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Fraud Prevention Tips

Tips for keeping your information on lockdown.

Secure Information

Be sure to only share this information with a reliable and credible source.

Social Security Number (SSN)

Bank Account Numbers

Credit Card Information

Address

Full Name

Public Safety

Phone Calls or Texts

Avoid sharing secure information over the phone where others can hear you.  You never know who may be paying attention.

When replying to text messages be sure you are texting a credible number.

Online

Avoid entering secure information online using public WIFI, such as logging into a bank account or filling out financial documents.

Routine Checks

Routinely check your bank and credit card statements. Scam artists have a tricky way of hacking your information without you realizing at first.  If you do see an issue, contact your financial institution or credit card company immediately.

Emails

Keep an eye out for offers that seem too good to be true. Never open a link or download a PDF from a sender you are unfamiliar with. If an email link seems suspicious but you’re not sure, open your browser and go to the website directly.

Credit or Debit Cards

Check for scanning devices that steal your credit card information before swiping. Be sure to enter your pin as privately as possible.

Shopping

Whether it’s online or in-store be sure you are shopping with reputable merchants. An extra precaution could be to use your credit card rather than your debit card. Majority of credit card companies have fraud protection plans and put zero accountability on the consumer.

Fraud Tips Blog

Identify and Defend Against Military Scams

Identify and Defend Against Military Scams Being away from home on a deployment is a challenging time for military members and their families, and some people try to take advantage of these situations, making things even more stressful. A military scam begins when a...

Easy Money or Money Mule?

Easy Money or Money Mule? A money mule acts as a layer of distance between a scammer and their victims by handling stolen funds on behalf of someone else, either knowingly or unknowingly. Money mules make a scam harder to trace and the money harder to find.  ...

Fraud Blog: How to Determine if a Donation Appeal is for Real – or a Scam

How to Determine if a Donation Appeal is for Real – or a Scam Charitable donations are a great way to make an impact on the causes you care about. But when tragedy strikes, scammers may prey on the generosity of those trying to support the victims. Scammers request...

Fraud Blog: Send Yourself Money? That’s a Big Red Flag

Send Yourself Money? That’s a Big Red Flag Scammers are always creating new ways to steal your money. One of the recent scams utilizing peer-to-peer payment services is what’s known as the “Pay Yourself Scam.” The gist of the scam is that someone pretending to be a...

Fraud Blog: Protect Your Savings from Investment Scams

Protect Your Savings from Investment Scams We all dream of financial success, but when it comes to investing, we have to be cautious. Scammers will tout a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will earn high returns with little to no chance of loss. These investment...

Fraud Blog: Protect Your Small Business from Payment Scams

Protect Your Small Business from Payment Scams It is often assumed that payment scams only happen to individuals, but small businesses are also frequent targets for scammers. These maneuvers can often go unnoticed because the scam is embedded within typical business...

Fraud Blog: Threats to Turn Off Water and Power Could Be the Work of Scammers

Threats to Turn Off Water and Power Could Be the Work of Scammers What you need to know about utility scams Many basic necessities rely on utilities we take for granted. And that makes them perfect for a scammer to exploit. Like many other scams, utility scams occur...

How Scammers Use Social Engineering to Steal Money … And How You Can Spot Them

How Scammers Use Social Engineering to Steal Money … And How You Can Spot Them As scams become more prevalent, they are also more sophisticated, making them harder to detect. Scammers employ what is known as “social engineering” to manipulate people into revealing...

How to Send Money with Zelle® Safely

How to Send Money with Zelle® Safely Zelle® is a fast, safe and easy way to send and receive money with people you trust, like your babysitter, coworkers, fellow PTA mom, or your son’s soccer coach. Whether you just enrolled with Zelle® or have been an active user for...

Fake Jobs, Phony Recruiters: Job Scams are on the Rise

Fake Jobs, Phony Recruiters: Job Scams are on the Rise Finding a new job isn’t easy. It’s hard to search through countless job descriptions and submit dozens of applications, so when a promising offer comes along, it’s easy to be excited, but be careful. Fake postings...

Common Fraud Words

Vishing

When a scammer is calling you directly, pretending to be someone they are not and asking for your information.

Phishing

When a scammer is sending you emails to try and collect your information. These include links or downloads that may install viruses to hack your devices or accounts. 

Smishing

When a scammer is texting you as someone they are not to trick you into replying with you information or clicking a false link to enter your information.

Spear Phishing

A scammer with a direct target. They may already have some of your information and use this to try and trick you into thinking the call is credible. 

Malware

A software that may be attached to link or downloadable file. This software is designed to cause damage to your devices.

Virus

A code that may be attached to a link or downloadable file that will change the way you computer operates. These can spread from one device to the next.

Did you know…

There were 3.2 million fraud reports filed in 2019.

-Source: Federal Trade Commission