Be on the look out for deceivers in disguise!

Imagine you’re busy (I know, not a stretch for many of us these days!) maybe you’re working on your kids Halloween costume, getting dinner on the table, or answering emails that you’ve had piling up all day. Your phone lights up with a message–something that looks urgent just appeared. Maybe you have a package that you need to verify your address for, maybe you have a road toll that needs to be paid, or maybe you’ve been discovered by someone looking to hire people to work from home doing a simple job for a good salary! Unfortunately, these messages are likely not what they seem. Scams are evolving all the time, both in the technology used and the manipulation methods tried to get you to give up your information. Your credit union is here to help! Let’s talk about what scams look like now and what you can do to avoid them. 

The Modern Scammer’s Toolkit

Scammers will reach out to you any way they can find in the hope that one might work. These different methods go by different names like phishing, smishing, and vishing, though what is really important to know is that whether it’s an email, text, or a phone call, it could be phishing. With the advent of new technologies there also come new methods for scammers to try and trick you. An AI deepfake could look and/or sound like a celebrity or internet personality that you admire, or even someone you know. 

Common Scams to Watch Out For

Using any of your information that they are able to find along with technology and manipulation tactics there are many common scams that deceivers may try. Here are some of the most common tactics they may try:

• Imposter Scams: Scammers may pretend to be from the credit union, a government agency, or a tech company to try to get you to give up information or send some form of payment. 
• Overpayment Scams: A scammer will contact you to tell you that you have won a prize or have been chosen to do something easy in exchange for a generous payment. They will likely ask you to deposit a check for more than expected and send back the difference. They may also do this as part of an erroneous marketplace transaction or a gift card prize. 
• Person-to-Person Scams: Utilizing person-to-person cash platforms like Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle scammers may try to trick you into sending them funds. They will send money to you before claiming that the money was sent by accident and ask you to send it back. 
• Online Marketplace Scams: Scammers will contact you about an item that you have listed on an online marketplace and then use fraudulent payment methods to try and obtain sensitive information from you. 

Safety Tips 

So what can you do when you think you may be getting contacted by a scammer? 

• Stop and Think: Scammers often try to throw their victims off by making them panic with urgent requests. Don’t let them get you agitated–stop and think critically about the request. Does what they’re saying make sense?
• Verify Every Time: Unless you are certain of the security of contact asking for payment or sensitive information, verify before sending or saying anything that may be compromising! 
• Use Official Channels: If you are not sure if the person contacting you is legitimate tell them you will call them back and do so with the official number for their organization listed online or on other official channels. If they’re legitimate then you should have no problem contacting them in return. 
• Secure Your Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts online and change them regularly. For extra security do not alow your apps or browser to save them, and utilize two factor authentication when available. 
• Beware of Links: Make sure you are doing your due diligence before clicking any links whether they have been sent to you in an email, included in a text, or found out in the world via a QR code. 

Stay Safe!

It is important to be vigilant and careful to avoid possible scams. Stay up to date with current trends in scams and advances in technology which might be used to deceive you. Contact your credit union right away if you suspect you have been targeted by a scam. We are here to help!