PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION
PLEASE MONITOR YOUR ACCOUNT ACTIVITY REGULARLY. IDENTIFYING SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS ON YOUR ACCOUNT IN A TIMELY MANNER CAN MITIGATE LOSSES TO YOU AND CBW.
REMEMBER: CBW WILL NEVER CALL AND ASK YOU FOR YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBERS, PIN NUMBERS, PASSWORDS OR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. IF YOU ARE UNSURE, HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CALL US AT 814-487-5714
Threats to information security are increasingly part of everyday life for the members we serve. Today more than ever, you need to know how to protect yourself against phone, Internet and e-mail hazards like phishing, spyware, viruses, spam and more. Below, you will find useful information and education on ways you can take control to safeguard your identity, money, privacy and property.
Fraudsters are aggressive in their attempts to trick consumers into providing sensitive personal and banking information, or convincing them to send money through various get-rich-quick or scare tactics.
They’ll use fear or intimidation to get someone to act quickly, or try to gain trust by developing a connection through social media. Educate yourself on these common scams to protect you or a loved one from financial loss. Never provide password information to anyone.
CALLER ID/TELEPHONE NUMBER SPOOFING
A scammer can spoof a phone number to look like a trusted number on caller ID. Never provide personal information if you did not initiate a call, even if you know the number. Call the person or business back yourself to research.
REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT USING GIFT CARDS, CRYPTOCURRENCY OR CASH MONEY TRANSFER SERVICES
Scammers often insist you pay in a way that you can’t get your money back – by purchasing gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, money grams, or payment apps. If you’re asked to pay this way, then STOP! It’s probably a scam. Remember, Gift Cards are for gifts! NOT FOR PAYMENTS.
TEXT MESSAGES OR EMAILS SAYING THERE IS A PROBLEM AND TO “CLICK THIS LINK”. DON’T CLICK THE LINK. And NEVER provide your password, PIN or one-time codes by phone.
Some examples: the message may appear to be from your bank asking you to confirm debit card purchases; it may say that you owe money to a random entity; that a package can’t be delivered because they need address information; that they need you to confirm you have made a large purchase to Amazon or another popular site, and you know you did not, etc. These types of messages can be numerous and they just want to get you to bite. If you are truly concerned, contact the named company directly by looking up the number yourself and research it before ever giving info by phone or email. Delete the message and NEVER CLICK THE LINK!
IMPERSONATOR SCAMS
A scammer pretends to be someone you trust – a government agency, the sheriff’s office, a court official, your bank, or a business you visit. They may even have a familiar name or phone number show up in caller ID. This is phone number spoofing. They may say they are collecting a debt, or claim there is a problem they can help you with. Hang up and call the business yourself using a number you know. Never give out personal or account information if you did not initiate the call yourself.
THERE IS NO PRIZE
We do not win random prizes, especially if we never played. A scammer may say you were “selected” for an offer or you have won the lottery, but then say you need to pay the taxes, a registration fee, or shipping costs to get the prize. If so, it’s a scam! Hang up or throw it away, don’t respond!
YOU WON’T BE ARRESTED
Scammers may pretend to be law enforcement or even a federal agency. They may say you will be fined or arrested if you do not pay right away! The goal is to scare you to act quickly and without thinking. Real law enforcement and federal agencies won’t call and threaten you. STOP! It’s a scam!
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WON’T CALL TO CONFIRM YOUR SENSITIVE INFORMATION
No government agency is going to call you out of the blue and ask you to confirm sensitive information like your Social Security number, date of birth, or your direct deposit information.
GRANDCHILDREN OR FAMILY SCAMS
Scammers call and pretend to be a family member saying they’re in trouble and need money quickly. Oh, and “don’t tell Mom”! They may say they have been pulled over by police, need money for bail, or their car broke down. Hang up and contact your family member yourself. This is a common scam attempt. Do not give them banking information or send them money.
DEBT RELIEF, CREDIT REPAIR, OR LOAN OFFERS
Never give out personal information to someone that called you saying they can repair your debt! Visit a reputable financial institution.
CHARITY SCAMS
Scammers often say they represent legitimate charities and are soliciting donations. Never give your bank information over the phone, or initiate a donation from an unsolicited phone call or social media post. If you wish to donate, contact a charity that is important to you directly.
ROMANCE OR FRIENDSHIP SCAMS
Scammers are patient and work hard to develop a relationship with someone online. After months of building trust, they begin to ask for money to visit you, or for a debt, a medical emergency, or some other crisis. While this is a cruel scam indeed, don’t fall for their attempt to have you send them money. You will soon find out, if you refuse, they will quit contacting you.
YOU RECEIVE A CHECK IN THE MAIL you did not solicit or for something you sold online. They want you to return a portion to them: STOP! It’s a scam!
The goal of the scammer is for you to deposit the bad check at your bank and then quickly send a portion back to them before it clears. They’ll give you a good reason and even provide a “story” to tell the bank.
However, the check is no good. When the bank receives it back, YOU would be responsible to pay the entire amount back to the bank, not the scammer. Some examples of why you would receive these checks:
▪ Work from home? They’ll buy your equipment and you send some back to them.
▪ You won the lottery, but you need to send some back for taxes.
▪ Online purchase from you, but they “overpaid you”.
SOMEONE CALLS AND STATES YOU HAVE A COMPUTER PROBLEM
They say they can conveniently fix it for you if you allow remote access to your computer! STOP! Never allow someone that contacted you to have remote access to your computer.
These are just some of the MANY scams targeting consumers! Never allow yourself to make a hasty decision that you cannot change. Talk to a trusted family member or contact your bank for guidance. Protect yourself and your hard-earned money.
UPDATE YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM ON YOUR COMPUTER, TABLET AND MOBILE DEVICES. A simple restart of your device will do this task, if an update is available.