Here at Northern Star Credit Union, your financial wellness is important to us, and that includes keeping you, your money, and your identifying information safe.

Scams

Imposter scams are one of the most common types of scams, where fraudsters attempt to deceive you by calling or texting posing as a financial institution, company, government agency, or someone you know. They may ask you to click a link, ask for your login credentials, ask to remote into your computer, or request payment via gift cards, bitcoin, wire transfer, or P2P payments. Often, they will try to create a sense of urgency in an attempt to get you to take action without verifying the legitimacy of the request.


Common scams include:

  • Text messages about a delayed package with fake tracking link.
  • Text messages about a block to your bank account or debit card asking you to click a link or reply. These are sometimes followed up by a phone call where they attempt to gain access to your online banking account.
  • Calls threatening legal action due to outstanding warrants or money owed to a government agency.
  • Calls claiming to be from a tech support company about a problem with your computer.

To protect yourself:

  • DON'T share your financial information or online banking credentials.
  • DON'T let people remote into your computer.
  • DON'T click on unverified links.
  • DON'T trust your caller ID. Fraudsters can make it look like they are calling from an official business or government number. Always find a trusted source for the contact information and contacting them directly.

REMEMBER!
Northern Star Credit Union will NEVER request your personal information (ex. social security number, account number, PIN, username or password) through email, text or unsolicited phone calls. Always log in to your online banking directly from nstarcu.org or our mobile app to check your transaction history. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Northern Star, hang up and call our customer service team directly at 757.487.3474.

How to Avoid Being a Victim of Phishing Attack

  • Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking about financial and confidential information.
  • Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes clicking on or following links sent in email.
  • If you are unsure whether an email request is legitimate, try to verify it by contacting the entity directly, by another means, such as the phone. Do not use contact information given in the email.
  • Install and maintain anti-virus software, firewalls, and email filters to reduce some of this traffic.
  • Take advantage of any anti-phishing features offered by your email client and web browser.
  • Use multi-factor authentication.

What to Do if You Are a Victim of Identity Theft

  • Contact one of the three major credit bureaus immediately to request a fraud alert, which places a notice on your credit report that you may have been the victim of fraud or identity theft. This alert encourages creditors to take extra steps to confirm your identity before completing a request for credit. One bureau will report the information to the other two, and your credit report will be mailed to you for review. The renewable fraud alert will be placed in your credit reports for one year.
  • Contact Northern Star Credit Union and any other financial institutions where you hold accounts, and immediately close all accounts that have been compromised
  • Contact local law enforcement authorities and file an identity theft report
  • Check with your local post office to see if any unauthorized change-of-address requests have been filed for you

Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft website for more detailed information on how to recover from identity theft

For additional resources visit the Scams and Fraud page or the FTC Consumer Advice page both hosted by the US Government

 

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