The season of giving is here. For many, holiday giving includes supporting charitable causes. Make your donation count by avoiding end-of-year charity scams. Here are some steps to make sure a charity is real and your money will support the programs you care about.
The two most prevalent holiday scams this holiday season are non-delivery & nonpayment crimes, costing consumers more than $265 million.
In today's electronic age, it's extremely important to be careful when doing business online or over the telephone. We are aware of a recurring scam in which members receive a text or phone call that claims to come from Vermont Federal Credit Union.
We will NEVER ask for your Online/Mobile banking credentials, one-time password, full debit or credit card numbers, or personal identification numbers – even if the text message provides one. DO NOT provide this information in response to a call, text, or email.
If you receive a text or call claiming to be Vermont Federal Credit Union that asks for any of the information listed above, do not respond. Hang up and call us directly at 1-888-252-0202 to report it to our security team.
October is national cybersecurity awareness month. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) take the month of October to raise cybersecurity awareness nationally and internationally.
This year’s theme is: “See Yourself in Cyber.”
Cybersecurity may seem complex, but it is all about people having the information and resources they need to make informed cyber-related decisions. As an individual, employee, or consumer, and no matter what role you play, CISA and NCA call on all of us to take the basic steps to protect our online information and privacy.
For October, we will post weekly on social media to raise awareness around cybersecurity and highlight a few simple ways to help secure our digital lives.
When a cybercriminal is looking to gain access to your account, they have a few different options:
One simple trick to make your password stronger is to add spaces. These spaces turn your average password into what is called a "passphrase". Passphrases are strong and much harder to crack. For example: the random passphrase “accent most tricycle vigorous”. To crack that passphrase, it would take 1,895,349 centuries!
STOP
Resist taking immediate action when receiving an email or text. Don’t click links without first inspecting the sender, message and link itself.
LOOK
Analyze the message and look for anything unusual.
THINK
Follow your gut! If something seems “Phishy,” report it straightaway to your IT Staff (if at work) or simply delete it.
Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud. Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite. They also usually have financial savings, own a home and have good credit - all of which makes them attractive to scammers.
Protect yourself and your family from various forms of internet fraud.
Learn more about how to protect your computer from intrusion
Our personal information is in the hands of many businesses and data breaches are happening more frequently. If your information was stolen in a data breach, visit the FTC's identity theft help website for specific steps to take.
Romance scams happen when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate or steal from the victim. These “relationships” may go on for some time before the scammer attempts to get money from the victim.
A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. Some money mules know they are supporting criminal enterprises, but most don’t know that they’re doing anything wrong.
The FBI warns consumers that criminal perpetrators may post fraudulent online classified advertisements offering vehicles for sale that are not, nor have ever been, in their possession.
The fake advertisements usually include photos matching the description of the vehicle and a phone number or e-mail address to contact the supposed seller. Once contact is established, the criminal sends the intended buyer additional photos along with an explanation for the discounted price and the urgency of the transaction.
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. They might steal your name and address, credit card, or bank account numbers, Social Security number, or medical insurance account numbers. And they could use them to:
• Buy things with your credit cards
• Get new credit cards in your name
• Open a phone, electricity, or gas account in your name
• Steal your tax refund
• Use your health insurance to get medical care
• Pretend to be you if they are arrested
If you’re looking for a way to help, the FTC urges you to be cautious of potential charity scams. Do some research to ensure that your donation will go to a reputable organization that will use the money as promised.
Illegitimate links or manipulated search engine results can take you to malicious pages that can seemingly lock your browser, install malware/viruses or harvest your account credentials/personal information. When navigating to the Vermont Federal website, it is always recommended to navigate directly to the site by typing “vermontfederal.org” in your browser’s address bar.
For more information on the latest consumer scams, and how you can avoid them, please visit the FTC website.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant amount of fraudulent activity from scammers who are taking advantage of this volatile time period. The U.S. government, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies are asking all financial institutions and individuals to exercise extreme caution and to be on the lookout for COVID-19 related scams, including money mule schemes.
For more information on the most recent money mule scheme alert, please view this FBI Public Service Announcement.
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) is reporting a spike in cryptocurrency related scams. Over the last month, DFR has received complaints from Vermonters who collectively reported losing over $1 million to cryptocurrency scams. Before you use, send, or invest in cryptocurrencies, make sure you know what makes cryptocurrencies different from other types of payment methods and investments and know how to spot cryptocurrency scams.
Click here to see more information from the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation.
Vermont Federal Credit Union has been notified that member accounts are showing a deposit from AT&T. Vermont Federal has investigated this and found that the deposits appear to be fraudulent and when the merchant is contacted they are asking for members account numbers. Please be advised that Vermont Federal Credit Union believes that this is a scam . Please remember that you should always keep your account information confidential. Should you have any concerns around this please feel free to contact us directly(888) 252-0202 option 2, or visit your local branch after scheduling an appointment.
We are here to help. If you are concerned that you may have given out personal information, have noticed suspicious activity within your accounts, are uneasy about a communication you have received, or have any general questions about keeping your financial information and identity safe, please call us at (888) 252-0202.
We are here to help. If you are concerned that you may have given out personal information, have noticed suspicious activity within your accounts, are uneasy about a communication you have received, or have any general questions about keeping your financial information and identity safe, please call us at (888) 252-0202.
