Scams

Phishing - E-mail Scams

E-mail scams are one of the fastest-growing forms of fraud today.

Fraudulent e-mails, also known as "phishing" (pronounced "fishing"), attempt to steal information by tricking people into visiting a website and providing personal information such as credit card numbers, PINS, account numbers and/or SSNs.

If you receive an e-mail that contains an attachment that you weren't expecting, we recommend deleting it. If you receive an e-mail that you weren't expecting with a link and directions to click on it, we recommend you delete it.

Malicious attachments and links are common tools used by people who are attempting to install malware on your computer that enables them to steal personal information including bank account numbers.

Vishing - Phone Scams

Fraudulent phone calls, also known as 'vishing', attempt to steal information by tricking people into providing personal information such as credit card numbers, PINs, account numbers and/or SSNs. This scam is normally delivered using an automated system with prompts or a call back number. However, it is not always an automated system. An unsuspecting person might also get a call from someone pretending to be with a company that he or she may or may not do business with.

If you did not initiate the phone call do not give out any information unless you are absolutely sure the call is legitimate. We always recommend calling the company back by looking up the phone number yourself and calling them back as a way to verify they are who they say they are.

Smishing - Text Message Scams

Fraudulent text messages, also known as 'smishing', attempt to steal information by tricking people into providing personal information such as credit card numbers, PINs, account numbers and/or SSNs. You should NEVER reply to a text message asking you for any personal information such as a credit card number, account number, SSN, PIN, etc. The message might give you a link or phone number to call. We recommend you delete the message. Do NOT respond.

No reputable financial institution will ever ask its customers to verify their personal information via an unsolicited text message, e-mail or even a phone call. If you receive a text message, an e-mail or a phone call indicating it is from the credit union and asking for personal identifying information, please call the credit union immediately at 509.943.5676 or toll free 800.284.4276. Please give us as much detail as possible (i.e. exact verbiage of the e-mail or text, phone numbers provided, etc.).