Stay safe from the latest scam tactics

5 tips to protect yourself:

MFFCU, or any other financial institution, will never ask you to make payments for correcting fraud activity.
Never send money to anyone who claims your account is compromised or who threatens to cut off your services. Instead, call the company directly to discuss payment methods. A utility company will never request payments via Zelle^®.
Be suspicious of people you don’t know contacting you via phone or text asking for payment. These scams aim to create a false sense of urgency in hopes you’ll send funds before verifying who you’re talking to. Make sure you’re sending payments to reputable companies and contacts you’ve validated from a trusted source.
Report any suspicious activity immediately by calling the phone number on the back of your MFFCU debit or credit cards or bycalling Member Services

Impersonators may use these and other tactics to scam you

Goods and services scam

Scammers pose as buyers or sellers who set up fake websites or profiles offering products and services, sometimes at prices that are too good to be true. They may post fake ads and fake reviews. Always check that you are paying someone you know or a verified business, as there is no purchase protection if you buy goods or services with Zelle^®.

Gift card scam

Only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers from the back of the card. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. If you gave a gift card to a scammer—no matter how long ago the scam happened—report it to the gift card company.

Accidental deposit scam

Scammers will send you funds then contact you stating the funds were accidentally sent. They’ll then request you to send the funds back through Zelle^® or other payment services. Most times the funds were sent to you from stolen credit cards or hacked accounts of other victims. Once scammers receive the funds back from you, they’ll dispute the payment with their bank resulting in duplicate withdrawals. Don’t send the money back or spend it—instead, contact your bank to report the activity.

Learn more about accidental deposit scams.

Phishing scam

Scammers send emails pretending to be a Capital One employee with a link to a Capital One website. This is a fraudulent website and you’ll be asked to log in with your credentials, including a one-time password or authorization code. As soon as you provide those details, fraudsters can gain control of your account.

Payment scams

Be wary if you are urged to make a purchase with the promise of compensation, or if someone offers to make a payment for you, or provides you with bank account info with which to make a payment. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you use a payment method you are not familiar with, you run the risk of ultimately being held responsible for the amount paid.

Employment scams

Be vigilant in validating employment opportunities, especially when exclusively online or working from home. Be suspicious if someone claims to have overpaid you for a job, promises to reimburse for equipment, or asks you to send equipment to an IT dept. The equipment may never be returned, and reimbursements or overpayments may be illegitimate, leaving you liable for the funds. Never divulge personal information online to an unreliable source or through deceptive job

Tech support scams

Tech support claims your computer has malware and requests payment to fix the defects or access your computer.

Impersonation scams

Scammers pose as a legitimate company (like Capital One) or a utility company and request personal information or a payment transfer in order to make things "right" on your account. They might also use a fake caller ID that could show up as a legit company's number and/ or request remote access to your device. Scammer posing as a utility company might warn you to pay your balance within a limited time or else the utility will be shut off.

Fake rental

A house is legitimately listed for sale online, but scammers have set up a fake website and listed the house as a rental. You send your first month’s deposit to a scammer pretending to be the landlord/owner.

Fake websites

Legitimate-looking websites are being created by scammers, and a quick Google search will lead you to a real-looking phone number. When you call, they’ll try to obtain your sign-in details or other information.

Overpayment scams

You receive an overpayment for an item you’re selling, immediately followed by a request to deposit the check (which turns out to be a bad check) and then send the difference via a wire or gift card.

Check cashing

You’re approached outside a bank branch and asked to cash a check for someone who claims they don’t have an account or left their ID home. The bad check will be held against your account when it doesn’t clear.

Romance scams

If you are asked for financial support from a new partner in a relationship that’s been exclusively online, you’re likely a target of this elaborate scheme.

Charity scams

You receive a request to donate to a charity that you've never heard of and for which you can’t find an official website.

Debt relief

You receive a request for payment in order to establish a service relationship to pay, settle or get rid of debt.

FTC / IRS scams

Scam artists are pretending to be IRS officials to get your money. They'll call, email, or text you claiming you owe back taxes or there's a problem with your tax return. They even rig caller ID to make their call look official. They play on your fears.

Investment scams

You receive a request to invest in a business opportunity with promises of high returns and/or getting rich quickly.

Lottery scams

You receive a request to prepay fees or taxes in order to receive a large prize you supposedly won.

Grandparent scam

You receive a call or text message from someone claiming to be a grandchild or loved one asking for money to help with an emergency, plus instructions on where to send the funds.

Puppy scam

Scammers post fake litters online or pretend to be someone they're not (usually an existing breeder) to take advantage of puppy sales (sans the puppies.)

Online Merchant/Marketplace Scams

When responding to ads or interacting in marketplaces on social media, research sellers and products independently to ensure legitimacy. Notice the red flags like a high-ticket item for a price too-good-to-be-true or a buyer who “accidentally” overpaid you for an item or someone asking for personal information or redirecting to an unfamiliar/strange looking URL.

Mortgage closing

You receive an email or text message that looks similar to your real estate agent’s contact info that indicates there is a last minute change to the wiring instructions, and tells you to wire closing costs to a different account.

Business email compromise scams

You receive an email from your supplier/vendor requesting to send money to a different account. The supplier/vendor email appears to be familiar. But this could be a fraudster who obtained access to the network of your supplier/vendor.

Courtesy of CapitalOne 03/27/24

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