Fraudulent behavior and scams are EVERYWHERE. As the internet has grown, as our technologies have grown, as our financial and informational needs have grown, so too have the amount of frauds, scammers and illegal behavior.
This page is a resource for the members of First Choice Federal Credit Union of New Castle, and our community as a whole, to gain more knowledge and information on this subject. After all, knowledge is power – and there is a lot to learn about scams and fraud.
Do you think you have become a victim of fraud?
There are some actions you should take IMMEDIATELY if this is the case…
#1 Contact your financial institution. If this is First Choice FCU, call us at (724)652-8393.
#2 Visit your financial institution. If this is First Choice FCU, you can visit our Union Township branch on 2209 West State Street just down the hill from Walmart, our New Castle brand is on 1144 Butler Avenue next to Save-A-Lot or our Neshannock branch at 2810 Wilmington Road.
#3 Contact law enforcement. The local Pennsylvania State Police Station is on Wilmington Road, and their phone number is (724)598-2211.
What kinds of scams and attacks are out there right now?
Botting
Automated contact is made with an unsuspecting target. These are random and blanketed, and have little to no customization.
Phishing
Blanketed scam involving making contact under the guise of a trusted authority. Also can be over video (vishing) and text (smishing).
Ransomware
Attack where a malicious piece of software is installed onto the target’s device. The target must pay to have this removed.
Attacks
Targeted and semi-targeted attacks on victims involving actual person-to-person communication using calls, texts, emails and hacks.
How can YOU protect yourself?
Understanding how scams work, what current scams are and all of the methods of prevention will lead to a lower and lower likelihood of someone scamming you.
As well, that growing knowledge will allow you to prevent yourself and those around you from being the victim of theft, identity theft and financial information theft.
Keeping your information secure involves more than hiding your PIN code at the local Walmart.
You need to make sure that you are using strong, unique passwords. As well, you need to do things like freeze your credit, use security features like 2FA and authenticator apps and, finally, partition your information where you can.
Doing monthly and quarterly reviews of your accounts is a simple way to stay current and stay ahead of possible scam and fraud trends.
Start by setting up and managing automated messages and notifications of credit card usage, and incoming and outgoing payments matter. As well, being notified of account usage is essential here.
Security is not a subject that has a one-time action. You don’t handle your security one afternoon and then forget it.
Preventing scammers, hackers and fraudsters from gaining access to your most sensitive information is an ongoing process that requires knowledge, constant revision and time.
How do you spot a scam? How do you know it’s a scam?
Not every scam is easily spotted. For many people, scams and fraudulent individuals seem to be working for your best interests. But, they only seem to be working for you. Can you spot a scammer? Can you spot someone trying to gain access to everything you’ve worked so hard for?
I got a call from the IRS… how do I know it’s real?
Likely, it is not. Most of the correspondence the IRS uses is via mail. The IRS will also not contact you requesting payment – usually, they send a bill or just take it from your paycheck!
My computer says there is an infection and to call Microsoft Support to fix it… but they want $495 to fix!
In many cases this is the beginning of a tech support scam. A website is infected or has been maliciously built with a popup that states that you are infected and need to contact support. However, you are not contacting any tech support – you are contacting a scammer. Better to shut down your browser and run your anti-virus.
My bank just called and told me my account has been hacked. They want to confirm my identity…
Hang up, find the number of that financial institution and call them back. Never give ANY personally identifiable information during a phone call, text, email or any other communication. Even a small bit of information given could give scammers more authority to gain even more info.
I just got an email saying that my Netflix account would be shut down tomorrow due to lack of payment…
First this is first… don’t click that link! Instead, get the website URL and log into your account on their website. Never trust a link. Ever.
The Sheriff’s office called – there is a warrant for my arrest unless I pay my fine by 5PM today!
Local law enforcement will not call you to let you know you have a warrant – they will simply show up and enforce the warrant for your arrest. If any law enforcement asks for a payment over the phone, don’t trust it. These are likely Sheriff Scams in the making.
I just got a call about a fine; but it’s ok because I can pay it today with an Amazon Gift Card!
No reputable company, no credit union, no bank, no government agency like Social Security, the IRS nor the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, nor any Sheriff’s department, nor local police departments will ever ask for gift cards or wire transfers nor cryptocurrency payments as payment for a fine or late fees. Immediately hang up – it’s a scam!
Just received a weird call – they really didn’t say anything, they just asked if I could hear them…
This can be one of two different scams. The first is a long-play scam where they record you saying yes or even security answers to gain later access to your accounts. This can also be a automated payment scam using your phone’s billing system. If you get a call like this, never say ‘yes’… only say ‘hello’ at most – or just be safe and hang up!
I just got a weird “hacker” email from someone showing log details of me being online and trying to blackmail me…
This blackmail scam involves sending nearly useful information, usually to men, claiming they have records of them visiting bad websites. They claim to have images from their webcam of them. They claim to have very intimate details about them. They usually require payment via crypto or this “information will be released”. Just delete these emails. They are randomly sent and do not contain any real threat.
My boss’s assistant sent me a weird email about vacation days…
This could be a corporate scam known as a BEC scam. This involves using authoritative details to validate the person being an assistant to your boss or other executive. They then say that they forgot something or their boss did and it’s an emergency, otherwise “they could lose their job – can you help?”. For the most part, they want extra information, login details or sometimes payment information. The best thing to do here is to 1) call the person to verify it is indeed them and then 2) notify your IT team about this as it may be the start of a larger spearing or whaling scam attempt company-wide.
I’ve been talking to a woman online for a few months, and now, she needs me to wire $3,829 for medical bills…
This sounds like a romance scam. Usually payment is sent via wire transfer service and sometimes via gift cards. This can either involve a woman or man, and the end result is usually a ‘medical need’, ‘criminal fine payment needed’ or ‘I really need to see you – can you send money for a plain ticket?’.
