, stop and verify before doing anything!

Quick Safety Tip:

  • If you ever receive a suspicious message about your bank or account, log in directly through the official website or app instead of clicking links.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Use strong, unique passwords for your financial accounts and update them regularly.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available.
  • Monitor your accounts often for unauthorized transactions.
  • Never follow links or call numbers from suspicious messages—contact us directly using official channels if unsure.
  • Keep your devices and security software up to date.
  • Shred documents containing sensitive information before disposing of them.
  • Annualcreditreport.com – get a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months.

Reporting Fraud

If you believe you are the victim of a scam or your account has been compromised, take action immediately:

Fraud Resource Library

Stay alert and help protect yourself, your family, and our community from scams. If you are ever unsure about a message or phone call claiming to be from your credit union, hang up and contact us directly.