Account Take Over Attempts on the Rise

September 27, 2024

The safety and soundness of your account is our top priority. We’re committed to informing our Members of constantly evolving financial fraud affecting consumers. Please be advised of current scams trending now:

Social Media Card Cracking Scam: Fraudsters are approaching Members through social media platforms, soliciting assistance in committing financial crimes using borrowed debit cards and promising a share of the proceeds. Members are being asked to provide their debit card and PIN, allowing these individuals to make fraudulent transactions on their accounts. The card owner then reports these transactions as fraud to their financial institution.

Please be aware it is a financial crime to willingly provide your card and PIN to a fraudster and then report the transactions as fraudulent. To safeguard your account and personal finances, never share your debit card or PIN with anyone or engage in this type of scam.

Spoofed credit union phone calls: Fraudsters have spoofed CU SoCal’s phone number and have called Members impersonating our team members. The call consists of telling Members that account activity needs to be verified and the fraudster will then send a code to the Member for the purpose of verifying them, as well as transactions on the account. Unbeknownst to the Member, this code is the security code to access their Online Banking for the purpose of taking over their account.
 
A CU SoCal employee will never call or text you to ask for your online account username, password, or one time (security) passcode. If you get a suspicious call or text, even if the number appears to be from CU SoCal, please don't engage. 

If your debit card is lost or stolen, or you need to report fraud, contact our Member Care Center at 866.287.6225 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For after hours service, please call 888.698.7241 and press 2.
 

June 11, 2024
Please be advised some Members are reporting they have received fraudulent text messages asking the recipient to verify their Online and Mobile Banking username and password.

These texts are not from CU SoCal, but designed to trick you into revealing your confidential Online Banking credentials. Do not respond if you receive such a text. Please see below for more information to keep you safe from digital fraud.

It has come to our attention that there are websites claiming to represent CU SoCal that are not affiliated with us. Your security is our utmost priority, and we want to ensure that you are protected from any potential fraudulent activities.

Please remember to only trust the official CU SoCal website, which is CUSoCal.org. Any other website claiming to be us may be attempting to deceive you and could compromise your sensitive information.

To safeguard your financial well-being, we urge you to exercise caution and only interact with trusted sources. If you encounter any suspicious websites or activity, please report it to us immediately at 866.287.6225 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thank you for your diligence and continued trust in CU SoCal.

Please be advised there has been an increase in fraudulent activities targeting our Members. Scammers are creating imposter websites and sending out deceptive emails and text messages, posing as representatives of Credit Union of Southern California (CU SoCal). These fraudulent communications are designed to trick you into providing sensitive personal information.

Spoofed Emails and Text Messages.  Fraudsters may attempt to impersonate CU SoCal by sending emails or text messages that appear to come from us. These messages often include urgent requests for you to verify your account details, update personal information, or perform other actions related to your account.

Imposter websites. Please remember to only trust the official CU SoCal website, which is CUSoCal.org. Any other website claiming to be us may be attempting to deceive you and could compromise your sensitive information.
 
False scenarios. These deceptive communications may present false scenarios, such as claiming that there has been unusual activity on your account, a security breach, or a need to confirm your identity due to system upgrades. They may request that you click on links, download attachments, or provide sensitive information like your account number, password, or Social Security number.

We want to remind you that CU SoCal will never ask you to provide sensitive information via email or text message.

 

To safeguard your personal and financial information, please remember the following:

Verify the source. Always verify the sender's email address or phone number. If you are unsure if the communication is legitimate, please call our Member Care Center at 866.287.6225.
 
Report suspicious activity. If you receive any suspicious emails or text messages claiming to be from CU SoCal, please report them immediately to our Member Services team.
 
Your security is our top priority. We are committed to protecting you from fraudulent activities. If for some reason you shared your personal information in a suspected fraudulent attempt, or if you encounter any suspicious websites or activity, please report it to us immediately.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our Member Care Center at 866.287.6225 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

Phishing Texts

Below please see samples of fraudulent texts recently sent to Members. Note the embedded fake URLs. These fraud attempts are designed to capture your account information, Digital Banking login credentials, and other sensitive personal information. These are not from CU SoCal.