Identity Theft Prevention

Lawbreakers will go to great lengths to separate you from your money - and steal your identity. Phony phone calls. Bogus emails. Misleading texts. All pretending to be legit messages from government agencies or businesses, when there's only one real goal - a total rip-off. Here's what you need to know to avoid being scammed.

• Keep your passwords, security codes and PINs completely private. Your financial institutions will never call or email you asking for confidential information.
• All financial institutions already have your information and would never ask for it.
• Never respond to requests for personal information if you aren’t sure it’s with a legitimate organization. Don’t depend on Caller ID to identify a business, even Fox Communities Credit Union. Fraudsters often spoof phone numbers.
• Never share or give out your account number, Social Security number, or any other personal information when replying to email, text message, or phone call.
• Don’t give your own or your deceased loved one’s personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
• Do not share your Online/Mobile banking credentials with anyone. This information doesn’t need to be provided to anyone in order to deposit into your account.
• Block unwanted calls and text messages.
• Review your financial statements monthly and check your accounts often on Fox Communities Credit Union online services.

Text Safety

• Check text messages for Fox Communities Credit Union’s unique short code, the “return address” phone number that identifies official messages. Don’t respond to messages that claim to be Fox Communities Credit Union but come from different or unlisted numbers.
• Delete texts from Fox Communities Credit Union after reading them to keep information about your account out of the wrong hands in case your phone is stolen.
• Look out for spelling and grammar mistakes, like improper capitalization, misused words, double space errors, or “off” sentences.
• Check if the message is even relevant or solicited. If you didn’t enter a contest or weren’t expecting a package, it’s best to ignore any related messages and delete them.
• Don’t click links to unsolicited messages, as many scams include an unsecure link designed to steal personal information and spread malware. Avoid clicking at all costs, it’s best to err on the side of caution. If it’s from a company you do business with, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy or look up their phone number and call them directly.

Final defense

• Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or your local Fox branch team members what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
• The best defense against scams is to say “NO” if anyone contacts you by phone, email, or text message.

Fox Communities Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution serving members throughout Wisconsin.