Phishing Scams

Don't Fall Victim to Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are emails sent by scammers that attempt to steal your personal information or download malware onto your computer or device. Phishing emails will often have a sense of urgency, encouraging you to take an action immediately without stopping to think, such as clicking a link or downloading an attachment.

Recognize the common signs:

• Urgent or emotionally appealing language
• Requests to send personal or financial information
• Unexpected attachments
• Untrusted shortened URLs
• Email addresses that do not match the supposed sender
• Poor writing/misspellings

Avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam:

• Check the email address to verify the email was sent from a credible source; fake emails can be off by as little as one character.
• Do not click on any suspicious links asking you to verify your account information or respond to any emails asking for your personal information such as your social security number, debit card number, or online banking login information.
• Enable and use Multi-Factor Authentication on your accounts to add another level of security in the event that your login credentials were stolen.
• Report suspicious messages by using the “report spam” feature. If the message is designed to resemble an organization you trust, report the message by alerting the organization using their contact information found on their webpage.
• Immediately delete any suspicious emails and block the sender. Don’t reply or click on any attachment or link, including any “unsubscribe” link. The unsubscribe button could also carry a link used for phishing. Just delete.

We’re Here for You!

If you do become a victim of a phishing scam, notify Connected Credit Union immediately. Call the Augusta Branch at (207) 623-3857 or the Winslow Branch at (207) 872-2636 during business hours. Monitor your accounts for any unauthorized activity and ask us to provide heightened scrutiny of your accounts. You can also temporarily, freeze your credit through each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. It won’t impact your score, but it will prevent new credit from being taken out in your name. There is no fee and you can unfreeze at any time. This is a very important step in protecting yourself and your good credit.

Disclaimer: Any reference made in this blog to a specific product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Connected Credit Union of the product, process, or service, or its producer or provider.