Fraud Protection
Protect Your Financial Information
Criminals and scammers try to take advantage of individuals by posing as Sentry Credit Union or our service partners (such as Shazam, our Debit Card partner). Sentry Credit Union and our service partners will never ask for sensitive account information such as multi-factor authentication codes for account access, passwords, the three digit security code on the back of your debit or credit cards, etc. Protect your personal financial information by never sharing this or other sensitive account information with anyone.
Fraud and scam techniques are ever changing and being reworked. Criminals do this to makes it hard for you to differentiate between what is real and what is fake. Keeping yourself informed is the best way to keep your accounts secure. Review these common scams to protect yourself and the ones you love.
For additional helpful information check out the resource links below.
Link Scam
Scammers will send you an email or a text message to have you confirm a transaction on your account. Inside of the message there will be a link for you to click on to verify the transaction. If you click on the link it takes you to a fake site that will ask you to log into your account or will ask for your personal and account information. Don't click on the Link!
- SCU and our Fraud prevention partners will never ask you to click on a link to verify information or log into your account.
- We will never ask for your sensitive financial information.
- Remember when visiting websites to always review the web address to ensure you are at the correct site, SCU's site is www.sentrycu.org.
Sweetheart Scam
Scammers develop a digital relationship with you through online chats and social media. They tug on your heartstrings to get you to send them money. Don't let your heart be fooled they want your money not your love. Watch out for these warning signs:
- The scammer is never able to or never wants to meet in person
- The scammer is trying to get into the U.S. but seems to run into obstacles (these obstacles usually require money to fix)
- The scammer sends gifts (generally after they have been sent money)
- The scammer communicates from different phone numbers, email addresses, and social media profiles
Fake Job Scam
Scammers use job boards and websites to lure the unexpecting job seekers into "applying" for a "job". These are dream jobs with good pay and easy work. If It sounds too good to be true it always is. Watch out for these warning signs:
- The job is offered after a short interview or no interview
- The job requires qualifications that you do not have and yet you are still offered the job
- The job offer requires you to pay money up front before starting (usually for supplies, office space, or taxes)
- The pay for the job is a lot more than what would generally be paid for that type of work
IT Support Scam
Scammers will pose as a legitimate business or IT service firms. They get you to allow them access to your device. They then plant key loggers and computer viruses on your device to hold the device hostage until you pay them. Never allow anyone digital access to your devices. Never give out passwords or multifactor identification codes. Watch out for these warning signs:
- After clicking on a link in an email or on the internet your computer becomes unresponsive
- You receive unsolicited emails or phone calls offering computer service
- The scammer asks for your password, multifactor identification codes, or other private information
- The scammer offers a subscription service to prevent this from happening again
Lottery or Sweepstakes Scams
You receive an email or a text message, telling you that you are a winner. It's a contest you did not enter. Scammers use this to get your bank account information. Generally you can only win something if you enter to win, only trust legitimate sources. Watch out for these warning signs:
- You receive an email, text message, phone call, or letter informing you that you have won a contest you did not enter
- The scammer asks you to pay money upfront to cover fees (usually taxes or processing fees)
- The scammer sends you a check with your "winnings" and asks you to send money back from the "winnings" to cover fees (usually taxes or processing fees)
- The contest is for a foreign lottery or sweepstakes and you were "selected" as the winner
Gift Card Scam
This happens in many different ways. Scammers will come up with a reason for you to pay them and then insist on you purchasing a gift card to make the payment. They ask you for the card information and promise to only take what they need from the card balance. Never share the card information. They drain all of the funds and leave you with nothing on the gift card. Watch out for these warning signs:
- The scammer identifies themselves as a government official and requests payment via gift card
- The scammer tells you that you have to keep this interaction private and you should not tell anyone what is happening
- The scammer sends you a check for too much and instructs you to buy a gift card to send the extra back to them
- The scammer tells you that gift cards are the only way to make the payment to them
Grandchild Scam
Scammers contact you pretending to be your grandchild or someone calling on their behalf. They tell you that they are in trouble and need money. They insist that you do not let their parents know they are in trouble. Don't send the money. It's not your grandchild. Scammers play on your instinct to protect your grandchildren. Watch out for these warning signs:
- The scammer insists that you keep this secret and that you do not tell their parents
- The scammer tells you that you cannot call them because of the situation and that they will call you back with instructions
- The scammer says that the situation needs to be handled right away and there is no time to wait
- The scammer says that your grandchild is hurt and cannot speak to you
Overpayment Scam
Scammers will send you a check to purchase something you are selling. The amount of the check will be more then the purchase price. They will instruct you to keep a little extra for your trouble and send the rest of the funds back. A legitimate buyer will never send you more then the sales price. Watch out for these warning signs:
- The scammer is not concerned that they sent you too much money because they know you are honest and will send the extra money back to them
- The amount of the check sent to you is extremely higher than the sales price of the item you are selling
- The scammer urgently wants the item and will spare no expense to have you send it to them
- The scammer communicates from different phone numbers, email addresses, and social media profiles
Account or Card Fraud Scam
Scammers will contact you and tell you that fraud has occurred against one of your credit cards or accounts. To "help" you they will ask for private financial information that a legitimate fraud service will never ask you to share. Never share your account numbers or security codes. Real fraud protection does not need this information to protect you. Watch out for these warning signs:
- The scammer asks you to confirm your password or the security code by you telling them what it is
- The scammer insists that you need to resolve this right now
- The scammer gives you a call back number or email address that does not match the information on your financial institution's website
- The scammer asks you for information that they should readily have available if they were your financial institution
How to Recover from Identity Theft
Click the button to find ways to recover from identity theft.
Elder Abuse Resources
Click on the button for red flags about elder financial abuse.