Posted on: February 11th, 2025 by Ashley No Comments
There is recent news about card skimming fraud happening in St. Louis County areas. We want to remind our members and community to be careful where you use your card and always do a scan before inserting your card into gas pumps, ATMs, vending machines, etc.
Card skimmers collect data from your debit and credit cards’ magnetic strip, allowing scammers to access your accounts and other personal information.
How Card Skimming Happens
Skimmers read the magnetic strip on a card when it is swiped at a point-of-sale machine or ATM. Skimmers can also record PIN entries.
A skimming device is not obvious at first glance. Devices installed on the outside of card reading machines can look like they belong there. Some devices are attached inside the card slot, making it even harder to detect. The skimming device reads and collects your card information.
If you notice a skimming device is present after you inserted your card, you should call local authorities and your financial institution immediately. Unfortunately, most people never notice the device until it’s too late.
Avoid Getting Skimmed
Before you insert your card into any machine, do a visual scan. Make sure the card reader isn’t loose or damaged, look to make sure the graphics are still aligned and that the card reader isn’t a different color from the rest of the machine. Look for any signs of tape or gluey residue around the card reader. If anything looks a little off or suspicious, do not use that machine. Better to be safe than sorry.
Non-bank ATMs are considered the most common machines targeted by criminals installing skimmers. Be extra wary if you are using a non-bank ATM. Look at the keypad for loose, mismatched, or spongy-feeling buttons before you insert your card and enter your PIN.
Pay inside instead of paying at the pump for gas, especially if your gas station does not have contact-less payment methods like tap to pay.
Sign up for account alerts at your financial institution. It won’t alert you if your card is skimmed, but it can alert you if you have unauthorized online banking logins or unauthorized charges on your card. Check your account regularly and know what is coming out and when.
Use mobile wallet or contactless payments (tap to pay). Tap to pay are generally safer than other payment methods because each transaction creates a unique, encrypted code that is sent to the payment terminal, providing extra security to protect your personal information. The chips in contactless cards are much harder to tamper with or clone.
Always stay aware of your surroundings and vigilantly protect your payment information! Being extra cautious could save you from falling victim of identity theft.
On our blog last week, we talked about the ways identity thieves steal your information and what they might do with it once they get it. Things like using your identity when being arrested or investigated, maxing out your credit cards and taking out new credit in your name, acquiring income in your name, and more. Things that have the potential to be totally financially devastating if not caught early.
There are steps you can take to protect yourself from falling victim to identity theft. It’s important to be aware of the possibility and keep it in mind.
Guard your cards. Credit/Debit card fraud is a type of identity theft. This is when someone gains access to your payment card and uses it to make purchases you did not authorize. Be cautious about where you enter your card information online, never make purchases from an untrustworthy or unknown website and never allow websites to “remember” your card number. Do not give your card information over the phone unless you made the call and you know you’re speaking with a trustworthy business. Go paperless when possible for bills and statements and review your statements to verify account activity. Card fraud may not require that you freeze your accounts and file a report with the FTC, but ask your financial institution’s fraud department what they recommend.
Use credit monitoring services. You can use a paid service for robust monitoring, which might be necessary depending on your financial status or if you operate a business. CreditKarma.com is a great free service that allows you to review your credit report to find if any new accounts have been opened in your name. Report and investigate anything that doesn’t add up.
Protect your phone. If you store personal information in your smart phone, you need to keep your phone locked and secure with passcode, touch ID, or face ID.
Be Wi-Fi Aware. Public Wi-Fi is an identity thief’s playground if it is not secure. Make sure the Wi-Fi you’re accessing is the correct network and that it is authenticated. Sign out of all accounts as soon as you are finished. Consider using a VPN when on public Wi-Fi.
Practice good cyber security. Be wary of spammy emails, it’s better to just delete it if it seems suspicious. Stop and think before clicking links. Change your passwords regularly and don’t use the same password over.
