We do everything we can to keep your hard-earned money secure. However, you’re the best and first line of defense against bad actors. We’ve compiled this list of common scams to help keep you well informed on how to avoid them. To read more on trending scams and tips on fraud prevention, check out our blog.
If you’ve become a victim of fraud, please call us immediately at 800.421.7111 and report it to law enforcement.
Click here to access a free government resource to assist you in planning next steps.
Phishing
Phishing is a type of email or text scam, where a scammer—appearing as a trusted source—tries to get you to give up sensitive personal information or to click on malware links.
How to prevent:
- Don’t click attachments or links in unsolicited email.
- When in doubt, call the person or company emailing you to verify its authenticity.
- Read our Phishing Blog
Phone scams
Phone scams are very diverse. A caller may try to pressure or persuade you into paying them money. They often claim that you owe taxes, threaten lawsuits, or tell you that you’ve won a prize or lottery.
How to prevent:
- Be wary of callers claiming that you won a random prize or contest.
- Don’t give in to pressure to take immediate action or face negative consequences.
- Read our Phone Scams Blog
Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud is the unauthorized use of a credit or debit card, to fraudulently obtain money or property. Credit and debit card numbers can be stolen from unsecured websites or with an identity theft scheme.
How to prevent:
- Use SkyOne’s alerts to monitor your credit card activity.
- Shred documents that contain your card number (such as billing statements), before disposing.
- Read our Card Fraud Blog
Identity theft
Identity theft occurs when your personal information is used to commit fraud. Thieves might apply for credit, file taxes, or get medical services. These acts damage your credit, and cost you time and money to restore it.
How to prevent:
- Safeguard your birthday, address, or Social Security Number.
- Regularly review your credit report for any accounts or activity you don’t recognize.
- Read our Identity Theft Blog
Elder Financial Abuse
Occurs when someone illegally or improperly uses or steals a vulnerable senior’s money or property. This leads to significant loss of financial resources for the victims and often greatly impacts their quality of life.
How to prevent:
- Safeguard your bank accounts, Social Security Check, Social Security Number, and checkbook
- Let a us know if someone is forcing you to transfer funds.
- Be vigilant of your elder’s contacts.
IRS Scams
IRS scams target thousands of people during the tax season, using phone calls, email, and regular mail to deceive taxpayers. Remember, the IRS will never call you to demand payment on taxes owed.
How to prevent:
- Be wary of calls claiming that your tax refund has been recalculated.
- The IRS will first contact you by mail to inform you of taxes owed, be suspicious of “IRS” phone calls.
- Read our Tax Season Scams Blog
Spoofing
Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity and appear as a trusted source.
How to prevent:
- Don’t answer unsolicited calls from unknown numbers.
- Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with “Yes” or “No.”
- Use caution if you are being pressured for account information or security codes.
