Fraud

 

 

Never share your CU Online user or password with anyone; we will never call or ask for personal information.

 

We're dedicated to providing our members with resources about fraud prevention and tips on what to do if you are a victim of fraud. The resources and links below are provided as an informational benefit and do not provide legal advice or share the opinions of Northeast Family Federal Credit Union.

 

Scammers change their methods frequently, scams include:

 

Gift Card Scam

Recently, fraudsters have found creative ways to scam you out of your money - and gift cards seem to be the frequent weapon of choice. Many fraudsters ask you to pay with gift cards, whether they say they are from the IRS collecting taxes, Tech Support trying to fix your computer, or even a family member in an emergency. What they all have in common an urgent need for you to send money right away. Once you buy the gift card, the caller will demand the gift card number and PIN on the back of the card. Those numbers let them immediately get the money you loaded onto the card. And once they’ve done that, the scammers and your money are gone, usually without a trace.

Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who demands payment by gift card is always a scammer.

Please visit www.consumer.ftc.gov for more info.

 

Phone Call and Text Message Scams (Commonly called Phishing or Vishing)

Identity thieves will pose as credit union representatives and contact consumers either by phone call or text message in this popular scam. Consumers are led to believe their account information has been compromised and they are instructed to provide personal information or click a link in order to authenticate their accounts. Account information is compromised or clicking the link installs malicious software on the user's device. Consumers should avoid providing personal information when they did not initiate the call or text message. Employees of Northeast Family Federal Credit Union will never ask you for personal information via phone or text message.  

Please visit www.mycreditunion.gov for more info.

 

Mystery Shopper Scams

In mystery shopper scams, the consumer, hired to be a secret shopper, is asked to evaluate the performance of a store and/or its employees or evaluate the effectiveness of a money transfer service. The consumer is given a check, told to deposit it in their account and withdraw a specific amount in cash. Then, the consumer is told to take the cash to the store or money transfer service specified, and typically, purchase reloadable prepaid cards or send the money to a person via electronic transfer. The consumer is supposed to evaluate their shopping experience — but no one collects the evaluation. The secret shopper scenario is just a scam to get the consumer’s money.

Many legitimate and safe mystery shopping positions do exist, but they will NEVER involve sending or wiring money back to a person.

Please visit www.consumer.ftc.gov for more info.

 

Sweepstakes Scams

Did you receive a letter and a check stating you've won a prize, but don't remember entering any contest? Plenty of contests are run by reputable marketers and non-profits, but every day, people lose thousands of dollars to prize scams. A telltale sign of this scam is that you are instructed to pay for your prize. Legitimate sweepstakes will not require you to pay taxes, shipping and handling charges, or processing fees to get your prize. Legitimate sweepstakes will also never ask you to wire money to someone, especially to someone in a foreign country. If you receive a letter and an accompanying check in the mail and it all sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and it is most likely a scam.

Please visit www.consumer.ftc.gov for more info.

 

Overpayment Scam

With overpayment scams, fraudsters play the role of buyer and target consumers selling a product or service. Payment for the product or service will exceed the agreed-upon sale amount, and instruction will be provided to the seller to return the portion of funds that was overpaid to the buyer.

A deposited check can take several days or more to clear. When the original check turns out to be a fraudulent item, the seller (aka the victim) is responsible for paying the financial institution back for any money withdrawn.

Legitimate buyers will never pay you MORE for a product or service.

Please visit www.bbb.org for more info.

 

These are additional resources.

 

National Credit Union Administration: 

NCUA YouTube video, Consumer Report: Frauds, Scams and Cyberthreats - Part I

Click here

 

NCUA YouTube video, Consumer Report: Frauds, Scams, and Cyberthreats - Part Il

Click here

 

Consumer Assistance Center:

Information on current scams, how to protect your finances, and financial tools and resources. 

Click here

 

Connecticut Attorney General:

Has prevention tips along with valuable resources on various documents and contacts, should you be affected by fraud.
Click here

 

Federal Trade Commission:

Online security tips, for parents and educators, videos, games and more.
Click here

cNet's Online Security Page:

Keep your credit card details away from prying eyes and avoid fraudulent transactions with these tips for shopping online.

Click here

 

 

Other Resources

 

• From CUNA Mutual, Common Member Scams. Click here.

• From CUNA Mutual, Protect yourself. Minimizing risk from breaches, fraud and scams. Click here.

• From CUNA, The three most prevalent scams and how to avoid them. Click here.

• From the Internal Revenue Service, Tax scams and consumer alerts. Click here.

 

Credit Bureau Contact Information:

• Experian:  PO Box 2002 | Allen, TX 75013 | 1-888-397-3742  www.Experian.com

• Equifax:  PO Box 70421 | Atlanta, GA 30374 | 1-800-685-1111  www.Equifax.com

• Trans Union:  PO Box 2000 | Chester, PA 19022 | 1-800-916-8800  www.TransUnion.com

 

Lost or Stolen Card Information:

• Lost/Stolen MasterCard Debit Card: 1-800-528-2273

• Lost/Stolen Credit Card: 1-866-609-0681

If you suspect fraud activity on your account, please contact Northeast Family Federal Credit Union immediately, 860-646-8870.

 

 

Together Let's Stop Check Fraud:

 

1. If it is too good to be true, it probably is. 
2. Ask yourself why you received the check:
            a. Did you participate in a sweepstakes?
            b. Did you work for someone with the promise of the amount of the check?
            c. Are they asking you to send part of the funds back to them?
                      i. If you won a sweepstakes or did work for someone... why would they need some money back from you if you did the work or you won?
3. Do your homework on the company that sent you the check.
             a. Do not use the information on the check as there is a good chance it is false information. Use an independent source to verify the company. 
4. DO NOT CASH IT!
              a. You are liable for repayment of the funds from the returned check. Failure to repay these funds may lead to legal action against you. 

If you ever receive a check and/or letter that you think is suspicious, please bring it into the credit union and we will be happy to take at look at the items for you.