ALERTS

Phishing     Vishing     Other Scams

Phishing

Increasingly, identity thieves are fishing for financial information via email or pop-up messages that appear to come from legitimate businesses and financial institutions. This technique is called Phishing. Read more.

Jury Duty Scam - 05/08
Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen a resurgence in recent months. A caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. To clear up the issue the caller says he'll need some information for “verification purposes”- such as your birth date and social security number. Simply hang up. Read more at the FBI website.

Job Offer Scam- 01/08
You might receive an email offering a job where you use your financial account to receive and pass on payments for a foreign company. They will send you checks to be deposited into your financial account. After you deposit the checks, they instruct you to send the money, minus your 10%-15% commission for processing the checks through your account, via money wire to a location outside the United States. Read more.

CUNA reports new phishing attempt - 11/07
The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) reported an increase in phishing emails over the last week. Several versions of the scam are circulating nationwide. The emails claim to be from CUNA and request consumers to call a phone number or click a link. You should not respond to this message. Read more.

Phishing Attempt Uses “NCUA”
Emails fraudulently claiming to be from the NCUA are being sent out to consumers. This is a phishing attempt designed to gather credit and debit card information from individuals and organizations. Read more.

Fraudulent Email Alert - Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Some Members are receiving fraudulent e-mails regarding a false complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Redwood Credit Union (RCU). Please note that this is a fraudulent e-mail and is not generated by Redwood Credit Union nor by the Better Business Bureau. Read more.

Phishing Attempt Uses Co-Op Network Email
If you receive an email that purports to be from CO-OP Network asking for cardholder information, please note that the email is fraudulent, as CO-OP Network never contacts credit union Members directly and never requests personal account information. Read more.

IRS Tax Refund Email Scam
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a consumer alert about an Internet scam in which consumers receive an e-mail informing them of a tax refund. Read more.

Phishing Scam - VISA Credit Card
This phishing e-mail, which claims to be from VISA, directs the consumer to a link that requests personal information, such as Social Security number and credit card information. Read more.

Phishing Scam - BB&T Online Banking
This phishing e-mail, which claims to be from BB&T directs the consumer to a link that requests personal information, such as banking password and account information. Read more.

Fraudulent Email- Install Software
Emails fraudulently claiming to be from the FDIC are attempting to trick recipients into installing unknown software on personal computers. Read more.

Nigerian Email Scam
This is a scam in which a wealthy foreigner, usually from Nigeria, sends you an email asking for help in moving millions of dollars from his homeland, with the promise of a hefty reward for your assistance. Usually, you're asked to first wire money to cover administrative costs, taxes, and other fees. Once you do this, the “wealthy foreigner” disappears. Many versions of this scam exist, all with the same theme: someone in a foreign country needs help transferring a large fortune and promises a huge reward.

Remember: Ignore and delete these emails

Lottery Scam Alert
It works like this: A victim receives a letter informing them they've won a lottery jackpot. A check is enclosed and the victim later finds out the check was a counterfeit ... Read more.

Vishing- Telephone Scams

Vishing, short for “voice phishing,” is when thieves seek personal information by telephone. You might receive a voice message claiming that your credit card and/or financial account has been breached. You may be instructed to call a customer service number, which leads to a fraudulent call center established by the thief. Read more.

Telephone Credit Card Scam
This is a scam in which a thief, claiming to be from the Security and Fraud Department of a credit card company, calls you to verify the 3-digit security code on the back of your credit card. Often, the thief will know your address and which financial institution issued the card, and will ask for the code in order to verify that you are in possession of your card. In reality, they want the code so that they can use it to purchase goods and services online. Remember: Never release any card information to anyone who calls you. The card issuer already knows this information and will never call you to verify it.

Report Email Abuse

If you receive suspicious email communications, please forward a copy via email to: fraud@redwoodcu.org. Should you have additional questions, please contact our Member Service Center at 1 (800) 479-7928.

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