Avoiding Identity Theft Scams with Our Las Vegas Credit Union

We are currently living in unprecedented times. We are living through a pandemic, social upheaval and large-scale protests and social justice movements across the country. With all that taken into account, scammers are now working harder than ever to steal your identity and take advantage of these already tumultuous times. Our Las Vegas Credit Union is working to stop scammers and keep your identity safe.

What Is Identity Theft?

In order to better understand some of the scams that are currently circulating, it is important to know just what identity theft is. Identity theft is the use of another person’s identifying information for their own personal gain. This can be the use of a Social Security number to take out loans, to get credit cards, to subvert payments to the thief’s accounts and more. It can also be using things like existing credit card numbers and bank account numbers to steal money and to make money for the scammer.

Stimulus Payment Scams

Millions of Americans received stimulus payments from the federal government in an effort to help relieve some of the financial burden created by the economic hardship the pandemic caused. Some scammers used the desperation and the need of this money to steal personal information from people with the claim their stimulus check was lost or the government needed more information in order to properly process the money. The Federal Trade Commission warned the government would never ask for personal information over the phone or through email, and all official correspondence with the IRS was going to be through the postal service and would be certified mail.

Fake Conference Calls

Another scam that is very common during this time is fraudulent Zoom meetings or online meetings. Many people are currently working from home and some scammers set up Zoom meetings or online meetings in an attempt to collect sensitive information like passwords. These fake invitations generally come to the user in an email that contains a link where you put in your information to then access the meeting. You should work to make sure you are reading these emails carefully and you pay attention to the wording, as it will often give away the true nature of the call.

How Our Las Vegas Credit Union Helps Protect Your Information