Signs of Identity Theft
Identity theft is so devastating because many people don’t know they are a victim until they are notified by a financial institution. Do not rely on others to notify you of potential fraud – know what to look for and conduct checkups on your information regularly. Early detection can limit the damage. You may be a victim of identity theft if:
There are errors or unfamiliar transactions on your bank and/or credit card accounts.
Your credit report shows accounts you didn’t open and/or inquiries made for new credit accounts like loans or credit cards that you didn’t initiate.
You receive collection calls on debts that aren’t yours.
You know you have good credit but get denied when applying for new credit.
You get bills for accounts you didn’t open or medical services you didn’t receive.
Your health insurance indicates your benefit limit was reached when you have a legitimate medical claim yourself.
Your medical records show a condition that you do not have.
The IRS notifies you of income from an employee for whom you’ve never worked.
There is a data breach at a company that involves your information.
It Happened… Now What?
If you notice anything fishy with your accounts, medical records, taxes, or even your criminal record, you need to take immediate action to resolve it. Remember, fast action limits damage.
Steps to Take Immediately:
First, call the fraud department at your financial institution(s) where fraud has occurred. They will give you instructions on what you need to do. You may or may not need to complete the following steps below, but ask the fraud department what they recommend. They will most likely deactivate any compromised cards. If necessary, ask them to freeze or close your accounts to prevent any additional charges.
Second, contact one of the three major U.S. credit reporting companies to report yourself as a victim of identity theft and place an initial fraud alert. The one you contact must tell the other two, so you only need to contact one.
Next, order a credit report. You are entitled to one free copy of your report once per year from all three credit bureaus. You must contact all three to order a report from each one, starting with one immediately and the other two in a month or so to track any new fraudulent activity. Review it immediately and report any fraud details you find to the FTC and possibly the police.
Then, file a complaint with the FTC about the theft by going to reportfraud.ftc.gov or by calling 877-438-4338. Include as much detail as possible about the theft and follow their instructions carefully. Save and print your completed complaint. The printed complaint becomes your Identity Theft Affidavit. This affidavit helps you create an Identity Theft Report. Keep records of the day and time you file your complaint, the complaint reference number, and extra copies of the affidavit.
Finally, file a police report by going to your local station (or the station where the theft occurred if it was an attack on your criminal record). Bring your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit, any other proof of the theft, proof of address, and your government-issued photo ID.
You can never be overprotective of your personal information and identity! Protect it and protect your financial future.
Identity theft is a federal crime. It is when someone uses your personal information without your permission or knowledge. The purpose is usually for financial reasons. Identity theft is the most common form of financial fraud. Prime targets are children, students, military members, veterans, and seniors but it can happen to anyone.
Typically, identity theft is when a thief steals your personal information to pose as you in some way. Synthetic identity theft is the use of some of your personal information, like your Social Security Number, combined with fake information, like a different name, to create an entirely new persona. This type of identity theft is harder to detect and can lead to more damage.
How do they get your info?
While some of these may seem like old tactics, they are still widely used and very effective for thieves. These things are especially important to keep in mind when you are traveling.
Mail Theft. Stealing mail out of mailboxes is still a common form of thievery. Consider a PO Box or a locking mailbox if possible.
Dumpster Diving. Thieves dig through trash to find key information about you. Shred documents that contain information about you before throwing them away.
Shoulder Surfing. Always conceal keypads with your hand or body when entering PINs, credit card information, or passwords.
Purse/Wallet Theft. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Keep minimal payment cards on you and know which ones you have.
Computer Hacking/Online Identity Theft. The digital world has provided more opportunities for identity thieves, making it easier than ever for them to steal your information. Virtually lock your identity by practicing cyber security every single time you go online.
What happens with your info?
An attack on your identity can cause severe damage to your finances, credit score, and complicate your life in many ways. Thieves might:
Drain your bank accounts
Use and max out your credit card/s
Open new accounts in your name (bank accounts, cell phones, credit cards, etc.)
