Your security is our top priority. As part of our commitment to protecting your financial well-being, we’ve compiled a list of common scams to help you stay informed and vigilant.
These scams are designed to trick you into giving up personal information or money. By knowing the red flags and how to respond, you can better safeguard your accounts and personal information. Select from the links below to learn more about these scams and how to protect yourself from falling victim.
We've received reports of a text message phishing scam circulating in our community. Scammers are sending texts claiming that your card may have been charged and urging you to click on a link to dispute the charge.
Remember, we will never request personal or account information via text message. If you receive a suspicious text, please don't click on any links or provide any information. Instead, contact us directly at (877) 441-2784 or visit your nearest branch.
How The Scam Works
The scammer contacts a person to report an urgent security problem or some suspicious activity with an internet device that needs immediate attention. Then they ask to verify personal information or to allow them access to computer files. Often, they direct a person to a website that looks authentic – but it is not. The page was set up to phish for personal information that collects the data and embeds malware.
These scammers need one thing; that is, to get account information and account access – without it – they can’t steal.
These scams occur when a scammer contacts you pretending to work for a legitimate business or government agency. The initial contact may be by telephone, email, mail, or even a text message. The two most common types of this fraud are:
If you recently bought a ticket to a local event, you may have used Eventbrite’s website or smartphone app. Eventbrite is an online platform that allows you to create, promote, and attend events. But cybercriminals are abusing this platform to steal your personal information and money. In this week’s scam, cybercriminals use Eventbrite to set up a fake event and then email you an invitation.
The Eventbrite email invitation contains realistic logos and brands, and it appears to be legitimate. But if you select the link within the email, you will be taken to a fake webpage that is actually controlled by cybercriminals. The webpage will prompt you to enter personal data such as your login information, tax identification number, and even your credit card number. The cybercriminals are trying to steal your personal details and funds!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a phishing scam:
No one is immune to being targeted by scammers, including lawyers and law firms. Lawyers often handle debt collection, and cybercriminals are seeking to take advantage of that. In this week’s scam, a law firm is contacted by someone claiming to be a client who needs assistance with collecting a debt payment. The firm works with the client to determine who owes the debt and then sends a letter requesting that the debt be paid. The person who owes the debt money immediately agrees to pay and sends what appears to be a real cashier’s check to cover the cost.
The law firm deposits the check and wires money to the client’s account. However, both the client and the person who owes the debt are scammers who are working together. The entire story about being owed a debt is a scam, and the cashier’s check is fake. The fake check doesn’t clear at the bank, and the scammers are able to escape with the law firm’s money!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a cashier’s check scam:
When it comes to staying safe online, it usually helps to remember an old rule: “If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.” In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are trying to trick you into forgetting this simple rule by sending you phishing emails. The phishing emails say that you have an opportunity to win a prize, usually from a major organization or brand, such as Marriott, Costco, Lowes, and more.
The emails vary slightly in their content, but they all offer you the opportunity to win a prize by simply clicking a button and providing some personal information. However, the emails were sent by cybercriminals. If you click the link, you will be directed to a webpage that they control. If you enter any personal or financial information here, the cybercriminals will be able to see it immediately. You won’t win any prize from clicking the links, but the cybercriminals will. They’ll be able to steal your data!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a phishing scam:
No one is immune to being targeted by phishing attacks. In this week’s scam, cybercriminals targeted candidates in a local election. During any election season, many candidates post information about themselves online or on social media sites. Scammers can use this information to craft targeted attacks on the candidates. In the specific attacks mentioned below, the scammers pretended to be another election candidate. This type of attack is known as Business Email Compromise (BEC).
In one of the attacks, the scammers emailed an election candidate. In the email, they impersonated someone else who was also running for election. The scammers explained that they needed the victim to purchase $500 in Apple gift cards and send them via email. When this didn’t work, the scammers later sent a separate email that appeared to come from DocuSign. This email contained an attachment that directed the victim to a fake login screen that prompted them to enter their user credentials in order to continue. If the victim had fallen for either of these scams, the scammers would have been able to steal both money and login credentials from the victim.
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a BEC scam:
