Fraud Prevention Series: Charitable Giving Scams



If you plan on partaking in charitable giving this holiday season, it is important to be cautious when making your donations. Scammers can prey on your generosity by pretending to be fundraising for charity.

5 Shopping Safety Tips for the Holidays



With the holidays approaching, ‘tis the season for scams as cyber thieves look for ways to exploit consumers’ online holiday shopping habits. To help keep your finances safe this year, here are some tips to avoid online shopping scams and how to protect yourself. Being proactive is the best defense against fraud!

Three Ways to Outsmart Cybercriminals



Financial institutions work constantly to protect your credit and debit card information with security protections and upgrades. Unfortunately, cyberthieves work just as hard to find ways to steal your information. Here are a few things you can do to help keep your personal information private and keep the scammers and cybercriminals away.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Avoid Spear Phishing, the Most Successful Scam



You’ve heard of phishing, the internet scam of sending emails and messages pretending to be a reputable company in order to trick you into divulging your personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. But are familiar with the new practice of “spear phishing”? It’s quickly becoming the most successful form of fraud and acquisition of confidential information and now accounts for 91% of all scam attempts

Ways to Protect Your Account



Summer is a popular time to plan a relaxing staycation or seek out a fun destination. Whether you decide to stay home or hit the road, the last thing you want to worry about is the security of your financial accounts. Here are some ways to protect your accounts for peace of mind while you’re having fun in the sun.

Fraud Prevention Series: Protect Yourself Online, A Guide to Password Best Practices



Your password is the first line of defense to protecting your personal data and financial information safe from online scams and hackers. Choosing hard-to-hack passwords and ensuring you are keeping them secure can sometimes seem feel like a chore. But it's always to continually evaluate your online safety and take steps to enhance your security with regular password updates.

Fraud Prevention Series: Common Scams and How to Avoid Them



A new year means new and improved ways for fraudsters and cybercriminals to try to steal your financial and other personal information. Online fraud is still big, so here are some ways you can try to beat these scammers and protect your vital personal information.

Fraud Prevention Series: Holiday Shopping Scams



As the holiday season nears, scammers look for more ways to exploit your holiday shopping habits. To keep your finances safe, here are some holiday shopping scams to look out for.

Fraud Prevention Series: Scammers Posing as Trusted Institutions



Trusted institutions, like credit unions, work hard to protect your personal information. But what happens if a scammer is posing as a trusted institution? Here’s how to look out for this fraudulent behavior.

Fraud Prevention Series: How Scammers Use Texts to Steal Your Data



Scammers are becoming more creative in ways to steal your money and personal information. One form of scamming becoming more common amongst fraudsters is “smishing”. Follow along as MSUFCU shares more about what smishing is and how to defend yourself against it.

Protect Yourself Against Scams



Text message scams, also known as “smishing”, are on the rise. MSU Federal Credit Union will never ask for your PIN, access code, or other sensitive financial information through text or email. Learn about smishing and how you can protect yourself from fraudsters.

Fraud Prevention Series: Checking Your Credit Report



Fraud can happen in a multitude of ways – sometimes you might not even know it happened until after the fact. Knowing what’s on your credit report is an important step in keeping track of your finances and making sure you’re not affected by fraud.

Fraud Prevention Series: How a Digital Wallet Helps Protect Your Information



In the digital age, there are many ways fraudsters can try to take advantage of information security and leave you vulnerable to identity theft. However, there are plenty of ways to combat fraud. In this Fraud Prevention Series blog, we’ll discuss ways a digital wallet can keep your information safe.

Fraud Prevention Series: Watch Out for Insurance Fraud



Insurance fraud doesn’t just happen to insurance companies. An individual like yourself can become the target of a scam to take advantage of your personal home and auto insurance policies. The average family in the U.S. pays between $400 and $700 a year in increased insurance premiums due to insurance fraud, according to the FBI. 

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Identify Scams



Scammers and internet fraudsters continue to grow more and more clever in their attempts to trick you into giving them money or personal financial information. Plus, they now have an expanding number of ways to contact you. No longer focusing on just email, they can try to scam you through text messages, phone calls, pop-up windows, and even social media interactions. But rest assured, there are a number of ways to spot an attempted con and avoid falling into its trap. Be on the lookout for the following tell-tale signs of a scam.