Acquire government documents with your name and their photos (like a driver’s license or a passport)
Take out loans in your name
Receive medical attention under your insurance
Use your identity upon being investigated or arrested by police, creating a false criminal record in your name
File a fraudulent tax return and collect a refund in your name
Get a job and have earnings reported as your income
Think if any one of the above things happened to you and how devastating it could be. Oftentimes, identity theft includes more than one of the above. It is so important to protect your information. Stay tuned in this week and next while we share best practices for protecting yourself, signs of identity theft, and the immediate steps to take if it happens to you.
Watch next week after this series for a quick one-question quiz on identity theft and your chance to earn a $20 Visa gift card!
In an increasingly virtual world, with countless remote-work jobs becoming more and more available, there are more opportunities than ever for scammers to get creative with employment scams. A scammer will advertise for a “job” in the same ways an honest employer would – on job sites and social media, in local newspapers, even on TV or on the radio. You are promised a job, and in return they collect your personal information and sometimes your money.
Examples of a Job or Employment Scam
Remote work. Many people dream of working from home, scammers know this and regularly try to take advantage. Scammers offer a job such as reshipping or reselling products or offering start-up kits to help you start your own business with just a small investment. The general rule of fraud applies here: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you are offered a job where you are led to believe you can make tons of money in relatively short time, it is almost undoubtedly a scam.
Common Remote Work Scams:
Reshipping scams. The company says your job is to receive packages to your home address, throw away original packaging, and then repackage and reship to a different address. A reputable and honest “re-shipper” company does not exist – this is a scam. This dishonest company now has your personal information from “new hire” paperwork, and you may encounter an identity theft situation.
Reselling scams. The company claims you can make money by buying brand name products for low prices and then resell them and keep the profit. You end up receiving junk products or nothing at all after paying the company hundreds of dollars on goods.
Virtual personal assistant scams.
Mystery shopper scams. Some mystery shopper jobs are real; however, honest mystery shopping companies won’t ask you to pay for anything (such as certificates, directories, etc.).
How to Avoid Job and Employment Scams
Before you apply to a job posting, look the company up online. Make sure they exist, are honest, and have real employee reviews from career websites like Indeed or Glassdoor. Some small companies may not have reviews, but you can determine their legitimacy in other ways.
Mention the job to someone you trust, like a relative or best friend. Get the advice from others who are not emotionally invested.
Do not pay for the promise of a job. Honest employers, especially government jobs, will never ask you to pay to get the job. Do not fall for the idea that you can pay for a startup kit or masterclass to launch a successful online business from home. These offers are almost always a scam to get your money and very, very few people are successful in operating a business from this type of scenario.
What to do if you Paid a Scammer
Accidents and lapses in judgement happen… but now what? Immediately contact the financial institution you used to send money and report the fraud. You can ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible, but it is unlikely you get your money back if you paid out of a checking account (with a cash transferring app or a debit card). If you used a credit card, you may have more luck reversing the transaction.
If you provided information about your accounts (card numbers, account numbers), contact your financial institution immediately to deactivate cards and close accounts.
Report Job Scams to the FTC
If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general.
Find out more about how to avoid scams at ftc.gov/scams.
There will be a two-week timeframe from when this blog is posted to read it and take the quiz. Those with the correct answers will be entered into the drawing for that post. Winners will be contacted via the information they entered when taking the quiz. One entry per person. NorthRidge employees and their immediate family (spouses, parents, children, live-in partners), and board members, are not eligible to win. Additional giveaway rules are located here.
The best way to protect yourself from becoming a romance scam victim is knowing what could happen. We saw no shortage of fraud and scams in 2023. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow, so undoubtedly we will see more in 2024.
Today is Valentine’s Day, a day for love and romance! In keeping with that theme, today’s topic is romance scams. These scammers target individuals who use social media and dating apps. Read on!
PS, don’t forget, you have a chance to win one $20 Visa gift card for every blog posted with the topics of fraud and scams this year! Take the one-question quiz at the end of each blog post about fraud and scams (like this one!). If you answer correctly, you’ll be entered for a chance to win!
Is it love?
