Member Protection Center
Knowledge is your best defense against fraud. Our Member Protection Center empowers you with the tools and information you need to recognize scams, protect your accounts, and act quickly if needed.
The Latest in Fraud Protection
Recovery Scams: A Common Follow-Up to Fraud
Ā If youāve already experienced a scam, you may be at risk for another one. Scammers often target people whoāve been scammed before, using followāup schemes called recovery scams.
Knowing what to watch for can help you avoid losing more money ā and protect your accounts moving forward.
What Is a Recovery Scam?
A recovery scam happens when someone contacts you claiming they can help you get your stolen money back. They may say they work for:
- Law enforcement
- A government agency
- A legal or financial recovery service
They often sound helpful and official ā but then ask for an upfront fee. Thatās the red flag.
Legitimate law enforcement and government agencies never charge fees to recover funds.
Warning Signs of a Recovery Scam
Slow down and be cautious if someone:
- Asks for an upfront fee or tax
- Guarantees they can recover your money
- Pressures you to act immediately
- Tells you to keep the situation secret
- Requests payment via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle
If one or more of these red flags show up, take a step back. That pause can make all the difference.
What to Do If You Suspect a Recovery Scam
If something doesnāt feel right, trust your instincts and take these steps:
Cut Off Contact
Stop communicating with the person immediately.Ā
Report It
Reporting helps protect you and other members. Reach out to:
- Your local law enforcement
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
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Secure Your Financial Accounts
- Change your passwords
- Monitor transactions closely
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), wherever itās available
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Contact Your Financial Institution
If you notice unusual activity, or just arenāt sure, reach out to your financial institution. They can help review your situation and protect your accounts.
You don’t have to handle this alone. Fraud can feel overwhelming, especially when scammers come back a second time. If something doesn’t feel right, pause and give us a call. We’re here to help you verify suspicious requests, secure your accounts, and take the safest next step, without pressure or judgement. To talk to one of our fraud experts, give us a call at 402-334-7000.
Fraud Awareness and Education
As your trusted financial partner, our responsibility is to educate members of our community about fraud and identity theft, and how to prevent it. Below is information to help you stay vigilant against fraudsters and scammers.
What are some common scams?
What is phishing, smishing, vishing?
How can I keep minors safe in a digital world?
How can I protect elders?
How do I protect my business?
How can I protect my identity?
A general rule of thumb to follow is if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Here are a few common types of scams to be aware of:
Phishing, smishing, and vishing are types of social engineering attacks designed to entice individuals to share sensitive personal information. The difference is in how individuals are targeted. Always verify the source of messages/calls, be skeptical of unsolicited messages/calls, and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all online accounts.
Today’s youth have grown up surrounded by computers, tablets, smartphones, the internet, and social media. Education is key when it comes to helping protect them while they are online. Here are some steps you can take to help ensure their safety:
- Teach them the importance and responsibility of keeping their login credentials and personal information confidential.
- Help them set their social media accounts to private.
- Let them know it’s OK to ignore texts or phone calls from unrecognized numbers and show them how to block these numbers.
- If they have a Centris VisaĀ® Debit Card, download the Centris Debit Card Companion App to create transaction alerts, set spending limits, lock and unlock their card, and more.
According to the FBI, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme. To help prevent elderly financial abuse, it is important to closely monitor and manage their finances responsibly:
- Regularly check in with elderly people in your life.
- Encourage elderly individuals to stay connected with friends, family, and community groups.
- Screen caregivers, including background checks and references.
- Regularly review bank statements and financial records for suspicious activity.
- Report suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services.
Staying vigilant is crucial for protecting your company’s financial and operational integrity. Proactive strategies like regular risk assessments can help reduce your organization’s exposure to fraudulent activities. Below is a list of common business scams:
- Business Email Compromise
- Phony Invoices
- Overpayment Scam
- Directory Scam
- Charity Pitches Scam
- Phishing
Identity theft is a serious cybercrime where unauthorized individuals exploit personal information to conduct fraudulent financial transactions or activities. Identity theft can impact individuals across all demographics and financial backgrounds. Check out our blog article, How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft, for great tips on how to help prevent identity theft from happening to you or a loved one.
Proactively Prevent Fraud
Centris Federal Credit Union offers many ways to take control of you finances and proactively prevent fraud. Hover over each tile to learn more.
Online Banking Alerts
Debit Card Companion App
Monitor Credit Reports
Click here to download our informational flyer that provides more details on how to stay vigilant against fraudsters.
Steps to Take if You’ve Been Scammed
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Change your online banking username and password and don’t share it with anyone.
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If you downloaded anything from the scammer, have a professional or reputable antivirus program scan your device for malicious software.
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Monitor your credit report and dispute fraudulent charges on your account with your financial institution.
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Book an appointment with an expert at your financial institution.
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If you are a Centris VisaĀ® Debit Card holder, download the Centris Debit Card Companion App.
Smooshing and SIM-Swapping: A Growing Threat to Your Financial Security
Has your phone ever suddenly stopped working ā or are you worried someone could take over your accounts without you knowing? SIMāswap scams are on the rise, and they can give criminals access to your texts, security codes, bank accounts, and payment apps within minutes.
Click below for the full article to learn how these scams work, how to spot the warning signs, and the simple steps you can take right now to protect your money and your identity.Ā
How will Centris contact me?
As a friendly reminder, Centris will never contact our members asking you to verify your account number, credit or debit card number, social security number, PIN, Secure Access Codes or online banking username or password. Members should take note of suspicious texts that come from unknown numbers, and that may include unformatted text with possible misspellings. These texts may also include an illegitimate link. Never click a link from an unknown sender. If someone emails, texts or calls you asking for your personal information, hang up and contact Centris immediately at 402-334-7000.
Phone
- Our Member Protection Team will reach out to a member if they believe there is risk of fraud on an account.
- We will never call and ask for sensitive personal information.
Secure Access Codes (SAC)
- SAC may be sent via text or phone call to authenticate your identity when logging into Centris online banking.
- You should never provide this code to anyone.
Debit Card
- VisaĀ® Fraud Protection (Debit Card): If the Visa team detects suspicious activity with your debit card, they will contact you via email, phone call, and/or text.
- Their communication will never include links and will not require your account information, such as PINs or card numbers.
Text Alerts
- If you’ve enrolled in alerts through Centris mobile banking or the Centris Debit Card Companion App, you may receive text and/or email alerts.
- For these alerts, we will never ask you to click a link or provide personal information including credentials.
- If you have a loan with Centris and missed a loan payment, you may get a reminder text regarding the payment from 402-315-2650. This text will include a link to make a payment. If you have any concerns or are unsure if the text is coming from Centris Federal Credit Union, you can find the ‘Make a Payment’ link on our homepage at www.centrisfcu.org.
- If you apply for a digital loan with Centris you may receive text communications regarding your loan status from 402-697-6665.
Credit Card
- If there is potentially fraudulent activity with your credit card, Elan will call the card holder.
- They will never ask you for your card’s CVV (three-digit code on the back of the card) or issue/expiration date.
The Rise of the Phantom Hacking Scam
The FBI is warning about a highly sophisticated new fraud called the Phantom Hacking Scam.
Scammers are impersonating your bank or credit union, frantically calling to tell you your account has been “hacked.” Their goal? To panic you into immediately transferring your money to a “safe” account ā which is really just theirs. They may also try to trick you into downloading an app that gives them remote control of your phone.
Read our latest blog article to learn how to protect yourself from these scams.