2024 Recap: Monthly Fraud Tips

The general conversation about fraud and scams seems to be similar each year: fraud is on the rise, and scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. Unfortunately, 2024 looks to be no exception as high fraud numbers continue and with the introduction of increasingly sophisticated technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI), people need to be more on their guard than ever before. Fortunately, USALLIANCE has continued to provide monthly fraud tips throughout 2024 on our social media channels to help our members learn more about different types of scams, recognize red flags, and protect themselves, their money, and their information from criminals. Don’t worry if you missed any of our tips – in this article, we’ll review what we’ve shared this year so you can welcome 2025 armed with knowledge to help keep yourself protected:

January Monthly Fraud Tip: Be Careful Answering That Call!

Our members and their security are always our top priority, so this month we’re sharing tips to help you avoid a phone scam:

• Watch Out for Unknown Numbers: This one’s easy, if you don’t know the number calling you then treat the call as suspicious.
• Beware of Phone Spoofing: Scammers can access sophisticated technology that can make a phone number calling you appear genuine instead of using their actual caller ID.
• Never Give Personal Info Over the Phone: USALLIANCE will not call you asking you to give out personal information such as a password, pin, codes, or account details over the phone.

Above all, if you feel intimidated, harassed, or are otherwise suspicious about a call you’ve received, don’t hesitate to hang up immediately and call us directly at 1 (800) 431-2754.

February Monthly Fraud Tip: Know Where to Go

If you suspect that you've been a victim of a scam or fraud, it's important to know who you can contact for help! Here are some helpful places you can go to if you ever find yourself a victim:

• Local Law Enforcement: Start with your local police department. You can file a report with them, and they can document the incident, provide you with a case number, and give you guidance on what next steps you can take.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The FTC is a US government agency that handles consumer complaints. They help investigate fraudulent or deceptive practices and take action when called for. You can file a complaint with the FTC through www.ftc.gov or by calling their hotline.
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): The IC3 is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). The IC3 analyzes complaints related to internet crimes and scams. Visit www.ic3.gov to file a complaint.
• Your Financial Institution: If the scam involved financial transactions like unauthorized charges or compromised account information, contact any financial institution involved as soon as possible. They can help guide you on how to report the fraud, dispute any fraudulent charges, and possibly seek recovery of your funds.

March Monthly Fraud Tip: Be Extra Careful During Tax Season

Tax season can offer hackers and scammers a great opportunity because so many people have so many documents containing personal and financial information being sent to different places, uploaded and downloaded, and sometimes getting lost.

If you have already filed your taxes, keep a close eye out and make sure everything proceeds as it should. If you have not filed your taxes yet, make sure you are taking extra care to keep your information secure.

• How Do I Prepare for Tax Season?: https://blog.usalliance.org/how-do-i-prepare-for-tax-season/
• Tax Security Tips: https://blog.usalliance.org/tax-security-tips/

April Monthly Fraud Tip: Beware of Scammers Asking for Your Digital Banking Credentials

Plain and simple: NEVER share your digital banking information with anyone. Financial institutions do not ask for this information, so if anyone is asking for your digital banking username or password, consider it a major red flag.

You should also NEVER share authentication codes that are sent as a means of multifactor authentication. These codes are specifically generated for a secure login, and sharing it allows a scammer to log in as well.

If you have shared these credentials or notice any suspicious activity, contact your financial institution immediately. USALLIANCE members can reach us at (800) 431-2754.

May Monthly Fraud Tip: Stay Informed, Stay Protected

One reason scammers are successful is that many people don't know enough about scams. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has a resource center where you can arm yourself with knowledge: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/fraud/

June Monthly Fraud Tip: Create Strong, Unique Passwords

Over 24 billion passwords were exposed by hackers in 2022 - check out Hive's annual password table to find out how you can make a password that takes billions and billions of years to crack: https://www.hivesystems.com/blog/are-your-passwords-in-the-green

July Monthly Fraud Tip: Check Out Our Member Security Page

Here at USALLIANCE, we take the security of our members, their information, and their funds very seriously. To better serve our members when it comes to security and avoiding fraud, we have revamped our Member Security page.

Click the link below to learn about security best practices, common types of fraud, ways to protect yourself, and more: https://www.usalliance.org/about-us/member-security

August Monthly Fraud Tip: Stay Safe Online

Most of us spend more time than we'd like to admit online every day. The average user may visit two dozen websites in any given day. That's why it's more important than ever to make sure you're protecting yourself while surfing the web. Check out our article, "6 Ways to Tell if a Website is Safe" to learn ways to check for a site that might be unsafe: https://blog.usalliance.org/6-ways-to-tell-if-a-website-is-safe

September Monthly Fraud Tip: Beware of One-Time Password (OTP) Scams

The same way scammers will try to trick people into giving them their traditional username and password, they will try to get their hands on your OTP to achieve the same goal - getting into your accounts to steal information or money. Check out this article to learn how to protect yourself: https://blog.usalliance.org/all-you-need-to-know-about-one-time-password-scams

October Monthly Fraud Tip: Protect Yourself Against Cyberattacks

Every year, people are spending more time online - but at the same time, more people are falling victim to cyberattacks. Learn how to keep yourself safe online with our infographic, "6 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Cyberattacks": https://blog.usalliance.org/6-ways-to-protect-yourself-against-cyberattacks

November Monthly Fraud Tip: Common Frauds and Scams

One of the best weapons against fraud is knowledge! Many people fall for scams simply because they aren't aware of common tactics used by scammers. Check out some of the most common schemes that the FBI deals with, including tips to keep yourself safe and next steps if you fall victim to one of these frequent fraud tactics: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams

December Monthly Fraud Tip: How to Report Fraud

If you find yourself the victim of a fraud attack, you don't want to be thinking about what to do next for the very first time. Make sure you know the best steps to reporting fraud and how you can help yourself after a fraud incident - before it happens - with our article, "How to Report Fraud": https://blog.usalliance.org/how-to-report-fraud/

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