The credit union was recently made aware of a scam based on the promise of a loan or grant through the U.S. Small Business Administration. The goal is to obtain your personal and account information from the application. A similar scam focuses on applications for unemployment benefits. The victims of both scams are then told […]
Financial institutions around the country have reported fraudulent text message schemes in the last several months. A fraudulent text message appears to be sent from a financial institution and asks the recipient to verify their account number or other personal information. If you receive a text message like this, please do not click any links […]
During this time of worldwide crisis when most of us are focused on our safety, scammers are focused on ways to exploit the public. This is especially true for those looking for help during this time and for those who are expecting potential COVID-19 relief funds. From fictitious websites mimicking the CDC, WHO, and even […]
Be on the lookout for sweepstakes/lottery scams, employment scams, lending scams, and even romance scammers who try to trick you into handing over your hard-earned money—or worse. Throughout the country, scams continue to plague those who receive a phone call or email telling them that they’ve won a large sum of money in a sweepstakes […]
Those in search of employment or loans often fall prey to fraudulent ads where the victim will provide their social security number and all other personal information to the scammer. In addition to being able to steal the victim’s identity, the scammer will usually send a fraudulent check instructing you to buy equipment from their […]
Romance scam artists will pose as a romantic interest online and speak with their victims anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of years trying to establish trust. At times, they or someone else will even meet the victim in person. Once they feel they have gained their trust, they will then begin […]
WASHINGTON–Credit unions and their members have another online threat to guard against—having home downpayments stolen. According to a number of sources, online criminals are increasingly impersonating real estate agents online in order to get buyers to send funds to offshore accounts. As part of the scam hackers penetrate real estate agents’ emails and monitor communications […]
New resources are available from the National Credit Union Administration to help consumers protect themselves from identity theft and take action if they believe they have been victimized. According to the NCUA, more than 17.5 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2014, which resulted in more than $15 billion in losses. The NCUA […]
Data breaches pose a potential risk to consumers in the form of identity theft, account takeover and fraud when personal and sensitive information is compromised. The following are tips for consumers to consider in reducing the risk or impact of data breaches. Place a Security Freeze on Credit Reports A security freeze protects against identity […]
According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s statistics,from January to June 2017 there have been hundreds of victims who have lost more than $6 million to online scams involving the purchase of music and other gift cards. These schemes include employment/opportunity scams, romance scams, ransomware scams, tax frauds, and various other online scams. Unfortunately, some […]
