Whether recycling old scams with a new twist or coming up with new ways to trick innocent victims, we continue to see our members and friends fall for identity theft and financial scams. We urge you to keep alert and informed about the latest scams.
Here are two that have recently caught our attention.
Toll Booth Text
You get a text out of the blue that says you have unpaid tolls and need to pay immediately. The scammy text might show a dollar amount for how much you supposedly owe and include a link that takes you to a page to enter your bank or credit card info — but it’s a phishing scam. Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info (like your driver’s license number) — and even steal your identity.
Call From Your Bank's Fraud Department
You receive a call from someone claiming to be a fraud specialist from your financial institution. They tell you that fraud was detected on your account and that they are helping address it. The fraudster says they are sending a one-time passcode to your phone and will ask you to it read back.
What the fraudster is actually doing is trying to gain access to your digital banking account with a code sent to you to reset your password. Once they have the code, that was meant only for the account holder, they use it to pretend to be you and gain access to your digital banking account.
This is a very low-tech approach. It doesn’t require generative AI or really anything besides a phone, a computer, a login and an unsuspecting victim.
Visit the Federal Trade Commission's Website at https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams to read consumer alerts about recent scams. You can also find out more about how to protect yourself and how to report scams.