Protect
yourself.
Know the scams.

Impersonation Scams

Someone calls claiming to be from Vida FCU, saying there has been fraudulent activity on your account. They ask you to transfer money or send a payment somewhere else. This is a scam. Vida will never initiate an unsolicited call asking you to move money.

The fraud is executed by phone calls, texts, emails, or chat. The fraudster may ask for your online banking username and password, PIN, security codes, or account number. They may also ask you to confirm your card number, PIN, and CVV, providing everything needed to counterfeit your card.

Email Scams / Phishing

Fraudulent emails pose as your financial institution or another trusted business to obtain personal and financial information. Phishing emails often mimic the look of a real site and may include links to fake login pages.

Vida FCU will not ask you for personal information via email. Do not input any personal information without verifying the destination URL.

Text Message Scams / Smishing

Smishing

A scammer poses as a financial institution, government agency, or business claiming your account has been closed or locked. To restore access, they ask for personal or financial information. These messages are fraudulent.

Toll / FasTrak Texts

The FBI has issued a warning about texts posing as toll agencies claiming you owe unpaid fees and urging you to click a link to pay. Do not click any links in these messages. Delete them immediately. If you have concerns about outstanding tolls, contact your toll service directly.

Card Declined Scams

While shopping online you receive a "card declined" message. You try a different card and get the same message. You have actually submitted your card information multiple times to a fake site. The card was never declined. It was captured.

• Make sure the URL begins with https
• Be wary of sites that require "now" or "immediately" pressure tactics
• Be wary of sites that require payment only via a specific app like Zelle
• If you believe your card has been compromised, call your card issuer immediately

Online Shopping Scams

Fraudulent websites and social media ads impersonate well-known brands with unrealistic discounts or limited-time offers. These scams result in consumers paying for products that never arrive.

Delivery Scams

Scammers send phishing emails and texts impersonating mail carriers, claiming a package is delayed, awaiting pickup, or held due to unpaid fees. These messages link to fake sites designed to steal personal data or install malware.

Romance Scams

Scammers set up fake profiles on social media or dating sites, build online relationships, and then request money for urgent situations. In 2020, Americans lost a record $4.2 billion to romance scams, more than any other scam type.

Never send money to someone you only know online. Never share personal information including phone numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers, passwords, or PINs. Watch for these signs:

• They express romantic feelings unusually fast
• They always have excuses to avoid video calls
• They claim to be overseas or traveling and can never meet in person

Report romance scammers to the FTC, FBI, or the platform where you encountered them.

Investment Scams

Scammers promise guaranteed, risk-free investment returns through apps or websites that appear legitimate. Once you commit funds, the money is gone. Be cautious of any investment requiring payment in cryptocurrency or other less traceable forms.

Pig Butchering

A cryptocurrency scam that combines a romance scam with an investment scheme. The FBI coined the term "pig butchering" for the process of "fattening up" a victim before stealing their money.

The scammer creates a fake profile on dating apps, social media, or sends a random text pretending to be an old acquaintance or wrong number. Over time they build a relationship, then gradually introduce cryptocurrency investment "opportunities." The victim is slowly persuaded to invest, and loses everything.

Gift Card Scams

Government authorities, the IRS, utility companies, and legitimate businesses do not accept gift cards as payment. If anyone asks you to purchase gift cards to pay a debt, fine, tax bill, or to help a person in trouble, it is a scam.

Separately, watch for tampered gift cards in stores. Scammers remove cards from packaging, copy the barcode, and return them to shelves. When a shopper buys and loads the card, the funds go to the scammer. Inspect gift card packaging at checkout for any signs of tampering.

QR Code Scams

Fake QR codes can be placed over legitimate ones in public locations, parking meters, and businesses. Scanning a fraudulent code can take you to a phishing site designed to steal your information.

• Only scan QR codes from reputable, verified sources
• Use your phone's built-in camera rather than a third-party QR reader app
• Check the URL you're directed to before entering any information
• Avoid downloading unfamiliar apps prompted by QR codes

ATM Scams

Equipment including hidden cameras, card scanners, and skimmers can be illegally attached to ATMs. These devices capture your PIN and card number. Some setups are designed to retain your card so the scammer can retrieve it after you leave.

Before inserting your card, visually and physically inspect the card reader. If it wiggles, seems loose, or looks different than usual, do not use it. Notify the business and local law enforcement.

ATM Utilization Security

• Memorize your PIN. Do not write it down or keep it in your wallet. Do not tell anyone your PIN, including credit union employees or police
• Shield the keypad with your hand or body when entering your PIN
• Be aware of anyone standing nearby or crowding you
• Keep your transaction receipt. Do not leave it at the ATM
• If the machine retains your card, contact Vida immediately at (909) 983-1959

Jugging

Criminals watch and follow victims who have just left a bank, ATM, or check cashing location after withdrawing money. Once the victim arrives at their next location, the suspect demands or takes the money through threat or assault.

Charity Scams

Fake charities exploit generosity, particularly around holidays. They use deceptive websites, misleading names, and aggressive solicitation.

Vacation Rental Scams

Scammers lure travelers off legitimate rental platforms by offering discounted rates and asking to communicate or pay outside the official app. Once you move off platform, you lose all the protections those platforms provide.

Business Email Compromise

You receive an email from a vendor asking you to send money to a different account. The email looks genuine but it originates from a fraudster who has accessed your vendor's email system.

• Check the full email address the message was sent from, not just the display name
• Look for typos, unusual phrasing, or requests that feel slightly off
• Call your vendor directly at a number you already have on file to verify any payment change request

Fake Website Scams

You search for Vida FCU or your financial institution in a search engine and land on a fake look-alike site. When you enter your login credentials, the scammer captures them.

Mail Theft Scams

Identity Theft by Mail

Criminals steal mail to obtain Social Security numbers, account statements, and credit card details. Promptly collect your mail and consider enrolling in USPS Informed Delivery to track what should be arriving.

Check Fraud

Criminals steal physical checks from mailboxes, alter them using "check washing" techniques, or create counterfeits. To reduce risk: collect mail promptly, opt for eStatements, use security envelopes, write checks with indelible ink, and deposit mail at secure USPS collection boxes rather than leaving it in your mailbox.

Utility Scams

Scammers impersonate your utility company, claim your account is compromised, and threaten to shut off services unless you pay immediately.

Credential Stuffing

Stolen usernames and passwords from one data breach are automatically tested against hundreds of other websites. If you reuse the same password across multiple accounts, a single breach can expose all of them.

Parking Meter Scams

Fraudulent QR codes have been found on Southern California parking meters, directing motorists to fake payment websites that capture their payment information.

FasTrak Scams

Some FasTrak customers have received texts claiming amounts are due with a link to pay. These websites are fraudulent and not affiliated with FasTrak.

Rental Property Scams

Scammers advertise rental properties that don't exist or are already rented. Tactics include fake listings on legitimate platforms and fraudulent websites. An upfront payment is required. The renter pays and receives nothing.

Holiday Gift Card Tampering

Scammers take gift cards from store displays, carefully remove them from packaging, copy the barcode, and return them. The shopper buys the card, loads money onto it, and the funds are immediately transferred to the scammer.