Know The Signs Of A Scam

Fraudsters are always coming up with new ways to trick people, but no matter the scam, there are common trends you should be aware of to keep your money and personal information safe.

Fraudsters might call or text you, impersonating someone from a collection agency or another person or company you would be inclined to trust. When it comes to your finances and using third-party apps and programs like Zelle^®, Venmo, etc., it’s especially important to be aware of common trends.

What Should You Look For?

Common Scam Tactics

• Delivering a fraud alert to you with the solution being to send yourself money.
• Creating a sense of urgency by threatening a legal action or negative consequences – such as a disconnection of service – unless an immediate payment is made.
• Sending a text message or email with a link that appears to be from a trusted website but contains spelling and grammatical errors.
• Listing a house for rent and requesting a security deposit without allowing you to see the property first.
• Creating a fake online persona, embarking on a relationship, and asking for money before you ever meet face-to-face. After they get the money, they’ll disappear.

Tips To Avoid Becoming A Victim

• Never send yourself money if someone you don’t know asks you to.
• Use digital payment methods, like Zelle^®, to only pay those you know and trust.*
• If you ever receive a fraud notification that looks like it’s from A+FCU, call us right away at 512.302.6800. A+FCU will never call and ask for personal information or a one-time passcode.
• Stay calm and don’t rush to make a payment. Scammers use urgency to get you to send money without thinking it through. If you receive an unsolicited payment request from a business you believe may be legitimate, hang up, verify the correct contact number, and call the business directly to inquire about the status of your account.
• Never click a link in a text message or email from someone you don’t know.
• When you’re looking to buy or sell goods online, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Also, wait until you have the item in hand to pay.

When in doubt, it’s better to be safe – don’t respond, click links, or make a payment.

If you use Zelle^® to send and receive payments with your friends and family, check out more tips offered by their team to help you avoid common digital payment scams. Visit zellepay.com/pay-it-safe.

*U.S. checking or savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes.

Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.

Membership required. Adult members 19 years of age and older with an eligible checking account will be able to utilize Zelle®. Eligible checking accounts include Value Checking, Cash-Back Checking, or A+ Checking. Transaction limits apply. To transfer money from your A+FCU accounts with Zelle®, you will need to use the A+ Mobile App. Additional conditions and restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice.

There is no fee to send or receive money via Zelle® at A+ Federal Credit Union, however there may be instances where using Zelle® may incur charges: if you send a transaction for which you have insufficient funds, non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees may apply.