News & Tips
Stay Ahead of Impersonators: Your Fraud Prevention Guide
Impersonators used to rely on stealing physical documents like driver's licenses to fake an identity, but with technology advancing, fraudsters have new and crafty ways to trick people into handing over their personal information. They’re everywhere and their tactics are constantly evolving.
As our members watchdog, our mission is to help you stay one step ahead of these scammers. By knowing what to look for, you can keep your finances and your identity safe. Here is everything you need to know to spot the signs and protect yourself.
Keep Your User Credentials Locked Down
Usernames and passwords are the keys to your digital life, and impersonators work hard to find them. They often dig through social media profiles to find clues like your birthday or maiden name to guess your login information.
To stay safe, never rely on simple passwords that use real words or names. A stronger password may take longer to type in, but it’ll help keep you protected. Make sure to never give your password to anyone you don’t know.
- Use 12+ characters
- Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
- Avoid names, birthdays, or common words
- Don't reuse passwords across accounts
- Consider a password manager for security
Watch Out for Unsolicited Contact
It’s important to know how your financial institution communicates with you. Remember that Space Coast Credit Union (SCCU) will never ask for personal information through an outbound phone call, email, or text message.
Impersonators often pose as employees from trusted businesses. They might call, text, or send you a suspicious link asking for sensitive details like:
Card numbers and CVV codes
PINs or passwords
Social Security numbers (SSN)
Mortgage payment amount
If you receive a suspicious request, hang up or ignore the message, and call us directly at 800-447-7228 to confirm if it was real.
Our fraud monitoring team might contact you if we see suspicious activity, but we’ll simply ask you to verify a specific transaction. We won’t ask for your full account details or PINs. If someone on the phone asks for that information, hang up immediately.
Expert Tips from Government Agencies
To help protect you further, we've compiled a list from trusted government agencies and what they report to be some of the most frequent scams.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
You might receive a verification code via text or email when logging into an account. Never share this code with anyone. No legitimate party, including SCCU’s fraud department, will ever ask you to read that code to them. Once someone has it, the imposter can use it to prove that they’re you.
The FTC also warns people not to transfer money if someone tells them it’s for their own protection. No legitimate business will tell you to move your money to keep it safe.
Related scams include a bad actor trying to persuade you to think that a family member is in deep trouble, making it seem like you should send money. Below is a short video from the FTC that includes what a call from an imposter might sound like.
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
The NCUA cautions people to watch out for people asking for disaster relief funds, even if they’re wearing official looking logos. Fraudsters may ask for your bank account info and use it in illicit ways.
They also warn about check washing scams. This happens when checks are stolen from mailboxes and are altered using chemicals. To help protect your money, retrieve mail from your mailbox as promptly as possible, send your mail directly through a post office location or blue collection box, and have your mail held by the local post office if you’re going out of town.
Another fake check scam is when people are sent a check to deposit and the consumer is asked to wire a part or all of the funds to someone else. The initial check ends up being fraudulent and the person wiring the funds may find themselves liable for reimbursement from their bank or credit union for that amount.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
The FDIC recommends that you keep your computer operating systems and software applications up to date across all devices. Hackers love to exploit vulnerabilities in older versions, so don’t give them the opportunity.
Oftentimes, scammers target homeowners who are worried about foreclosure, offering fake solutions that trick some individuals into signing over the equity in their homes.
During the holidays, fraudsters build fake shopping websites. These sites might look real but often include misspelled words or poor grammar. Another red flag is websites that ask for unusual permissions like access to your contacts or text messages.
National Council on Aging (NCOA)
The NCOA shares some of the most common approaches that scammers use:
Creating a false sense of urgency like demanding you act now
Posing as an authority figure such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or police
Targeting people who are socially isolated
They also share insight into tax refund scams that usually involve criminals posing as the IRS. They threaten to take the person to court or take their property if they don’t comply, or they claim an unexpected tax refund is pending. It's important to know that the real IRS will typically mail you a bill first and will never demand immediate payment.
Ready to Stay Ahead?
Sign up for SCCU’s Mobile and Online Banking e-alerts and take control of your financial security. For more information and to stay up to date, visit our Fraud Prevention Center.