Essential Fraud Prevention Tips

As fraud tactics continue to evolve, staying informed is key to protecting yourself from scams and identity theft. Here are a couple essential fraud prevention tips to keep your accounts and personal information safe.

• Some scams involve bad actors impersonating trusted partners, like financial institutions, utility companies, employers, the IRS or even law enforcement. It is important to verify who you are working with before providing personal information. If you are unexpectedly contacted by someone claiming to work for a company you do business with, place an outgoing call to that company, using a phone number you are familiar with, to make sure it is really them. Scammers can make a company’s phone number appear on your Caller ID by spoofing the company’s phone number. There are even fake phone numbers that will appear in a web search for certain companies.
• Keep your account information private. Never share your PIN, passwords, CVV Security Code, full Social Security Number or online banking credentials. Account numbers should only be shared with trusted merchants for you to pay your bills or receive payments, such as a direct deposit from your employer.

Visit our Security and Fraud Prevention page to learn even more ways to protect yourself from scammers.