Fraudsters and scammers have become increasingly more common. These people are targeting individuals in our community. As a financial institution, it is our job to educate our members about fraud and provide tips on how to prevent it. One of the ways to help prevent fraud from happening is to have an understanding of the different types of fraud. Here are a few common scenarios:
Phishing (Smishing) Emails or Text Messages
These methods of communication will encourage you to click a link that can either give the scammer access to your device, prompt you to provide personal information or confirm an invoice or delivery.
Scammers Find Ways to Retrieve Your Online Banking Login Information
This commonly happens when someone thinks they are applying for a loan or a job and are told by the scammer that in order to receive funds or payroll they’ll need their online banking login information.
Text Messages From “Merchants” That State You’ve Overpaid Them and They Owe You Money
In this scenario, the fraudster will ask you to provide them access to your device so they can issue you a refund.
Alerts Notifying You That There Was an Invalid Login
If a fraudster is trying to gain access to your account and you have alerts set up, you should receive notifications so you can take action right away. Signing up for alerts on your accounts and devices is a great way to determine who is accessing your information.
If you have given out your login information to someone, follow these steps:
Call Us
Call as soon as possible! Even if you didn’t find any fraudulent transactions, your financial institution needs to speak with you as there are other actions we can take to help keep you and your accounts safe and secure.
Contact us, here.
Reset Your Login Credentials
Reset your username and password for all of your accounts.
To reset your login credentials including your secure access code for your Centris online banking:
- Click Settings and then click on Security Preferences.
- Select Change Password and create a new password.
- To update your username, select Change Login ID.
- By clicking into Secure Delivery, you can check to make sure phone numbers and emails are accurate to receive Secure Access Delivery messages.
Monitor Account Activity With Alerts
Ensure you are getting alerts to monitor the activity on your Centris accounts. To make sure that’s set up:
- Click Settings
- Within the Settings menu, select Services
- Click on Alerts (see below screen)
- In alerts, you can:
- Create a New Alert by clicking on +New Alert in the purple box in the upper right cornerX
- Check to see what accounts have alerts set up
- To customize alerts by account, click Edit
- When you see the purple check mark, this means that alerts are turned on. If it’s shows a grey X, this means the alert isn’t active.
- Centris has created 18 custom alerts you can choose from based on your needs.
Review Account Transactions/Deposits
On the left side of your Centris online banking screen, you will find a navigation menu with all of the features, options, transactions, etc.
Click on the home icon labeled Accounts. From there you will be able to click on your account numbers and review any pending or posted transactions/deposits.
Remember to also review your accounts that have very little to no activity as fraudsters may use these accounts to funnel fraudulent activity through.
Check Your Device
If you were asked to download something on your device, you should consider getting your device scanned for malicious software the fraudster has potentially downloaded. It’s a good idea to double check your device for any apps that you don’t recognize that may have been downloaded.
Visit the FTC Page
Visit the FTC Page, What To Do If You Were Scammed for next steps based on your unique scenario.