Every day, people fall victim to scams. Some focus on obtaining your personal information such as your account numbers, social security numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINs), while other scams target your bank accounts directly. Allowing access to your personal information puts your identity and finances at risk, which can have serious, long-lasting effects on your future.
Scams often involve someone posing as your financial institution through an email, text message or phone call to trick you into providing them with your sensitive information such as bank account number, pins or social security number, which they can use to commit fraud.
A romance scam is when you meet someone online and begin an online romance. Shortly after connecting, they begin asking for money for various reasons.
Asking for money to help with an emergency
Financial help paying for a trip, airline ticket, hotel stay or rental car
Help pay for bills, or assistance cashing a check for them
Help with collecting pay or retirement money
They may even ask you to help them move or obtain items like gold.
Be cautious and verify their identity before sending any money. If you need assistance, contact us at 719.593.8600 or 800.223.1983 and we would be happy to help
We will never send you a link by text or email asking you for your account number, online banking password, secure access code or PIN.
If you have replied to or clicked on a link from a text message or email, please call us immediately, 719.593.8600 or 800.223.1983
Refund or Overpayment Scams:
A scam where you are contacted by someone claiming to be from a large technology company, virus software vendor or online retailers. They will inform you they have refunded or overpaid you for a subscription or service they have already performed and will request you pay the overage amount through gift cards, wire transfers, or cash. The refunds could be thousands of dollars above what they are claiming you owe for this subscription or service. This refund or overpaid amount could be money moved within your own accounts. Always verify your account before sending out money to ensure accuracy and money has been moved around without your consent.
Review your recent account history within online and mobile banking from another device or contact us if you're unsure of recent activity in your accounts. Once the money is gone, recovering this money is not a guarantee. Be sure to verify what this person is saying before sending any money.
Watch these educational videos to learn more about common scams and how they may affect you.
One easy way to protect yourself is to NEVER send funds without doing your research and asking questions. Never give out your account number, account password, online banking login ID, social security number, secure access code, or PIN. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!
If you receive an email or text requesting this information, do not click any links or respond. If you receive a call requesting this information, hang up and notify us at 719.593.8600 or 800.223.1983 as soon as possible.
Never provide personal information.
No legitimate company will call or email you to confirm your account or personal information.
Call Your Financial Institution Directly
Call your Financial Institution's official phone number to verify (or report) the suspicious activity. Scammers often use high pressure tactics to scare you into sharing information.
Automated Calls
Hang up on automated calls claiming to be the IRS, FBI, or local law enforcement. If a message is left with a phone number to call, do not call the number back.
Be Cautious of Emails
Emails may ask you to click a link to verify account information from a legitimate company where you have an account, but the email could be fraudulent. Contact the company directly using a phone number or website you know is valid.
Strong Passwords
Use strong passwords and PINs – and change them regularly! Don’t use names and numbers that are easy to guess (birth date, house number, numbers in a sequence, etc.). Do not use one password for everything.
Lock your phone with a unique pin number to prevent anyone from accessing it if lost or stolen.
Use a paid Virtual Private Network (VPN) service when on public WiFi or when traveling.
Use Two-Factor Authentication with important online services such as email and Financial Services.
Uninstall Smartphone Apps you are no longer using.
Use a modern internet browser and keep it up to date.
Change your usernames and passwords frequently.
Install and run Anti-Virus software on your computer. Allow your Anti-Virus software to scan your computer on a regular basis.
Use Two-Factor Authentication with important online services.
Use a trusted password manager to manage the different passwords for each service you utilize. When possible, create unique usernames and strong passwords. A strong password should consist of a combination of lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers and special characters (i.e. @, &, !, etc.) Many password managers include browser add-ons and mobile apps. Remember to never share your login credentials.
AAFCU has partnered with KnowBe4, a leader in security awareness training, to offer a free interactive course in Home Internet Security for our members.
During this course you will learn the 10 important tips for passwords, how to safely bank online, how to protect children online and more. You can complete the course at your own pace or skip to the topics that are important to you.
Use the link below to access the KnowBe4 site and use the password homecourse to get started.