American Southwest Credit Union wants to remind everyone to beware of scams involving COVID-19. Scammers are already out there trying to pass off fake assistance checks from the government. During the process, these scammers ask people to pay a fee, in advance, to receive a bogus assistance check. Never pay for a prize or assistance. You can bet it’s a scam if asked to do so.
Cyber criminals are out there sending malicious emails with attachments designed to steal information off of your computer or to trick you into giving information out that you normally wouldn’t give. They even try to trick you into visiting fraudulent websites.
Exercise caution when opening emails and avoid clicking on any links from anything unsolicited. Use trusted sources for COVID-19 information such as information from the Center or Disease Control www.cdc.gov
Charity scams involving COVID-19 are out there already! Exercise caution when donating to a charity by checking to see if the charity is a 501c3 organization before donating. Do not use any of the information provided to you from the charity, but instead do your own homework by using the non-profit database associated with the IRS. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
Do not reveal account information of any kind to anyone. This includes (but is not limited to) financial information, information involving Medicare, Medicaid, or other health insurance, social security numbers, retirement fund account information, etc. Anyone contacting you to “update” one of your accounts will not need this information.
Do not succumb to a sense of urgency imposed upon you by anyone. Keep a cool head. Take a few days to make any decision and consult with family and friends before proceeding.