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