Fraud Prevention Series: 2022 Financial Fraud Trends



As the pandemic continues, fraudsters and cybercriminals act on opportunities they find to take advantage of victims. Digital fraud continues to be one of the most common. Here are some of the most common cybercrimes and how to avoid them.

Fraud Prevention Series: Avoiding Identity Theft



Even if you believe financial fraud happens to other people, it's easy to become a victim of criminal activity, especially identity theft. Here are some ways to avoid that type of financial fraud in 2022.

How Shopping on Small Business Saturday Helps The Local Economy



First established to encourage consumers to shop locally during the holiday season, Small Business Saturday has become an annual event taking place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Here are some ways you can support small businesses during the holiday season.

Fraud Prevention Series: Avoiding Peer-to-Peer Payment Fraud



As contactless transactions continue to grow in popularity, more peer-to-peer payment apps are being marketed. Cyber thieves have also taken note. You can mitigate the possibility of fraud when using peer-to-peer payments by taking simple precautions.

Be Prepared For Emergencies: National Preparedness Month



September is National Preparedness Month, which is the perfect time to make a plan for emergencies. Here are some ways you can increase your preparedness for the unexpected.

The Lab at MSUFCU Helps Members Achieve Financial Success



To replicate the interaction a member might have with an MSUFCU employee through a digital channel, The Lab at MSUFCU was established to identify technologies and partner with fintechs to produce viable apps. Learn more about The Lab and the innovative solutions that have been introduced to help employees and members achieve financial success.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Prevent Credit Card-Not-Present Fraud



With more consumers making online purchases, credit card-not-present fraud has become more prevalent. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Annual Data Book of 2020, credit card fraud was the most common form of identity theft in four of the last five years in the United States. Here are ways you can prevent credit card fraud from happening to you.

Fraud Prevention Series: 5 Tips to Avoiding Online Shopping Fraud



Online shopping is fun, but does not always go as planned. In 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Internet Crime Complaint Center received 791,790 complaints from the American public including reported losses of more than $4.1 billion, according to its annual report. This was a 69% increase in the number of complaints over 2019. Here are five ways to protect yourself from online shopping fraud.

Fraud Prevention Series: Your Password May Be One of the Weakest at Protecting Your Information



Every year fraudsters are successful in gaining access to consumers’ personal information, costing millions of dollars in losses. Unfortunately, many of these hacks are successful because of weak passwords.

Video Tellers Provide Face-to-Face Account Access from Comfort of Your Vehicle



As you look for more efficiency and flexibility from your financial institution, consider using a video teller to receive personalized-service on the go. Here are ways video tellers are making account management quick and easy.

Financial Account Alerts You Should Activate Today



Monitoring your financial accounts can help you in many ways, including keeping track of your spending, and alerting you to possible fraud. Here are some eAlerts you should activate to help automatically track your accounts.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Avoid the Latest COVID-19 Scams



According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as of March 16, 2021, more than 388,000 complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments have been reported, costing consumers $372.6 million.

Here’s Why You Might Want to File Your Taxes Early



With the IRS extending the tax filing deadline to May 17, 2021, fraudsters have more time for tax scams. Whether they are obtaining tax documents, filing fraudulent returns in victims’ names, or extorting payments with false threats of IRS action due to outstanding tax bills, scammers are always looking for new ways to take advantage of tax season. Here are a few tips on avoiding these types of scams this year.

Fraud Prevention Series: Avoid Identity Theft This Tax Season



The time before Tax Day, May 17 in 2021 after an IRS extension, can be busy, especially for identity thieves whose goals are to lift your personal information from financial documents, scam you into answering emails or phone calls from fake IRS agents, and much more. Here are some ways to protect yourself from possible identity theft this tax season.

Fraud Prevention Series: 5 Ways to Prevent Fraud in 2021



Preventing fraud is an ongoing process. While you are making other changes as the New Year begins, consider taking some simple steps to protect yourself. Keep in mind, you are the best defense against fraud.    Here are five ways you can reduce your risk of fraud this year.

Be Aware of a New Online Scam: E-Skimming



Although the increased use of credit and debit cards with chip technology has resulted in a decrease in fraudulent purchases, this technology offers no protection for online purchases. A newer and expanding threat to online shopping known as E-Skimming is occurring more often. Here is more information about E-Skimming and some ways to protect yourself from this latest form of fraud.

