Fraudsters will request you to send funds through different services like wire transfers, linking accounts and money transfer apps like Cash App, Apple Pay, Georgia United's Pay a Person (P2P), etc. These services are popular among scammers because your money is transferred quickly, making it difficult for victims to recover.

To manipulate and scare people into transferring funds, fraudsters impersonate company personnel or your financial institution, claiming that payment is owed or that a recent transaction has gone wrong. They may also insist that a form of currency be sent before claiming a prize. To avoid detection, they will often use disguises such as a fake phone number, email or text message that appears to come from the company or service in question. They will even go so far as to ask you very similar questions that you may have answered previously when contacting a particular company or your financial institution.

BE CAUTIOUS OF

• Transactions you did not conduct or authorize on your account.
• A call or message received stating that funds should be sent immediately or overnight.
• Instructions that tell you not to discuss the information with financial center employees.
• Instructions that you should not log in to your online banking account.
• Instructions that you should purchase gift cards, money orders or cashier checks.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

• Remember to only send money to people you know.
• Always verify where and to who you are sending money. Most services offer two-factor authentication, which helps to verify the person before you send funds. You should never share this code with anyone.
• For services such as Georgia United's P2P and Member-to-Member (M2M) account transfers always set up a passcode as an additional level of protection, that way if you accidentally type the wrong phone number, the funds can’t be claimed by an unintended recipient.
• If you suspect fraudulent activity on your account, call 888.493.4328.
• Members who are victims of money transfer service scams should immediately report it to IC3.gov or directly call the fraud hotline at 833.fraud.1.

Debit and credit card fraud occurs when information on your card is stolen to duplicate the card, conduct unauthorized transactions or steal your identity. If your card is being used without your knowledge, quickly freeze your card and dispute the transaction in Online Banking. For more information and help, give us a call at 888.493.4328.

TIPS TO AVOID CARD FRAUD

• Protect your personal identification number (PIN): don't give your personal PIN to anyone who asks, and don't keep it stored with your card.
• Set up alerts: know when transactions occur with timely communications sent to your phone.
• Consider using a credit card online: this way if there is fraud on your account, the money won't come directly from your checking account which may cause a financial burden for you.
• Check for skimming devices when using gas pumps and ATMs: give the card reader a slight tug or shake to see if any part of it comes loose. If so, do not use it and report it to the owner of the machine immediately.

A money order or check scam occurs when you receive a check with instructions to send funds back to the sender or someone else. An overpayment counterfeit money order or check is sent to you with instructions for you to send or wire back the overpayment amount after you have deposited the counterfeit money order or check. In some cases, you may be asked to let them know once the deposit has been made. Fraudsters may also deposit checks into your account after asking for your online banking information in regard to proceeds for a loan.

Once you have deposited the counterfeit money order or check and sent the overpayment amount, you will later be informed that the money order or check has bounced because it is fake and you are out of the overpayment amount you sent.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

• Be cautious of instructions that ask you to send money back to the sender or someone else.
• Be careful of checks you receive unexpectedly.
• Do not provide anyone with your Online Banking information.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SCAM

• A proposition comes from out of the blue and from someone you do not know.
• Often the scheme revolves around a scenario involving a hardship situation, a secret shopper, an online ad or a job posting.
• You are sent a check, money order or cashier’s check for more than the amount that you are selling your merchandise or product.
• You are instructed to deposit a money order or check and send or wire back the overpayment.
• The buyer does not show much interest in checking out the merchandise or product.
• You are requested to share sensitive banking information or open a new bank account.
• It sounds too good to be true.

If you have been impacted by this type of scam, you can dispute a transaction in Online Banking anytime following these simple steps. Disputes can also be filed at a branch or by calling 888.493.4328.

Social engineering is a scheme that uses human interaction to trick people into sharing sensitive information about themselves, someone they know or an organization they are familiar with. Social engineering commonly appears in the form of email, phone call and even in person. Often the perpetrator will attempt to impersonate someone you know or an institution that you do business with to obtain sensitive information about yourself, someone you know or an organization you are familiar with.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

• Be suspicious of unsolicited emails and phone calls.
• Never share sensitive information like your Social Security number, passwords, mother’s maiden name or any information pertinent only to you with anyone you do not know or recognize.
• If you receive a strange request from someone you know, contact that person through another form of communication to ensure the request is valid.
• If you suspect someone of trying to use social engineering to impersonate Georgia United, please contact us at 888.493.4328.

Phishing scams target consumers using email, phone calls, text messages or social media. The communications appear to be from someone you know or do business with, using a Georgia United logo or similar email address and attempt to trick you into giving away personal identifying information.

A message is generally sent that requires immediate action on your account and asks you to verify personal information. By clicking on a link in the message, fraudsters obtain sensitive personal information or can infect your computer with malware such as a virus.

Phishing scams can look real, but these messages are fraudulent and Georgia United is not associated with these communications. Please do not click on the link to respond and delete the message.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

• Use caution when providing personal information. Georgia United will never contact you out of the blue to confirm your username, password, Social Security number, account number, PIN, verification codes or other personal information.
• Know how to identify suspicious requests. Check the use of website domains for misspellings or suspicious URLs. Georgia United safe URLs will always begin with "https" and include a closed lock icon.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

If you think you have been a victim of a phishing scam, we're here to help. Call us at 888.493.4328 to verify that the communication was sent by us. If you receive a phishing email claiming to be from Georgia United, let us know by emailing us or forwarding the phishing email to security@gucu.org. Please do not use this email for account security questions.