Protecting Yourself from Phishing Scams

Each and every day, scammers take advantage of unsuspecting consumers, just like you. Phishing scams are an attempt to acquire personal information through an email or phone call by individuals posing as legitimate representatives of a company or organization. Why? Oftentimes the scammer is attempting to compromise your bank accounts and gain access to your funds.

We're asking our members to be vigilant against these types of fraudsters who claim to be from Credit Union West. Please be aware, we will never ask for your debit card PIN or your Online Banking password, especially through an unsolicited call, email, or message sent through social media.  

Practice Secure Habits

Here are a few important tips to protect yourself from fraud: 

• Our member service representatives may ask you for your social security number or member number to verify your identity over the phone when you call us, but we will never ask for these when we call you out of the blue. Don't respond to unsolicited requests (of any kind) for personally identifiable information including your social security number, PIN, account number, driver's license number, or passwords.
• Never reply to unsolicited emails or click on the email's attachments or links until you verify the request is legitimate
• If you believe an email could be a phishing scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.FTC.gov and forward it to us at info@cuwest.org so we can review it and then delete it
• If you believe a phone call could be a phishing scam, hang up and verify that the person works for the company they claim to work for by calling them back through an official phone number. For Credit Union West, you may call us at 800-621-0287.

Warning Signs

The best way to avoid fraud is to know the tricks scammers use. During a fraud attempt, you may be:

• Instructed to not trust your financial institution or asked to respond to questions in ways that aren’t truthful
• Pressured to send money
• Told to purchase gift cards or codes, wire transfer, or mail cash as a form of payment
• Asked to cash a check for a stranger
• Asked to deposit a check that overpays for something you're selling and then send the difference elsewhere
• Tempted to buy products online that seem too good to be true or are hard to find
• Ask for your personally identifiable information

What to do if you are targeted?

If you've been a victim of a Phishing scam, take these steps to protect your finances:

• Let us know immediately by calling or messaging us through secure messaging in Mobile and Online Banking
• Be sure to track your Credit Union West transactions and call us if you notice any unusual activity
• Set up notifications to alert you of potential fraud in Mobile and Online banking
• Monitor your credit report in Mobile and Online banking with our free SavvyMoney program
• Stay up to date on recent scams by subscribing to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Scam Alerts

Anyone is vulnerable to and can fall victim to a phishing scam. Please be aware, Credit Union West would never ask for sensitive information especially through an unsolicited call, email, or message through social media. If this should ever happen to you, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.FTC.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP and contact our Member Contact Center at 1-800-621-0287 so we can help monitor your accounts.