Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

Recognize the Latest Scams

Watch out for these common scams on the phone, via email or on the web.

Keep your money and personal data safe from these scams:

A fake bank representative

You're contacted by someone pretending to be your bank. They may ask you to transfer money to yourself or ask you to pay a fee to avoid an urgent negative action.

A false government official

A scammer says they’re from a local, state or federal government agency, like the IRS calling about tax debt relief. They say you’ll miss out on some government benefit or that something bad will happen if you don’t do what they ask.

A phony utility or service worker

Someone claiming to be from your water, gas or electric company calls and threatens to cut off service if you don't pay them immediately. Scammers can try to scare you into paying.

Copycat websites

Scammers can create lookalike websites for a company you’re searching for online. Sometimes asking you to log in so they can steal your username and password.

Prevention tips:

• Do your research. Take the time to verify that the person or website is official.

• When in doubt, don’t respond.

• Call the number on the back of your bank card or official website to confirm details.

• Never give out your personal information, one‑time codes or account number(s).

If you think you’ve been scammed, let your bank and/or the company involved know right away and report it at ftc.gov.

 

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