Fraud is on the Rise. Protect Yourself Today.

Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated each day, conjuring up more complex scenarios in which they can capture your information and use it against you. Whether it’s in your inbox, through a phone call or a text message, scammers are not shy about trying to access your data. If you’re unsure in the slightest, it's best to proceed with caution. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in today’s age where scammers are coming from all angles with an arsenal full of tricks. It can only take a matter of seconds for your data to be compromised and your accounts to be wiped out.

Ways to Determine if You’re Being Roped into a Scam

• You’re being asked to provide important personal and account information, particularly by someone with whom you have no relationship
• An individual claims that you were selected to won a big prize and are being asked to act or respond quickly
• You’re being asked to pay for something in a very specific way (gift cards, wire, etc.) and that it must be done immediately

Don’t Recognize the Number? Don’t Answer

If you don’t recognize the number calling you, it’s often in your best interest not to answer. Scammers are so advanced today; they can spoof phone numbers to make it seem like they’re a legit business or that they're calling from a local number. Even with cell phone providers having features in place to block spam calling, there’s just no way to stop them all.

Scammers Using Text Messaging

Smishing is one of the newest ways scammers will try to obtain your information. They send a text with dangerous links, or an urgent prompt like “Your account has been locked, or there’s been suspicious activity on your account.” These messages are a disaster waiting to happen. Smishing links can contain malware that instantly installs to your device and can start tracking your key-strokes and activity immediately. LOC will never request sensitive information be sent over a text message.

Be Careful with Those eMails

You’d be surprised at the number of spam e-mails that can make it through to your inbox. Scammers are often imitating e-mails from Apple and Amazon to lure you into providing your information. Clicking on a link in one of those e-mails and logging into what you think is your actual Apple or Amazon account can lead to the them obtaining your information and accessing all of your pertinent information. Here are just a few things to look out for:

• Review the from address and the subject line for any oddities
• Is there a sense of urgency in the e-mail?
• Hover over any links to verify that the web address is legitimate
• Bad grammar, spelling errors

If you notice any of the above or anything about the email that alarms you, do not click links, open attachments, or reply. Just simply delete the email.

Additional Ways to Keep Your Information Safe and Prevent a Scam

• Make sure your device is password protected and that you have biometrics enabled
• Enable multi-factor authentication when available, including your email.  LOC Credit Union's digital banking platform allows you to enable this authentication for every non-biometric login to your account
• Use strong passwords, do not repeat passwords across multiple sites
• Never use public computers or public Wi-Fi to access your account
• Setup free account alerts in Digital Banking. We recommend enabling the alert that notifies you of any login activity on your account
• Never share a Secure Code (multi-factor authentication code) that has been sent to you. If you receive a code from LOC that you were not expecting, contact us immediately. LOC Credit Union will never initiate a call to ask you for this code. We may, however, over the course of providing member service or troubleshooting an issue for you, ask you to share your code

In the event you’ve fallen victim to a recent scam, contact us immediately, place fraud alerts on your credit files and keep a close eye on your credit report. Report suspicious emails or calls to the Federal Trade Commission or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT. Additionally, IdentityTheft.gov can be a great resource to help get your affairs back in order.

Today it’s more important than ever to be vigilant and extra careful with your accounts and personal information. Scammers are trained to pray on emotion and take advantage of individuals, and unfortunately, some of them are very good at what they do. Contact us immediately if you have concerns about any transaction you are conducting or being asked to conduct or if you come across any situation that feels like it may be a scam.