Identity Theft: Helping You Be Aware

Unfortunately, as technology becomes more sophisticated, so do the criminals taking advantage of it. It is estimated that 1 out of 4 people will have their identities stolen, and the cost of these crimes have reached the billions of dollars.

In addition to internal safeguards to protect our members and their business and bankcard merchant accounts, MCAS Beaufort Federal Credit Union is committed to educating our members about the methods identity thieves use to gain access to your personal data. Although it's impossible to be aware of all the scams that are being perpetrated, MCAS Beaufort Federal Credit Union realizes that part of the credit union's responsibility is to share information with our members as we become aware of it. The credit union uses a variety of ways to inform our members; the newsletter inserted with each quarterly statement, brochures in the branch lobbies, and on the credit union website. Our priority is our members, and taking every opportunity to help and protect them.

Schemes, Scams and Frauds

Contest Winner Calls - Someone calls you and says that you have "won" a trip, large cash award, car, etc., but to claim your prize you need to pay taxes on the item's value. The caller then claims that he or she can take the taxes directly from your checking account, if you provide them with the routing and account numbers.

There is no contest, no prize and the "taxes" you pay are whatever this fraudster pulls from your account. Don't fall for it - guard your account information, including PINs, passwords and account numbers carefully and be suspicious of unsolicited telephone callers requesting personal data.

Just remember, if you didn't buy a lottery ticket or mail in an entry to win a prize, you shouldn't be receiving notification that you are a 'winner'. And if even if you have entered a contest, it's smart to be suspicious of any checks received in the mail, or phone calls from the supposed organization. Legitimate organizations will take every precaution when notifying you of a prize to be claimed, verifying you are truly the person to receive the funds or prize, and will not just send the check in the mail. For your own protection, DO NOT give any personal data over the phone.

Jury Duty Scam - Someone calls you posing as a local court employee and claims you have failed to report for jury duty and a warrant is being issued for your arrest. When you claim you never received a jury duty notification, the fraudster asks for confidential information, such as your Social Security number, birth date, credit card number, etc., for "verification" purposes.

The prospect of a warrant for an arrest catches many people off guard and causes them to be less vigilant about protecting their personal information. In reality, court workers will never call to ask for this type of private information. In fact, most courts follow up via regular mail and rarely, if ever, call prospective jurors.

'Phishing' - Identity theft using unsolicited or fraudulent email has become an easy way for criminals to steal someone's private information. This is done by scaring an email user into thinking something has happened to their money.

This scare tactic, referred to as "Phishing", uses a reputable financial institution or company's name and logo to entice consumers to respond with private information to avoid a stated consequence.

If you receive an email that looks suspicious, please contact the financial organization or company referred to in the email, using information you have on file in your home, not from the suspicious email! Many organizations have a specific area on their website to report 'phishing' scams. If not, please contact the organization by whatever means you have on file. If it is a financial organization or company that you do not have an account with, please still notify them of the fraudulent email you have received. Also, you can report suspicious activity to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

Samples of "Phishing"

With the ever increasing threat of identity theft, it's important for our members to know that at no time will MCAS Beaufort Federal Credit Union ever solicit emails requesting your personal identification number, Social Security Number, or other personal identity information.

If you should ever receive an email that appears to be from MCAS Beaufort Federal Credit Union, or any credit union, requesting your personal information, please do not reply to the email. Contact our office immediately at 843-846-2266.

Counterfeit Checks - It used to be that a cashier's or travelers check was as good as cash. All you had to do was take it to your financial institution and it would be cashed with no questions asked. Unfortunately, with the advances in technology and equipment comes the more advanced criminal. Every day more financial institutions are seeing counterfeit checks. They look just like the ones you're used to seeing, with all the same markings and details. The only difference is that they aren't worth the paper they're printed on. So, in the future, you may find yourself waiting a little longer to get the funds on a check that you normally would have been able to cash immediately. In some cases a 'hold' may be put on the check until it has time to clear, or a phone call might be made to the financial institution listed on the check to verify the check's authenticity. Please understand that all these measures are being taken to ensure that you, our member, are protected so you don't become a victim of fraud.

Safety Tips For ATM Use - More and more people are falling victim to thieves at the ATM. Learn more about ATM scam.

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