Fraud Prevention
Fraud Prevention
To contact us if you ever see anything suspicious on your Zeal account, please email us at Fraud@ZealCU.org.
Don’t fall victim to fraud. What to Know. What to Do:
Common Fraud Tactics
How to Identify and Report Them
Common Text Messaging Scam
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions: Be aware of Imposter Scams via Text Messaging.
Don’t click on that random text asking you to take action or click a link. It’s a scam. Today’s most common fraud tactic targeting consumers is the Imposter Scam; Scammers are using text messaging to target their victims.
The scam begins with a text or a call; the scammer pretends to be a person or business you trust to convince you to send them money or share personal information. Any text asking you to share personal, sensitive information is a scam; Zeal Credit Union, as well as any other legitimate business, will never contact you to request sensitive information such as: your Online Banking password/username, PIN(s), or account number – and we’ll never request that you wire us money.
The Imposter Scam: Read more.
Never send money to a love interest you have never met in in person. It could be a romance scam.
Romance Scam Prevention Tips
According to the FBI, in 2021, upwards of 24,000 victims, nationally, reported losing an approximate $1 billion to romance scams. The FBI notes the actual amount is likely higher, as many don’t report romance scams.
Prevention tips include:
- No matter how long you’ve been communicating with someone online or through a dating app, send money ONLY to people you KNOW and have an established and close personal relationship. Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.
- Research any suspicious person’s photo and profile using online searches.
- Beware if the person asks you to leave the platform where you “met” and communicate directly by text or phone.
- Be cautious if the person attempts to isolate you from friends and family, this is a big red flag.
- Beware if the person promises to meet in person but then always comes up with a reason to postpone.
- If someone becomes a victim of romance or another form of fraud, they should report it as soon as possible to their financial institution and local law enforcement.
Recognize the signs of a scam.
Don’t fall for a scam. Read “How to Avoid a Scam” at Consumer.FTC.Gov.
Set up alerts on your accounts.
Request a free credit report.
You can get a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Order all three reports at once, or one every four months. To order, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228.
Stay protected.
Stay aware of common consumer scams and fraud tactics. Check back here, and at Consumer.FTC.Gov , often to stay current on the most common consumer scams and how to avoid them.
Additional Helpful Resources
- Steps to take to prevent fraud
- Avoid online scams
- More…
- For a variety of safety tips, visit: Consumer Advice | Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov).
