Every year, about this time, we see an increase in fraudsters trying to hustle our members out of their hard-earned money. They’re constantly finding new ways to deceive good people and COVID has allowed for some additional challenges. Some areas that are often targets for fraud are: 

Zelle or BillPay money transfers to someone you don’t know. 

(Mutual will NEVER call and ask for your information) 

Spoofed phone numbers. Fraudsters love to copy phone numbers that you know and trust. 

(Mutual will NEVER call and ask for your information) 

Pretending to be a trusted service provider such as, Apple or Verizon. 

(They will never call and ask for your information) 

Emails asking for you to click to verify your identity 

(Even if they look legit, go directly to that website, DON’T click on any links) 

Some things to watch for that indicate fraudsters are trying to get your information: 

Calling or emailing at odd hours 

Spelling or grammatical errors and inconsistent speech patterns 

Creating a sense of urgency (Act now or you may be locked out!) 

Threatening adverse consequences if you don’t act (You will be fined, or you won’t be able to use the service) 

If you receive a call asking for information, tell the caller you will call back. Then, hang up and call your institution directly. DO NOT use any number the caller gave you, use the number you can find on the legitimate website, such as mutualcu.org.  

The holidays are a time of togetherness and happiness, don’t let a fraudster spoil this time of year.