Date Published: May 6, 2024
At EECU, the security and safety of your information and assets is our top priority. In this blog post, we aim to raise awareness about the various types of spoofing and provide valuable tips to help you recognize and defend against these deceitful tactics.
What is Spoofing?
Spoofing is when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number, or website URL—often just by changing one letter, symbol, or number—to convince you that you are interacting with a trusted source.
How can you tell if you’re interacting with a fraudster?
A fraudster’s aim is to deceive. As such, it can sometimes be difficult to tell what is legitimate and what is a scam. In cases of spoofing, the scammers are trying to make you think that you are speaking with your financial institution, while instead directing you to a fraudulent channel. Make sure you are familiar with the official EECU brand, website, and phone number so you can detect any discrepancies.
Remember, EECU will never ask for your online banking login information over the phone or via email. If you’re speaking with someone who is requesting your password or requesting access to your computer, please cease communicating and do not give them any information.
What to do if you think you’re being targeted by a scam?
If you believe your account or information may be compromised, immediately call EECU at (817) 882-0800, or visit us in-person at one of our Financial Centers.
We can help you take the proper steps to ensure the security of your account and help identify any other potential threats.
We also encourage you to file a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
How can you protect yourself?
Here are a few steps to help protect you and your assets from potential scams:
- Carefully examine website URLs, email addresses, and phone numbers to verify there are no misspellings or other “spoofing” tactics.
- Trust your instincts. If a message from a known source seems out of the ordinary, be cautious.
- Only contact EECU through phone numbers found on our website.
- Avoid clicking on unsolicited links received via email or text.
- Avoid sharing personal information about yourself on social media that could be used to answer security questions.
- Before responding to a suspicious message, consider the following:
- Ask yourself whether you were expecting the message.
- Assess if the email makes sense and whether it attempts to rush you into taking action.
- Look for signs of urgency, unsolicited requests for personal information, generic greetings, unfamiliar links, or unexpected attachments.
- If you have doubts about the message’s authenticity, reach out to the sender using a reliable communication channel, such as a verified phone number. Never reply directly to a suspicious email, phone call, or text message.
If you’re ever unsure about the legitimacy of an interaction, please contact us immediately at (817) 882-0800.