Scam artists are on the move and continue to follow the headlines. With constant news coming out about the Coronavirus every day these fraudsters have found ways to mimic and hide scams throughout a multitude of platforms. These scams can be hidden in the form of emails, social media posts, calls, texts and more. Scammers will try to coax you into providing personal information, account numbers or credit card information in order to steal your money or even your identity.
Here are some scams that you should be on the lookout for during this time:
- Highly demanded products such as vaccines, face masks, bathroom tissue and hand sanitizer may be presented as available for you to purchase. Know that there has not yet been a vaccine discovered to help prevent COVID-19. Other products that are listed for sale may also be a scam and are being used to get your payment information in order to steal your money. Make sure any products you are purchasing are from a valid store that you trust and know.
- Fake charities may also be used to steal your money. They may be staged as a charity donating money or their services to local businesses or hospitals in need of help. Your payment or account number may be requested by this fake charity for them to steal money. If you chose to donate to a charity or organization make sure that they are legitimate and do your research on them before donating any money.
- Financial relief options being offered should too be researched before you take action on them. The President of the United States has already put in place many relief options that are available. Many local credit unions have also put into place options as well for members. When researching financial options verify the business that is behind it.
- Stimulus check scams are most recently going around. These scams are stating that you can get more money or get your stimulus check faster if you pay a small fee. In regards to the stimulus checks, the IRS and your credit union will not call you to verify payment details or account information. The IRS will directly deposit your check into the account you provided on your tax return or send you a paper check in the mail if there is no account on file.
If you should encounter any of these scams, do not click on any links, delete emails and texts or hang up if you get calls. Remember to never give out your account details, personal information or payment to a source that you haven’t researched and trust. We would also like to remind our members that your money is safe with us. If we spot any suspicious activity happening on your account we will notify you immediately and if you see anything suspicious please contact us immediately. As a Credit Union we are federally insured by the NCUA, meaning that all of your deposits are insured up to at least $250,000. If you have any questions please feel free to give us a call at (989) 892-6088.
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