Romance scams can be either be quick or take time. Scammers use new, but fake, relationships to steal money from people after spending days, weeks, or even months, talking to their victim online. They gain trust from their victim over time via various online conversations. Then, they ask for money or personal information. There may give a variety of reasons for needing money or your personal information:
They claim they want to travel to meet you, their “love interest” in person, but need money for gas, plane tickets, etc.
They say a relative or loved one is sick, hurt, or in jail.
They ask you to do them a favor and in return they will send you money if you send your account information.
Scammers typically ask for you to pay them in ways that are harder to trace and impossible to reverse, like gift cards or apps like Venmo or Cash App. If someone you have never met ask for money in these ways, be very suspicious and proceed with caution (phone conversations and FaceTime do not count as meeting, remember that AI can be used to trick you).
Lastly, another common lie from an online “love interest”, is an offer to help you invest in cryptocurrency. While many victims of romance scams send money with a gift cards or peer to peer services, the most substantial losses — more than one-third of losses to romance scams in 2022 — were in cryptocurrency, according to the FTC.
Send a simple e-card to your online sweetie for Valentine’s Day instead of money. If you decide to meet in person, do so at a public place and make sure you tell someone where you are going and when they should expect to hear from you afterwards. Have a safe and LOVEly Valentine’s Day!
Quiz and Contest Rules
There will be a two-week timeframe from when this blog is posted to read it and take the quiz. Those with the correct answers will be entered into the drawing for that post. Winners will be contacted via the information they entered when taking the quiz. One entry per person. NorthRidge employees and their immediate family (spouses, parents, children, live-in partners), and board members, are not eligible to win. Additional giveaway rules are located here.
Scammers and fraudsters are constantly looking for new ways to get money from you. It is up to you to protect yourself from falling victim to a scam. Oftentimes scammers are so sophisticated that they can trick you into willingly giving them cash or worse, your account information. If this happens, it’s usually impossible to get your money back.
This year, we are going to take some extra time to chat about scams, and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim. Because these topics are so important, we are including a chance to win one $20 Visa gift card for every blog posted with the topics of fraud and scams. Take the one-question quiz at the end of each blog post about fraud and scams, answer correctly, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win!
Scams in 2024: Artificial Intelligence
Scammers might use new technology, like AI, to add new twists to scams that have worked in the past.
Today, we’re going to talk about AI powered scams. Artificial intelligence can easily create videos, photos, and voices that look and sound like celebrities, your employer, or even your relatives. You are tricked to believe that you are speaking to someone you know and trust, but you are not.
These impersonation scams or deepfake scams are on the rise and can be extremely realistic.
Grandparent Scam
A common AI scam is when a scammer calls someone pretending to be a grandchild (or other type of relative). AI can collect audio data (from social media or other sources) to clone your relative’s voice and sound like them when they speak to you. They will mention a stressful or urgent situation they are in and request money. They may also request you keep it a secret from the family so they will not be embarrassed (affecting your emotions by making you feel special that this “relative” reached out to you, but to also avoid getting caught in their scam). Then, they request a wire transfer of money or that you buy gift cards and give them the information.
To avoid scams like this, confirm the identity of this person. Ask them questions that only your relative would know. Stop the conversation and reach out to that relative by the contact information you have for them. You could also reach out to another relative that would know the situation if it was real.
Typical Scam Elements
Learn to recognize a scam right away by remembering these scam hallmarks:
Urgency and pressure to act fast.
Requests to keep it a secret or keep it between the two of you.
Using scare tactics.
Requests for money, commonly in cash, wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other means that is difficult to track or recover.
Specific instructions on how to complete the transaction.
Offers that sound too good to be true.
Stay Vigilant
It is unfortunate that this is the world we live in, but you must remain constantly vigilant and alert when it comes to protecting your money, your accounts, and your identity.
NorthRidge will never ask you for your login information. Do not give your online banking login information to anyone, not even someone claiming to be from your financial institution.
When in doubt, hang up, do not text back, and/or delete suspicious emails.
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