Fraud Prevention Series: 7 Ways to Keep Your Account Safe When Shopping Online



In 2019, $3.5 billion was reported lost by businesses and individuals due to fraud, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Internet Crime Complaint Center Report. Here are some tips to help you from becoming a victim of online fraud.

Three Fraud Trends to Watch for this Holiday Season



Due to the ongoing coronavirus, holiday shopping will look different this year. However, fraudsters are poised to take advantage of consumers who may be more distracted dealing with unprecedented change.

On-The-Go Tips to Keep Your Accounts Safe



When you are out and about, you should not need to worry about security for your financial accounts. Here some ways to keep your accounts safe when you are on the go.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Avoid Black Friday Scams



Just like many events in 2020, a lot of Black Friday purchases will happen online. And fraudsters will be ready. Here are some of the ways scammers may try and take advantage of consumers shopping online Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Avoid Cyber Fraud



Some of the most common ways fraudsters try to access your personal information is by sending harmful links in an email or stealing data from places where you have accounts. Personal information, such as Social Security numbers, financial accounts and credit card numbers, can be used to set up counterfeit accounts or gain access to existing accounts. Here are some tips to avoid this type of deception known as cyber fraud.

Fraud Prevention Series: What is Ethical Hacking?



We hear about hacking (unauthorized access to data in a system or computer) on the news often. But did you know that there are professionals with the same skills working to help companies reduce the chances of being hacked? These professionals are known as ethical hackers. But what is ethical hacking?

Value of Using a Digital Wallet



Our smart phones can allow us to make safer, contactless purchases using digital wallets, eliminating the need to use a physical credit card and reducing the risk of COVID-19 exposure. Learn more about using digital wallets as a way to make purchases with minimum exposure.

Fraud Prevention Series: Sharing Your Information Can Make You More Vulnerable to Fraud



If you are a frequent social media user and tend to share personal information online, you may be at greater risk of becoming a victim of fraud. Take a look at these three online habits that may lead to higher fraud possibilities, and ways to prevent identity fraud.

How to Protect Your Emergency Fund



With so much uncertainty in the world right now, protecting your emergency fund is important. Here are some strategies to keep this crucial fund strong.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Protect Yourself From Credit Card Fraud



In today's digital age, your credit card information may be increasingly at risk for theft. Fortunately, credit card fraud can be avoided by being diligent about storing and sharing your card information. Here are some ways to prevent credit card fraud.

Tap to Pay Technology Offers Contactless Pay Options



Contactless payments exploded in popularity in spring 2020 when the coronavirus upended how many people think about their daily interactions, including how they pay. But social distancing aside, do these advances actually make life any easier and safer?

Fraud Prevention Series: Tools to Help Keep Your Accounts Safe



According to the FBI, $2.7 billion in online theft and fraud was reported to the agency in 2019. While funds are protected up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration, what else can credit unions provide to keep your accounts safe? And what can you do?

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Keep Your Passwords Secure



The security of everything that requires a password, including your financial accounts, streaming accounts, email inbox, and even your garage code, depends on how strong and safe your logins are today. Strong passwords are key to your security, but the challenge is to create passwords you can actually remember, without resorting to unsafe habits — like reusing the same login for multiple accounts. Here’s some advice on how to create strong passwords and keep them safe.

Fraud Prevention Series: Protect Yourself From Rising Coronavirus Scams



In this time of concern about coronavirus, scammers are taking advantage of fears caused by the pandemic. Here are some common coronavirus-related scams and tips to help you protect yourself.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Protect Yourself From Phishing



Phishing, a form of identity theft, is when scammers use fraudulent websites and fake emails to attempt to steal victims’ personal data, especially passwords and credit card information. Although this is not a new type of theft, many consumers are unaware of phishing and how to protect their personal information. Here is more information about phishing and how to keep your data safe.

How to File Your Taxes Safely



Tax season is upon us again. Whether it’s your first time filing or you’re trying to get a head start this year, we have some tips to help you file your taxes safely.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Avoid Fraud This Tax Season



Now that tax time is here, it is important to be aware of possible tax fraud and tax-related identity theft. Identity theft happens when an individual’s Social Security Number and other personal identification information has been stolen. In the case of tax fraud, the information is used to file a false tax return resulting in the tax refund being sent to the fraudster. There are some steps to take to reduce your risk.