Fraud & ID Theft

RESOLVE TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF FRAUD THIS YEAR

1. A foreign IP address.  Not all websites with foreign IP addresses are fraudulent, but transactions originating from a foreign IP address are about seven times riskier than average, according to an Experian report. 
2. The domain name doesn't add up. Take a good look at the domain name to see if it's actually what you think it is, or if it varies slightly from what you're expecting. Other tip-offs to fake websites include bad grammar or no encryption at the point of purchase.
3. The URL is "http" instead of "https".  The "s" stands for Secure, and it means that all communications between your browser and the website are encrypted, as they should be for your protection.
4. The website asks for your financial information while you are browsing. This could be in the form of an email or a pop-up message that asks for your financial info. Don't reply or follow the link. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends closing out the browser window immediately if you get a financial request while browsing, as legitimate companies never ask for information that way.
5. Red Flag words. Be sure to read the seller's description of the product closely. Words like "refurbished", "vintage", or "close-out" in the fine print may indicate that the product is not in new condition.
6. If it seems too good to be true, it is. You've heard this before, and it's excellent advice for preventing fraud. If the price of an item you're shopping for is much lower than what you've seen on other sites, that's a good sign that you're being scammed or the item is counterfeit.
7. Nonexistent return policy. Before you buy, read the warranty information, return policy, and refund policy. If you can't return the item you're buying for a full refund, or if the policy is sketchy or vague, don't purchase from the website.
8. Nonexistent contact information. Scammers can easily set up an online shopping website under a false name. It's important to do some research if you are shopping on an unfamiliar site. A lack of contact information (no physical address listed) is a red flag. Call the phone number listed, ask questions, find out if it's a legitimate company. 
9. Confusing or nonexistent privacy policy. If you can't find a privacy policy, or if you can't understand the privacy policy provided, the FTC advises you to consider shopping elsewhere. 
10. Weird Google search results. When you are researching a website to find out if it's legit or not, try googling. Google the site and owner to check what the search results say. Experian suggests that you could also visit Google's Transparency Report to find out the safety rating.
11. Bad reviews or reviews that don't make sense. Experian advises consumers to find reviews of the site or reviews of the owner of the business to learn what others have said about them. Or if reviews don't make sense, that's a red flag. Watch out for reviews that are extremely positive but written in non-standard English, or reviews from usernames that are a jumble of numbers and letters - these could be fake.
12. No option to pay with a credit card. So you've done your due diligence and you are certain that the online seller checks all the right boxes. You're ready to purchase from the website, but the site does not allow payment via credit card. Don't go through with the order. Paying with a credit card protects your transaction under the Fair Credit Billing Act, under which charges can be disputed and payment to the seller temporarily withheld. Using (Important:  Don't use your debit card for online shopping. A debit card that is linked to your financial account is not a credit card and does not fall under the same protections as a credit card. When you give out your debit card it allows a company to take money directly from your account, and if fraud is committed you'll have a much harder time getting your money back.)  Also avoid websites that only accept payment in cryptocurrency or other obscure payment methods.

1st Community Credit Union strives to provide resources to help consumers learn about fraud and identity theft. Knowing about scams and recent trends in fraud can help you protect yourself from becoming a victim and suffering financial losses.

PAYPAL INVOICE SCAM

On this page you will find basic tips for protecting yourself as well as brief descriptions of scams. Or, if you prefer you can go to the Federal Trade Commission's website for more information on recent scams and what to watch for. 

