Fraud Prevention Series: Student Loans and Scholarships Assistance



College tuition and funding for education can be expensive, often leading students and families to seek scholarships, student loans, and tuition assistance to cover costs. Unfortunately, this creates opportunities for scammers to exploit individuals during times of financial need. It’s crucial to protect yourself by staying aware of common scams and how to avoid them.

5 Ways Small Business Owners & Employees Can Protect Against Fraud



Fraud can be a significant concern for small businesses, impacting not only financial health but also reputation. Here are five simple, high-value tips you can implement on a low budget to help protect your small business against fraud.

Fraud Prevention Series: 8 Password Security Tips to Keep Your Online Accounts Safe and Secure



In our increasingly digital world, protecting your online accounts with strong, secure passwords is essential. Your password is the first line of defense against online scams and hackers, safeguarding your personal data and financial information. While choosing hard-to-hack passwords and keeping them secure might like a chore, it's crucial to regularly evaluate your online safety and enhance your security with frequent password updates.

Stay Ahead of Scammers: Practical Tips to Safeguard Your Loved Ones from Financial Fraud



As our population ages, the vulnerability of older adults to scams and financial exploitation becomes an increasingly pressing concern. Protecting them requires vigilance, education, and proactive measures from caregivers and family members. Here are some essential tips to help safeguard seniors from falling prey to these malicious schemes.

Fraud Prevention Series: Keep Your Financial Accounts Secure with These Tools



It’s no secret that fraud is on the rise as scams designed to steal your sensitive information become more sophisticated. While shopping in-store and online, it’s important to protect yourself and your money. Take a look at these tools to help keep your financial accounts secure.

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!

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

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.

How to Avoid Smishing Scams



We’ve all gotten them – texts from unknown numbers and suspicious sources. In today’s digital world, attempts to defraud us with text message scams, known as “smishing”, appear to be on the rise. In this Fraud Prevention Series blog, learn all about smishing, how to indentify these fradulents texts, and how to protect yourself from them.

Fraud Prevention Series: Student Loan Services & Fraud



Whether you’re applying for financial aid to help pay for your degree or working to pay down student loan debt, there are a number of tactics that scammers will use to try and steal your personal and financial information. Here’s how to look out for potential scams and keep your identity and finances safe while navigating student loan services.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Know it's a Scam



As technology advances, so does the sophistication of the scams that everyday individuals are encountering. Today, there are many scams, from fake websites, text messages from a fake phone number, to the classic letter in the mail letting you know the car warranty you never had is expiring. Here are some tools and tips on spotting and avoiding scams.

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.

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: Tools to Enhance Your Financial Security



In today’s fast-paced world, many of us have become accustomed to highly personalized, engaging experiences, such as one-click shopping, voice-activated searches, and home assistants. With this, we have come to expect advanced technology to ensure our finances and sensitive information stays safe and protected. Take a look these tools to stay in control of your financial security.

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.

Fraud Prevention Series: How to Avoid Online Shopping Fraud



With the holiday shopping season in full swing, an increase in online shopping fraud reports usually follows. In 2020, these reports more than doubled. Here are three ways to protect yourself while shopping online.

Fraud Prevention Series: Avoiding Holiday Shopping Scams



With the holidays approaching, ‘tis the season for scams as cyber thieves look for ways to exploit consumers’ holiday shopping and donating habits. To keep your finances safe, here are some tips to avoiding holiday scams.

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.

Fraud Prevention Series: 5 Steps to Take to Prevent Identity Theft



Identity theft continues to be a problem in the U.S. With identity scammers targeting relief checks and unemployment benefits in the last year, the Federal Trade Commission recorded a nearly 3,000% increase in identity theft reports over 2019. In this blog, we define identity theft and provide steps to protect yourself.

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: Recent Graduate? What’s Changed with Your Financial Account



When entering college, many students open a free student checking account with a local financial institution, but often lose those benefits upon graduation. This can lead to fees and overdrafts. If your current financial institution charges account fees now that you’re out of college, it’s time to start shopping for a new checking account. Here is what to look for.

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.

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.

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: COVID-19 Scams Continue to Happen. Here's How to Protect Yourself



As the pandemic continues to change everyday life, scammers remain hard at work trying to access personal information and gain access to financial accounts. Here are some ways to protect yourself from ongoing COVID-19 fraud.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fraud Prevention Series: 5 Easy Ways to Protect Your Accounts



New year, new (and same) fraud tactics. To help you stay protected, we’re kicking off 2020 with our Fraud Prevention Series. Start with these five tips to add additional security layers to your accounts.