How to Protect Yourself

Scrutinize incoming calls, emails and texts and social media messages – scammers are good at mimicking your financial institution, a charitable organization, the government and even your own relatives. They know how to make it look like they are calling from a trusted or local number. Scrutinize and verify: if you have any doubts about the caller or sender, double check with them in a separate message or phone call initiated by you.  

Never share any sensitive information with anyone outside the normal secure sites, apps and phone numbers you use to reach out to your financial institution, like Self-Help. This includes your personal information, password, username or email that you use to login. Reputable companies will not contact you and ask for this information over the telephone or by text or email.  

Never open attachments or click links in messages unless you are 100% certain you know who is asking. Scammers can make their links look very authentic, but clicking a scammer’s link can install malicious software on your computer that gives the sender access to your information and your device. If you aren’t sure, verify by calling, or going directly to the website on your own, without clicking a link. 

Beware of urgency – be suspicious when it is a request that you do something immediately. That’s one of the oldest tricks in the book. The scammer doesn’t want you to take time to consider their request. 

Check and confirm the authenticity of the contact you have received – for example, connect with our contact center or your local branch by dialing manually. You won’t regret taking this extra precaution. Pro tip: add our Member Services phone number to your phone contacts. That makes it easier to call and verify any incoming request.