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Fraud Alert: Don’t Fall For These Common Financial Scams

Turn on the Purple Bird Signal in the Burbank night sky because The UMe Emu and his team of super fraud fighters (aka Team UMe) are here to give you some information on today’s most common scams! The truth is, scammers are often using the state of the world as a scare tactic in efforts to get people’s personal and financial information. But not on Team UMe’s watch! Cue the comic book sound effects (BAM! KAPOW! ZAP!) because we’re here to keep U out of harm’s way.

 

Social Media Scams

We LOVE social media — and chances are, you probably do too. Sharing all things UMe with our friends (that’s U!) is one of our favorite things to do. Aside from all the awesomeness in the social media world, there are some potential financial security threats you should be aware of. One of the common scam attempts is the “free gift card” or “free gift” scam. Scammers will try to get you to click on a link to “claim your free prize.” Don’t be fooled, there is no prize… this is simply an attempt to capture your financial information. If you receive something like this in your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter inbox, do not click on the link and do not provide any financial information. Instead, report it to the social media platform you are using or simply delete that message.

 

Account Restriction Scam

Another sneaky way the bad guys are attempting to get your account information is by sending emails and messages that feel legitimate, stating that your account is locked. They will request that you enter your username and password but do not do so. That is usually a trap to get your account information. Remember to always check the email address or the account from which the message is coming from. Hover your cursor over the email address in the “From” field and it will show you the full email address. If it seems fishy, then it probably is. Delete that email and never look back.

 

Job Offer Scam

Another sneaky scam that has grabbed Team UMe’s attention is the “Job Offer” scam. Fraudsters are using these record-high unemployment numbers to their advantage and pretending to offer jobs, posing as employers, and requesting your online banking login and password to set up direct deposit or deposit a check. Turns out, that is not their intentions at all (surprise, surprise). They are trying to get your login information to gain access to your money. Your online banking information should never ever be given out to anyone over the phone or via email, under any circumstance.

 

COVID-19 Scams

Sadly, fraudsters are capitalizing on the global epidemic. Calls that claim to have cures for the virus or access to in-demand items (like disinfecting wipes and surgical masks) are still on the prowl. As of today (9/22/2020) there is no word of an approved vaccine, which means that all of these calls are attempts to get your personal and/or financial information. If you get a call claiming to offer access to these phony remedies, simply hang up.

We’ve Got U

Now that we have told you a lot of things not to do, let’s switch it up a bit and tell you about things you should do. (1) A great practice is to frequently check your transactions through the mobile app or online banking to ensure there aren’t any suspicious transactions. (2) When shopping online, if you come across a website you’re not familiar with, do some research and give it a quick Google search before making a purchase. (3) Question every email that you receive from people you don’t personally know. Hover over the “From” email address to see if it seems legitimate. If it doesn’t, just ignore it or block it. (4) And Last but certainly not least, if you have any questions, you should feel free to give us a call. We’re here to help U!

Stay safe, UMe-verse!

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