Safety from fraud scams

Here are some tips to keep yourself safe from new fraud scams:

1. If you have not asked for information to verify your account information, do not click on any unsolicited email or text message requesting you update or verify your account information.
2. Do not send funds to a merchant/vendor requesting a change of payment until you have confirmed the payment destination is legitimate. Request a statement from them or from a verified customer account.
3. Scammers can compromise caller ID, so don’t rely on it to confirm identity.
4. Always look up a company’s phone number through a legitimate source such as a company statement. Never trust the number a potential scammer is providing.
5. Never give out personal identifying information over the phone, especially, if you did not place the call to a verified number.
6. If you are in doubt, hang-up. Contact a company from a verified phone number, e.g. the number on your statement, the back of your credit card.
7. Get your credit report annually and review it. You may obtain a free copy of your report from each of the credit bureaus annually. Order it here: Free report.