Frequently Asked Questions

A person receives packages containing various items which were not ordered or requested by the recipient. While the package may be addressed to the recipient, there is not a return address, or the return address could be that of a retailer. The sender of the item(s) is usually an international, third-party seller who has found the recipient’s address online. The intention is to give the impression that the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise, meaning: they write a fake review in your name. These fake reviews help to fraudulently boost or inflate the products’ ratings and sales numbers, which they hope results in an increase of actual sales in the long-run. Since the merchandise is usually cheap and low-cost to ship, the scammers perceive this as a profitable pay-off.

Scammers will call a member and advise they are from the credit union. The caller claims they need to discuss an important matter, but they must first confirm the member’s identity and ask for the members online banking username. The scammer is already on the credit union’s online banking website and informs the member they will receive a passcode, and the member must provide it over the phone to the fraudster for additional identity verification purposes. In reality, the fraudster uses the username with the “forgot password” feature, which triggers a two-factor authentication passcode to the member. The fraudster uses the passcode to reset the member’s password, logs into the account and transfers funds to an external account.

Watch out for too good to be true offers, coupons and discounts. Fraudsters will create fake shopping sites that often imitate the real thing, only to eventually compromise your card. Always double check the URL that you're using before you complete your purchase.

Fraudsters will impersonate tech support agents, government officials, or even friends and family members, demanding payment in the form of gift cards.

Scammers are also stealing gift cards from stores, keeping record of the card number and returning them back to the store. In the meantime, the scammers are in the background waiting for those cards to be re-purchased and are immediately wiping out the balance of the gift card once it's activated.

In investment manager schemes, scammers contact potential investors claiming to be successful “investment managers.” These scammers often purport to represent well-known cryptocurrency exchanges or cryptocurrency mining enterprises. Many of them claim to have made millions from successful cryptocurrency investments and promise high returns on the victim’s investment. Typically, they set up sophisticated and official looking websites. However, once a victim transfers their funds to the “investment manager” through one of these websites, they often find the money can’t be withdrawn or that withdrawals are subject to large fees.

Source: Mass.gov

Individuals and businesses that mail physical checks need to be aware of the increasing events of mail theft. After stealing checks from the U.S. Mail, fraudsters and organized criminal groups may alter or “wash” the checks, replacing the payee information with their own or fraudulent identities or with business accounts that the criminals control. During check washing, these illicit actors also often increase the dollar amount on the check, sometimes by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Washed checks may also be copied, printed, and sold to third-party fraudsters on the dark web and encrypted social media platforms in exchange for convertible virtual currency. Click here to learn more about Mail Theft.

Cryptocurrency investment fraud, which the media commonly describes as "pig butchering," is one of the most prevalent and damaging fraud schemes today.

In pig butchering scams, victims are approached on dating, social media, or messaging apps and lured into making larger and larger investments. The term “pig-butchering” is based on the practice of fattening a hog before slaughter. At first, the scammer will make sure to post what looks like a gain on their investment. The scammer may even allow the victim to withdraw money once or twice to convince them the investment is safe and coherse them to invest more additional funds. At this point, the victim’s funds have been stolen by the scammer and then the real headache begins. The victim’s pleas for the return of their funds result only in demands for more money, often in fabricated taxes and fees.

Source: Mass.gov

Members receive a pop up on their computer warning them of a virus infecting their device. The members call the number for help and believe they are talking to tech support. Once on the phone, the scammers scare members into sending money. They use different tactics such as saying their bank accounts are compromised and to give cash to federal agents for safe keeping, saying the members have been identified in a criminal investigation and need to pay to clear their names.

Also known as romance scams, criminals are using fake online identities to gain a victim's affection and trust. These can start off with something as simple as a wrong number text message, a social media follow or an unexpected message to your inbox. Over time, the scammer will use the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. The scammer wants to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear him or herself to the victim while gaining their trust. These individuals are trained to prey on your emotions and can be ruthless in their pursuit of your money or sensitive information. The scammer may propose an exclusive relationship or even go as far as proposing marriage, while eventually getting to their ultimate end goal, asking you for money, while never following through with any of the things they promised you on their end.

In remote work scams, scammers pose as recruiters or managers looking to hire remote, part-time workers. These scams often target people who have provided their contact information on online job boards. The scammers create elaborate fake websites and ask victims to complete sets of repetitive tasks (e.g., “optimizing apps” and “boosting products”). The victims are told that they will be paid commission in cryptocurrency for completing these tasks based on the value of the product being promoted. The scammers usually ask victims to send a small amount of cryptocurrency to open a work account to get started in the position. These positions have a confusing compensation structure that requires victims to make increasing cryptocurrency payments to get assigned additional tasks.

Victims are led to believe they are making money—and may even be able to withdraw small amounts of their “earnings” in the beginning—but in reality, the scammers are just manipulating victims into sending cryptocurrency to the scammer. 

Source: Mass.gov

What might seem like a dream come true, can quickly turn into a nightmare if you're not careful. If it's too good to be true, then it's best to ignore it. Fraudsters are using eMail, phone calls, social media and even text messages to let you know you've won a prize or giveaway. Today we're seeing these fraudsters create duplicate profiles that mirror the business or entity giving away a prize. They are then sending out a message to your account asking for you to claim your prize by clicking on a link or providing payment for shipping. These are both giant red flags, especially if this is a contest that you did not enter!

Residents in Michigan and beyond are experiencing a surge in scams, specifically those claiming they have unpaid tolls or parking tickets. Scammers are sending text and eMail messages, attempting to pose as legitimate toll authorities, demanding immediate payment and threatening penalties if the individual doesn't make a payment. These messages often include a link to a fake website where the user is asked to enter their credit card or personal information. Do NOT click on any links, make any payments or respond to these messages.