the fraud and online safety resource center

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from account fraud is practice good cyber security skills. These skills include things like using a secure username and password, not clicking on strange links from unknown contacts, and remaining vigilant to situations that seem strange. Check out our blog for the full rundown. 

We are glad you asked! Here are some tips to help you keep your information secure:

1. Create strong passwords (and don't reuse them) - at the very minimum you should have a different and hard to guess password for each financial account you have.
2. Use a unique username - People forget that a hard to guess username that isn't used for other accounts is a great way to increase your security online.
3. Secure your data - Firewalls and antivirus programs help keep your computer secure.
4. Surf the web responisibly - Always make sure you are on a legitimate site before you enter any sensitive information.
5. Stay vigiliant - Check your credit scores consistently and avoid carrying sensitive documents like your Social Security card.

For more tips, check out our blog!

Text scams start off with a text message from a fraudster pretending to be your bank. The message typically looks like an account alert or a fraud warning and may include a link to a website that is similar to your bank's legitimate website. Four our full guide of what to look out for and what to do if you think you clicked a fradulent link, our article can help. 

Card cracking scams are a form of fraud where a scammer attempts to gain access to a person's debit card information in exchange for a fast, easy money opportunity. Once the scammer has access to a person's bank account information, they'll deposit a fradulent check and withdraw the funds. Eventually, the check gets returned against the person's account, leaving them wiith a negative balance and potentially in trouble with the law. 

To protect yourself from this type of scam, here are 3 key tips:

1. Think to yourself, how? Trust your gut. If a direct message or online ad promotes a quick and safe way to make money, think through how it could be legal. No need to respond to these solicitations – these are not your friends.
2. Keep strangers out of your stuff. It’s not likely you’d give your PIN number to anyone who asked for it, so why provide it to an online stranger? Sharing may be caring when it comes to cookies, but with bank accounts, sharing can be scary.
3. Don’t let them get away. If you see or receive a suspicious offer via social media, report it to the site and your bank. Most have drop-down menus to make this easy.

Want to know more? Get the full scoop here.

Identity theft happens when someone uses information about you without your permission. It's important to safeguard your personally identifiable information (PII) to avoid becoming a victim. There are many pieces of PII you should protect including:

• Name and address
• Credit card or bank account numbers
• Social Security number
• Medical insurance account numbers

Not sure how to protect yourself or want a refresher on some best practices? We have you covered here.

As student loan balances continue to swell, more and more people seek out ways to make keeping up with the payments easier or to get debt forgiveness entirely. This presents an opportunity for scammers to try to cash in. Here's how to know if a debt relief company doesn't make the grade:

1. The company asks for an up-front payment
2. They ask for your identifying information 
3. There's a promise to make the loan go away immediately
4. The sales representative at the company makes the offer to help seem urgent or only available for a limited time. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog on detecting these scams.