It is a fact of life. There are thieves out there, many very sophisticated, trying very hard to steal identities and money. Just recently we were made aware of scammers emailing, texting or calling credit union members (NIHFCU and others) in an attempt to manipulate them into making fraudulent Zelle person-to-person and other transactions.
Please be reminded that the NIHFCU will NEVER initiate an account transaction or request account information by email, phone or text. It is important to remain diligent and skeptical, and if you are ever in doubt and you feel something is suspicious, do not respond and call us directly at 1-800-877-6440 or send an email to nihfcu@nihfcu.org.
While scams can come in many shapes, sizes and methodologies, here are four signs of a likely scam.
1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, a charity, and even a bank or credit union.
They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.
2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer. Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.
Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.
Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.
They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.
They often insist that you pay by sending money through a money transfer company or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back.
For more great information on scams and how to protect yourself, visit www.ftc.gov. You can also sign up to receive consumer alerts for updates.