Protect Your Family Members (young and old) From Fraud and Scams:

The security of today's technology can be overwhelming, especially for family members who may be new to using mobile devices and apps, such as grandparents or young teens. The best way to help your family stay secure is by making security as simple as possible for them. It is important to also share information on scams with older family members, college students, and friends. Scammers prefer to prey on the elderly and young people who are managing their own finances for the first time, often resorting to harassment if they feel it will get them the information they desire. Work together to come up with a plan of what to say and do if they are contacted with requests for sensitive information. Taking a few steps can have a big impact:

1. Explain that scammers and con artists have been around for hundreds of years, they are just using the Internet now to try to fool their victims. Give examples of how scammers target their victims by pretending to be a government agency, financial institution, utility company, etc.  Be sure that family members understand the importance of never giving out sensitive personal information, account numbers, passwords, or remote access to their computer.  Explain that the more urgent the message seems (whether it is a text, phone call, or email) the more likely it is a scam. Let your family members know about romantic scams also, explaining that con artists prey on people who are lonely and longing for love by pretending to be their match made in heaven.  Let your loved ones know that they can contact you any time they are unsure about an email or phone call.
2. Emphasize that scammers also still utilize phone and mail scams. They can still become victims if they don't know the warning signs. It's important to always be cautious of any unsolicited contact, even if the call or letter appears to be coming from a legitimate company or organization. 
3. When setting up Home Wi-Fi access for anyone who is new to technology, take the time to make sure their wi-fi is password-protected. Consider using a secure form of DNS service that can help stop people from visiting infected websites. For younger family members, restrict websites that you don't want them to have access to.
4. Help less tech-savvy family members keep their devices and systems updated and current. This makes it harder for scammers and hackers to compromise them. The simplest solution is enabling automatic updates.
5. Inform family members about the importance of using secure passwords that are unique, and coach them to not use the same password across multiple sites.
6. Mistakes can happen. Make sure reliable backups are in place and be sure that your loved ones know what to do and who to contact if they fall victim to a scam.

• Never Give Out Sensitive Information: Never give anyone your Online Banking or Mobile Banking/Mobile App user name or password. Keep your account numbers, credit and debit card numbers and PINs, and social security number private and secure. If you receive a phone call, text or email that includes a request for this sort of sensitive personal or financial information, hang up or ignore the call or delete the text or email.
  • If your credit card has been compromised or lost, call 1-800-449-7728 to report it. They will assist you and arrange to issue you a new credit card.
  • If your debit card has been compromised or lost, you may contact 1st CCU at 608-269-8121 or toll-free at 1-888-706-1228 during business hours to report it and to request a new card. We can now print you a new ready-to-use debit card within minutes, so you no longer need to wait up to 3 weeks for your new debit card to arrive in the mail.
  • After business hours, please call 1-800-449-7728 to report a lost or stolen debit card.
• Pay Attention To Account Activity: You are responsible for monitoring your account activity and notifying your financial institution of suspicious activity or fraudulent charges. Online Banking, Mobile Banking, and AccessPoint Credit Card Account Access are offered free of charge to 1st CCU members, as well as monthly paper statements and eStatements. 1st CCU also offers free E-Alerts for notification of daily account balance, online banking logins, and certain electronic transaction activity. For additional protection, ask a Member Service Representative to place a Password on your account. Once you've placed a secure password on your account you will give the password anytime you request information or transactions on your account in person or over the phone.
• Inspect Credit Reports Annually: All consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report every 12 months from each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies. The ONLY website authorized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to provide these free credit report copies is www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Consumers without internet access may request their free copies by calling 1-877-322-8228 or send a request by mail to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
• Don't Become A Victim Of Phishing Scams: Always question any suspicious or "official-looking" emails, letters, or phone calls that ask for verification of sensitive information, and never click on links in unexpected or suspicious emails or social media messages. Hang up the phone without giving out any information or allowing access to your information or computer.
  
• Protect Your Device: Every consumer who owns a computer, smart phone, tablet, or other internet-enabled device should understand what software and systems they have and configure them securely.
• Use Strong Passwords: When you use the same User ID and Password across several websites you increase your risk. Use strong, unique passwords and don't recycle the same passwords for multiple online accounts.
• E-mail is not secure: Never send your personal information via e-mail.
  Contact 1st Community Credit Union directly in person or by phone if you have questions about your credit union accounts. If you receive an e-mail or phone call from a business or an individual claiming to be affiliated with 1st Community Credit Union, do not give out any personal information. 1st Community Credit Union will never ask you to verify your personal information through e-mail. Question any suspicious or "official-looking" emails or letters, especially those requesting personal information to reinstate account access, claim a prize, or verify information. Never enter any of your Credit Union account numbers in response to an e-mail you receive.
• Never respond to job offers you receive via unsolicited e-mail: This is one of the most prevalent scams in the past couple of years.
• If you receive an unsolicited check in the mail, bring it directly to 1st CCU, along with a copy of any correspondence that accompanies the check. We will help you determine if the check is fraudulent.
• If throwing away documents that contain personal, financial, and sensitive information, ALWAYS shred them.
  

