Avoid falling for a scam call, text, or email.
Keep your personal information safe.
Scammers and fraudsters can get creative when they’re trying to get ahold of your personal information. STCU wants to make sure that information stays safe and secure.
Here are a few ways scammers and fraudsters may try to trick you:
- Use calls, voicemails, and texts to impersonate STCU or other government officials.
- Send scam texts that contain a link that will take you to a website that looks almost identical to STCU’s.
- Spoof phone numbers to make calls and texts looking like they’re actually coming from STCU or another local number.
- Send scam emails that look like they’re from companies you might use. Examples of this are Amazon and Norton. These emails sometimes state something like “Your delivery has been delayed” and contain a link to click on.
Prevent fraud by setting up account notifications.
Monitoring your money keeps you in the know if something doesn’t look right. With account notifications set up, you’ll be alerted when suspicious transactions appear.
The STCU fraud and scam experts suggest you get notifications for all your accounts, even the ones you don’t use regularly. Fraudsters like to dip into the ones you aren’t checking as often because it’s easier for them to fly under the radar when they take money from your account.
The sooner you see something out of the ordinary with your accounts and report it, the better.
Check out our guide on setting up notifications.
These are some signs something might be a scam attempt:
- Things need to happen urgently.
- There’s pushback when you try to verify details on your own. STCU will never be offended you want to verify the contact with us.
- The scammer requests to send you money somewhere else (via wire transfer, money order or gift card purchases) to “protect it.”
- There is no disputing process or anyway for STCU to help get your money back if you used a wire transfer, money order, or gift card to send it. You are 100% liable.
- The scammer requests you to mail a package with cash in it.
- The ask for PIN numbers, online banking login credentials, or other information STCU would not ask for.
- Emails contain spelling, grammar, or general English language errors.
- Emails that come from an address that doesn’t appear to be associated with the company that the email is supposedly from.
Here are ways you can protect yourself:
- Be skeptical, very skeptical.
- If something seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
- Monitor your accounts regularly.
- Sign up for transaction alerts and card controls.
- Protect your information and never give out your account or card numbers unless it’s absolutely necessary.
- Never give out your online banking login credentials.
- Slow down and determine whether the message is legitimate.
- Never click on a link or reply until you've verified its source.
Pause! Ask yourself these questions before you take any actions:
- Does this offer make sense?
- How well do I know this person?
- Was I expecting this to happen?
- Would my banker, police, friends, or family think this is a good idea?
This is what you can do if you think you’ve become a victim to a scam:
- Discontinue contact with whomever you’re dealing with and contact STCU immediately.
- Contact STCU through a safe and known method like coming into a branch or calling one of the numbers on our website.