Pumpkin spice, holiday shopping, and festive celebrations are sure signs that fall has arrived. Unfortunately, scammers know it too. As consumers start searching for deals, making travel plans, and checking tracking updates, fraudsters ramp up their efforts with convincing scams designed to take advantage of the season's excitement.
Constantly evolving tactics require us to always be on our toes. The good news is that Nusenda is committed to protecting our members, and the following information is designed to make you aware of potential attacks, helping you to avoid financial loss and identity theft. Read on to gain knowledge, stay safe, and have a festive holiday season!
Hijacking hotel booking scams
One popular targeted scam is to take advantage of your actual hotel booking. Fraudsters are banking on your excitement and sense of urgency, and the knowledge you are expecting a follow-up confirmation text. Plus, the scammers might have access to details of your reservation (through weak passwords or exploiting third-party vendors connected to the booking system), making the fraudulent text seem legitimate.
These fake messages could appear via email, text, or even WhatsApp. Again, the message will pose as a confirmation booking but will almost always make use of urgency by claiming that a payment didn’t go through or that a detail needs verification. Your best line of defense against such a scheme is to trust your original booking. You can always confirm through the original booking site or directly phone the hotel and speak with front-desk staff.
Fake vacation rentals
This travel scam involves fake vacation rentals using stolen pictures off the web. Either the property is non-existent, or it is simply not available for rent. One red flag to look for is a significantly lower price than similar, nearby listings. Another major tell is a request for payment through apps, wire transfer, or gift cards. And, similar to fraudulent emails, these messages often have misspelling or grammatical errors.
Protect yourself from fake listings by never sending payment outside secure platforms. Additional security measures include using only trusted rental websites and reading the reviews very carefully.
Fake ticket sales
If you are planning on going to concerts or other events this fall, make sure you can identify fraudulent ticket sales. Again, scammers are counting on catching you off-guard through very convincing, AI-generated fake festivals, concerts, and event promotion sites. Often, the scammers are targeting their victims through social media. Be wary of super cheap tickets or deals that seem too good to be true.
Another red flag to watch out for is if the event only seems to exist on social media. Also, examine the domain name to see if it seems unusual. One more way to confirm legitimacy is by making sure the contact information is the same as from the organizer’s original, official channel.
Be diligent about protecting your information
Finally, take a few minutes to look over the following general points to make sure you are aware of common strategies that scammers employ to deceive their targets:
- Verify everything: contact your financial institution directly to verify any account-related messages; don’t trust caller ID alone
- Pause before acting: assess “urgent” requests rationally; fraudsters often manipulate emotions
- Beware of spoofing: verify suspicious communications directly with the institution
- Be cautious of unknown links and calls: avoid clicking links or attachments from unknown senders and don’t sign into accounts from suspicious messages
- Check URLs: ensure emails from financial institutions have the correct URL, like Nusenda.org
- Don’t respond if unsure: replying confirms your contact info is valid
- Protect your information: never share account numbers, passwords, or security answers
- Avoid remote access: don’t allow remote access programs like Anydesk.com due to security risks
- Don’t call numbers in suspicious messages: scammers use these to steal information
- Guard one-time passcodes (OTPs): keep one-time passcodes secure
- Create strong passwords: create a strong password with at least eight characters, including a combination of mixed-case letters, numbers, and special characters. And change your password frequently
- Monitor account activity: use mobile or internet banking to check for suspicious activity and set up alerts
- Be cautious with P2P platforms: use services like Apple Pay, Venmo, and PayPal only with trusted contacts
- Limit social media info: be mindful of what you share online
- Add a Trusted Contact Person to your account. A Trusted Contact Person is someone you can authorize us to contact if we’re unable to reach you.
Add extra protection with someone you trust
A Trusted Contact Person is someone you can authorize us to contact if we’re unable to reach you. In situations involving suspected fraud or financial exploitation, having a Trusted Contact Person on file gives us another way to help connect with you and look out for your financial well-being. It’s a simple way to add another layer of protection and peace of mind.
Your Trusted Contact Person(s) cannot access your account or conduct transactions, and we won’t share confidential details about the situation with them. You can add up to two Trusted Contact Persons, age 18 or older, by calling us or visiting your local branch.
For more information, click here.
Nusenda is committed to your safety
If you have been a victim of a fraudulent purchase scam and your financial information has been compromised, please contact us immediately. Time is crucial when it comes to preventing or minimizing financial loss. Contact us at 505-889-7755 (800-347-2838 outside the Albuquerque area) or visit us at any of our branch locations.
For more resources on how to protect your identity and finances online, visit Nusenda Credit Union’s Security Center.