PROTECT YOURSELF FROM INVESTMENT AND ROMANCE SCAMS

During a scam, a fraudster may:

• Instruct you to accept large funds to your account.
• Press you to send money in the following ways, including but not limited to:
  • Cash
  • Gift Cards
  • Wire
  • Zelle
  • Cash App
  • Bitcoin
• Threaten you with law enforcement action.
• Provide false promises of payback.
• Tell you to purchase gift cards as forms of payment.
• Request that you cash a check for a stranger.

If you willingly participate with a scammer, there is little we can do to help you get your money back. It is important for you to educate yourself on scams and defend yourself from scammers.

Scammers use different tactics to get victims to fall for their schemes.  A few of the common scams are listed below.

Romance Scams

Romance scammers will create fake profiles on dating sites and/or social media sites. The scammers will use the fake profiles to build and create relationships with their targets. Scammers will often mention that they are living, working or traveling outside of the United States. The scammer will use an illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from their targets.

Eventually once they have established trust with their target, they will develop a story to convince the target to send them money. The rule of thumb is to never send money or gifts to a partner that you have not met in person.

Employment Scams

Scammers know that finding a job can be tough. They will advertise employment opportunities through direct mail, online adds or social media. They promote job openings that seem almost impossible to turn down (“too good to be true”).

Please note that you will want to research the employer or business thoroughly, even if the opportunity was offered through a legitimate employment site.

Signs to watch out for that the employment opportunity may be a scam:

• An over-payment of funds is sent to you and the “employer” requests you send money back to them.
• You need to pay a fee to obtain the job.
• You need to supply credit card or bank account information to an unfamiliar source.
• You receive a large check instructing you to deposit the item into your bank account and send the funds to a “specialist,” which in return should provide a service or office supplies.
• You are unable to find information about the employer or business online from a legitimate source.

Investment Scams

Investment scammers will offer a low (or no) risk investment, guaranteed returns, overly consistent returns, complex strategies or unregistered securities.

Do not invest in anything you are not absolutely sure about. Gather as much information as possible before entering into a new investment opportunity. Be cautious about signing up for an investment from unsolicited emails, text messages or advertisements.

Caller ID Spoofing

Spoofing is when a caller purposely transmits false information to your caller ID display. This allows the caller to disguise their true identity.

Fraudsters like to use caller ID spoofing to make their scam seem legitimate. In some common scams, the fraudsters will spook the Credit Union’s phone number and impersonate Credit Union personnel. During the call, they will ask you to provide your personal identifying information (example: account numbers, PINs, Social Security Numbers, mother’s maiden name, online banking login credentials, etc.) In turn, the fraudster will utilize this personal identifying information they obtained from you to access any banking accounts you may have or perform unauthorized transactions. This is a form of vishing.

Remember to be cautious when providing your personal information over the phone, especially during unsolicited and unexpected calls.
**Important** Silver State Schools Credit Union will never call you or email you to obtain your confidential information. The only time we may ask for your personal information is when you contact us, and we do so for security and identification purposes. If you feel uncomfortable during the call or do not trust the call that has taken place, disconnect and call Silver State Schools Credit Union directly.

If you suspect any fraudulent activity on your account, please contact Silver State Schools Credit Union immediately. You can contact us in the following methods:

• Call us at 800.357.9654
• Access the Secure Chat in Online or Mobile Banking.
• Email us at support@silverstatecu.com
• Visit a local branch.