Protect Yourself From Fraud and Phishing

December 04, 2023

Online logins and online shopping make for a lot of conveniences in our lives. However, these conveniences can come with potential risk. It’s important to always be cognizant when sharing your personal info, including your logins, PIN numbers, bank account info, and more. There are ways to prevent people from gaining access and making sure your information stays safe. We’ve put together a list of ways to best protection yourself and your identity and accounts.

Beware of Phishing

Email

If an email looks fake, it probably is. Never click on a link that you’re unsure of and delete it immediately. CASFCU will NEVER ask for any personal information over email. If you are ever not sure, call us to ask if it’s a genuine email or not.

Text

Phishing can also be in the form of text messages. Beware of any text that comes from a number you don’t recognize. If it’s too good to be true, it is!

Call

Scammers call you and ask for your personal information. They may pretend to be from CASFCU or any other financial institution. Block any calls that you don’t recognize. Sign up for the Do Not Call List so your number isn’t targeted by telemarketers. You can also mark calls as spam to prevent them from calling back.

Protect Your Phone

A lot of your personal information is stored on your phone. Keep it secure with passwords, and make sure it’s backed up so if it’s lost or stolen, you have access to your information.

Have a Strong Password

U$ing symbo!s, wEIrD capitalization, and numb3rs help prevent people from guessing your password. Don’t use something with meaning, like your pet’s name or your birthday. The more random, the more protected you will be. Everyone is dealing with a lot of logins and passwords. An online extension like LastPass can help keep up with all of those secure passwords.

Don’t Do Financial Transactions on a Public Computer or Public Wifi

Your banking information should always be protected. Public computers and public wifi networks won’t  guarantee your safety if you use them for your banking needs. Always use your personal devices, on private or known networks. Our mobile app via your home wifi or cell data is a great way to access your CASFCU accounts safely.

Click here for the Apple mobile banking app.

Click here for the Google Play mobile banking app.

Scams and hackers are always prevalent, but they seem to increase around the holidays. It is best to be protected and prepared. Take as many precautions as you can to avoid being a victim of a scam. Remember, if you are ever in doubt of the validity of the information being requested, reach out to the organization that is supposedly requesting the information. CASFCU is available by calling us at 423-624-9094.