At Bellwether Community Credit Union we take protecting your account information, your money and your personal information very seriously. While we are always on guard to protect your accounts, there are steps you can take on your own to also protect yourself. Below are two scams fraudsters are known to use and how you can protect yourself.
Scammers Using Pop-Ups
The use of pop-up messages by fraudsters is a growing concern within the banking industry. This is an effort by scammers to acquire your online banking credentials, debit and credit card information and other personal data.
Pop-ups appear as an alert with a link, phone number or text which seem to be from your financial institution. The fraudsters may fabricate a story about a security issue with your account and then ask you for personal information.
Detecting these fraudulent tactics will help you avoid falling for these deceptive pop-ups.
Some Examples of the Pop-Ups
- Appears on your computer or login page
- Looks like an error message
- Warns you of a security issue
- Has a different phone number than your financial institution's number
- Pretends to be a financial institution representative
How to Avoid Pop-Up Scams
- Distrust pop-ups in general
- Never give anyone remote access to your computer unless you know who they are and trust them
- Never call the number or click on a link in a pop-up
- Call the financial institution directly with any questions
As a reminder, Bellwether Community Credit Union will never request any personal information via email or text and will never ask you to initiate any transactions or gain access to your computer so that we can initiate a transaction.
Impersonation Scams
Cyberthieves are getting very creative with latest attempts to access your confidential financial data. Some of our members have recently received emails, text messages, and phone calls from scammers posing as credit union employees. Fraudsters pretend to be a credit union by spoofing that credit union's email addresses and phone numbers. This impersonation scam is an attempt to gain member trust before stealing account funds.
Imitation is NOT the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Credit union impersonation scams occur when members are convinced they're communication with an actual credit union representative via email Phishing, SMS test message SMishing, or live voice call Vishing. But, they are handing over personal information to a scammer which includes:
- Debit and/or credit card data
- Online banking username and password
- Account number or member number
Credit Union Impersonation Scams and How to Handle Them
Standard Phishing or SMishing scenario:
Pretending to be a credit union representative, the cyberthief sends a fraudulent text message or email to a member alerting them to suspicious debit card activity. The email or text will urge the member to share confidential account details, such as card numbers, CVC codes, PINs, and/or online account credentials.
What to do
Never click on a link and give your information. Contact the credit union directly by calling the Contact Center or use the form from the Contact Us page.
Typical Vishing scenario:
Posing as a credit union employee, the cyberthief calls the member using a spoofed phone number, making it seem like the credit union. The caller pushes a sense of urgency and needs personal data from the member. They will ask for passwords, debit or credit card numbers, and account or member numbers.
What to do
Hang up the phone and call us back directly. Bellwether, like many other credit unions, will never proactively solicit this information.