NOTE: If you receive an email that claims to be from 1st Community Credit Union asking you to click on a link and enter personal information, please do not respond to the email and never give out your account number, social security number, or other personal information by email or telephone.

Previous Popular Scams Encountered In Our Area:

• • When approaching an ATM, look for signs of tampering: a keyboard that doesn't feel right (too thick or too loose), the appearance of something sticking out of the card reader or something temporarily attached on top of the normal card reader (card reader feels loose, sticky tape residue, etc), a brochure holder that looks out of place (fraudsters have been known to conceal hidden cameras inside fake brochure holders in order to film their victims' PIN entry).
  • If something doesn't seem right about the ATM, walk away and find another ATM. Avoid ATMs in isolated areas, where a thief installing a skimming device would be relatively undetected.
  • Be aware of anyone who appears to be looking over your shoulder. Cover your hand when entering your PIN.
  • There are some scammers who insert a clear plastic "sleeve" or loop inside the card reader. When a cardholder comes along and inserts their card into the slot the card gets stuck. The scammer then comes along, posing as a helpful bystander, an ATM repairman, or even a police investigator. The scammer convinces you to try your PIN while they observe, then they come up with a story that convinces you to leave the card in the machine or leave the card with them for "evidence". Never use your PIN when others are watching, and if you are unable to retrieve your card for any reason please remain at the machine and use a cell phone to call the telephone assistance number listed on the ATM.
  • When entering your PIN, always cover the keypad with your other hand.
  • Ignore the hoax emails and social media posts you may have seen about entering your PIN number backwards if you are in distress at an ATM. This is a myth; ATMs do not have that capability.

• • A grandparent receives a scam call or email from a "grandchild", often late at night or early in the morning. The caller claiming to be their grandchild urgently explains he/she has gotten into a bad situation (car accident, arrested for drugs, being mugged) and needs money wired immediately. The caller also insists they don't want their parents to be notified.
    
  • Sometimes a phony 'official' makes the fraudulent call, claiming to be a police officer, lawyer, or hospital doctor or nurse and speaking on behalf of the grandchild, requesting funds be wired.
  • Military families can also be victimized; a con artist will contact a soldier's family and claim that a problem has come up during military leave that requires money to be wired.
  • Older consumers are urged to be aware of this type of scam, and resist the pressure to act quickly. If you receive this call, try to contact your grandchild or another family member to determine whether or not the call is legitimate. Be aware that if Facebook privacy settings aren't high enough scammers can often get access to personal information that a grandparent might use to verify their grandchild's identity, including the name of a childhood pet, a nickname, siblings' names, home address or the college they attend, etc. Never wire money based on a request made over the phone or in an email.
  • Younger consumers can help prevent grandparents from becoming victims to this scam by increasing privacy settings on social networking sites, leaving several contact numbers to allow family to check in should there be some concern, and password-protecting smartphones.
    

INSPECT YOUR CREDIT REPORT AT ANNUALCREDITREPORT.COM

You may request a free credit report to review your credit accounts and identify any inaccuracies. The federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) requires each of the three consumer reporting companies to provide a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. Order your free credit report online or call 877-322-8228. There are other websites that are frequently advertised on television that claim to be your source for free credit reports, however the AnnualCreditReport.com site is the ONLY source recommended by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

If you receive an e-mail or a pop-up ad that claims to be affiliated with the Annual Credit Report Request Service authorized by the FACT Act, do not reply and do not click on any link in the message. Also be wary of companies that make claims regarding Credit Repair.