Scam Alert: Don’t Trust a Caller Just Because They Know Your Information

2 minutes ago

3 min read

EFCU has received reports of scam phone calls recently from individuals pretending to be from EFCU. Unfortunately, these types of impersonation scams are increasingly common throughout the banking and credit union industry.

What makes these calls particularly convincing is that the scammer may already know quite a bit about you.

They may know your name. They may have your phone number. They may know that you bank with EFCU. In some cases, they may even know all or part of your debit or credit card number.

That does not mean the caller is actually from EFCU.

How Do Scammers Know So Much?

There is an enormous amount of stolen and compromised consumer information circulating today. Information can be obtained through merchant and company data breaches, compromised websites, phishing attempts, card skimmers, malware, data brokers, and many other sources.

Criminals can also combine information obtained from different sources. One source may provide a name and phone number, while another contains card or financial information. When those pieces are put together, scammers can build a surprisingly detailed profile of an individual.

This is one reason these scams can feel so believable.

They Can Even Fake Our Phone Number

Scammers can use a technique called Caller ID spoofing to make a call appear to come from a legitimate phone number.

That means your Caller ID could display Electrical Federal Credit Union or even show EFCU's actual phone number when the person calling you has absolutely no connection to EFCU.

Never rely on Caller ID alone to determine whether a call is legitimate.

They May Already Have Information. They Want What They DON'T Have.

A scammer may intentionally tell you information they already know to gain your trust.

For example, they may mention your name, EFCU, or information about your card. Once they convince you that the call is legitimate, they may ask you to "verify" additional information.

That information may be exactly what they need to access your account or complete a fraudulent transaction.

Be especially cautious if anyone asks for your:

Online or mobile banking password
PIN
One-time verification or security code
Social Security number
Additional debit or credit card information
Other sensitive personal or account information

EFCU will NEVER call you and ask you to provide your password, PIN, or a one-time verification code.

What Should You Do If You Receive a Suspicious Call?

If someone calls claiming to be from EFCU and something doesn't feel right, hang up.

Do not continue the conversation simply because the caller knows information about you. Do not call a phone number the caller provides, and don't assume the number displayed on your Caller ID is legitimate.

Instead, contact Electrical Federal Credit Union directly at 303-428-5080 using the number you know belongs to us. Our staff will be happy to verify whether someone from EFCU was actually trying to contact you.

If you believe you may have already provided information to a scammer, please contact us immediately so we can help you take appropriate steps to protect your account.

Remember This One Rule

Just because a caller knows information about you doesn't mean they are who they say they are.

Scammers rely on creating urgency and gaining your trust before you have time to question the call. It's always okay to hang up and contact EFCU yourself.

When it comes to protecting your money and personal information, we'd much rather have you hang up on us and call us back than take a chance with a scammer.

EFCU