Scams to Avoid
Below, you will find a list of common scams that target people of all ages. NEVER give out your personal information unless you can verify who you are talking to is someone who you currently do business with. Don’t be scared to ask questions. If you do not feel comfortable giving out your information via phone, tell them that! Do not let 3rd parties bully you into sharing information. Falling for any of the scams below can result in identity theft or a drained bank account. Please be cautious!
Foreign Lottery Scams- The sender is normally an individual who will reach out to you via email or social media with a congratulatory email that starts with “you’ve won..”. Scammers will commonly ask for your full name, date of birth, address and phone number. This is also known as a phishing scam; which is designed to get you to hand out your personal information.
Survey Scams- This will be in the form of an email. It is designed to have you click a link to take a survey on something you may have expressed interest in while online shopping. For example: You asked Google which flowers hold up the best in high heat. A few days later, you receive an email asking you to take a survey on what your favorite flower is. Seems legit, right? The problem here is that as soon a you click on the survey link, your computer will more than likely be infected with spyware or malware. Always avoid surveys, unless you specifically asked for one while on a website.
PayPal Scam- PayPal is a large company. Which is why scammers will use the PayPal name to try and get you to give out personal information. You may receive an email from PayPal telling you that there’ something wrong with your account and if you don’t fix it, it will be deactivated. You click the link within the email, and are immediately targeted with a false website. You’ve just given the scammer your login credentials.
Mystery Shopper Scam- This common “work from home” attempt will draw you in with a promise to make up to $200-$300 a day just to shop. The two ways in which you can be swindled is to pay up front for your “training materials” or you will receive a fraudulent check for your work.
Hijacked Profile Scam- This will come as a message on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. You may receive an email from an old friend that simply says “Hey, how are you?”. It’s ok to respond, but ask questions that only that person would know to determine if it’s actually them. The scammer is trying to get information from you. Be cautious.
Sick Baby Scam- Always be cautious of the posts you see on Facebook, Twitter etc. that may say “Little Johnny has cancer. Click this link to donate $1.00 to help his family”. You feel sorry for the family, and click the link to donate. What you don’t realize is you just sent money to a scammers bank account.
Obituary Scam- Unfortunately, this is a real thing. Scammers will use obituaries to target widows. They will attempt to collect false debts of the deceased.
Pay Day Lender- You will receive an email that says “Congratulations, you’ve been approved for a payday loan”. If you didn’t apply for a loan, it’s a scam. if you did apply for a loan, contact the company you’ve applied to and ask questions about the email. Most financial institutions will NOT send you an email about a loan approval.
Grandparent Scam- Scammers will contact the elderly and pose as a grandchild and request money for an emergency or situation that they may be in.
Fake Computer Repair- Perpetrator will convince you that your computer is not working correctly, and offers to do a “clean up” to help the speed. However, while the perpetrator is in your computer, they are stealing your information. Always take your computers to a local reputable company for repair.
Greeting Card Scams- There are many websites that offer “E-Cards” to be delivered via email. This is one of the oldest internet scams, which continues to be pretty popular because it’s often overlooked by the receiver. Always hover over any links before clicking them. If the sender is not someone you know, do not click the link. If the sender is someone you may know, is that their real email? Contact the sender and ask.
Scammers find new ways to access your information every day. Don’t be a victim of fraud. We are here to help you! If you feel that you may have been a victim of fraud or Identity theft, contact any of our branch locations immediately. You can find our locations and hours of operation here.