Alerts: Memphis City Employees Credit Union
Consumer Alerts from the Federal Trade Commission
Your phone rings and what the caller says next sends you into a panic. They claim there’s fraud on your credit card, someone hacked your bank account, you owe a tax debt, or your benefits will end today. Your adrenaline is pumping, and your mind races a hundred miles an hour. They sense this—and they say they can help. Should you trust them? No.
Tax season is approaching, and if you’re getting a refund, scammers are looking to steal it before you’ve had a chance to claim it. So, before you respond to a text or email about a “tax refund” — especially one that asks you to click a link — know that this could be a scam designed to get your personal information and steal your tax refund.
You get a text message, supposedly following up on a $10,000 loan application. Only, you never applied for a loan. Is this pure luck or a scam? Before you use the callback number in the message to find out, or even reply “NO” to cancel the application, learn to spot a fake loan text scam.
We’re seeing a big wave of reports about phone scams claiming you owe back taxes. But it’s not the IRS calling, it’s a scammer using a company name like “Tax Resolution Oversight Department.” If someone calls you out of the blue offering to help you fix a tax issue, hang up. Here’s how to spot the scam.
Need better credit to do things like get a loan, buy a car, or rent an apartment? There are things you can do, but don’t believe a credit repair company that promises to remove accurate and up-to-date information.
Online safety starts with protecting your kids’ devices from hackers and scammers.
Here are some steps to keep kids safer while they’re on a phone, tablet, or laptop. Consider taking these steps on your kids’ behalf and, as they get older, teaching them how to secure their devices and build good online habits.
Resources
Avoiding SSA scams
- Do not trust caller ID. Scam calls may show up on caller ID as the Social Security Administration and look like the agency’s real number, but it’s not the SSA calling.
- Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended. And your bank accounts are not about to be seized.
- SSA will never call to threaten your benefits or tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on gift cards. Anyone who tells you to do those things is a scammer. Every time.
- Talk about it. If you’re getting these calls, chances are your friends and family are too. Please talk with them about it.
- People who know about scams are much less likely to fall for them. So, by discussing them you are helping protect people you care for and people in your community.
Check out this video for more information on social security scams.