Common Scams that Prey on College Students

College students may be vulnerable to online scams and predatory behavior. Many students may be living on their own and managing their money for the first time. They may not be familiar with the warning signs of fraud, which can lead to all kinds of unfortunate outcomes, including identity theft and scam purchases. If you or someone you know is getting ready to go to college, use this guide to help protect yourself from common scams that target college students.

So, you believe you’re the victim of a scam—what do you do now? Online scams are becoming increasingly common as online scammers and hackers look for new ways to trick consumers into handing over their personal information. If you’ve been scammed, you might have noticed an unauthorized transaction posted to your bank account or your funds may be lower than expected. There’s also a chance that you sent your personal information to the wrong person by mistake, including your debit and credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, phone number or email address. If you notice a problem with your account, there are several ways to rectify the situation. Follow these steps to secure your money before the scammer has a chance to make another withdrawal.

More people are using mobile banking apps and websites than ever before. Many people prefer to manage their money online using a mobile device rather than visiting a local service center in person. You don’t have to deal with traffic or wait in line to use the ATM. Banking apps are as safe as the financial institutions they represent, but you need to be careful when sending and sharing your information online. Use these safety tips to enjoy the benefits of Ent mobile banking without putting your finances at risk.

It’s generally recommended that you change your password once every three months or so, but it can be easy to forget or push it off. You may be wondering if it’s really such a big deal? Yes, it is because cybercrime is on the rise. In a 2018 survey of adults, almost 33% said they personally had experienced a hack of their social media and email accounts. This may be because up to 50% of them use the same password for multiple accounts. Read this article to help you secure your passwords and online accounts before you get hacked.

Today, most debit and credit cards have multiple ways to transmit data and authenticate a payment. One such way is the small, square computer chips you see on the card. This is called an EMV chip and is used to help protect the user from fraud. Read this article to learn more about how EMV chips work and how they help keep your information safe.

So, someone wants to send you money? Maybe someone reached out to you via phone, text or email claiming that you won a prize, they’re going to wire you money or you are the beneficiary for your family members. Everyone wants “free” money, but often these messages or notifications are scams. Learn more about what you can do to protect yourself from these types of scams.

It’s tax season in the U.S. You’re likely focused on gathering all the necessary paperwork and submitting your return on time. Meanwhile, in the criminal world, fraudsters are busy executing schemes in an attempt to steal your identity and money. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service identified $2.3 billion in tax fraud in 2020. To help alleviate some stress this tax season, we’ve compiled this guide to help you protect yourself, recognize possible fraud warning signs and take action if you become a victim.

You know scammers are out there, lurking behind friendly, seemingly legitimate emails and text messages.  They attempt to get your personal information, often by asking you to click on a link. The link will bring you to a website that looks like a legitimate website, but it only exists solely for fraudulent purposes. Did you know that most phishing scams arrive by email? Just 1% attempt to scam you by phone. How can you recognize a phishing scam so you don’t fall prey to one? There are five common giveaways that an email may not be legitimate.

If you suspect you are being scammed, Ent Credit Union is here to help. Money scams can take many different forms. Criminals may claim to be the government, such as the IRS, or even your local financial institution to con you out of your hard-earned money. There are several ways to find out if you are indeed the victim of a scam. Use this guide to protect yourself from scams online and over the phone.

You can never be too careful when it comes to managing your money. Cybercriminals and digital hackers often use a technique known as “phishing” to get customers like you to turn over their personal data, including PIN numbers, credit and debit cards, bank statements and other financial information. These kinds of cyberattacks can happen to anyone at any time. That’s why it’s important to learn about phishing, so you can protect yourself and your money from online scams.

Chances are that you’ve been the victim of a spoofing attempt by now. Spoofing is a type of cyberattack where someone pretends to be a trusted source so they can gain access to your personal information. In this article, you’ll learn what spoofing is, and more importantly, what you can do to keep your personal information safe.

You have passwords for every online store, financial institution and social media website, yet you were still hacked. How is that even possible? Sadly, this is becoming more and more common, which is why multi-factor authentication (MFA) has become more widespread.