Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know- scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name like the FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to the from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company or even a charity asking for donations.
Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize- they might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer.
Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.
Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
Scammers pressure you to act immediately- scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.
They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way- they often insist that you can only pay by using cryptocurrency, wiring money through a company like Western Union, using a payment app or putting money on a gift card and then giving them the numbers on the back of the card.
Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be a fake) then tell you to deposit it and send them money.
OU Federal Credit Union is a progressive, member owned and controlled financial organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, low-cost, high quality financial services that are personalized for the membership.
