What is Smishing?
One way in which scammers take advantage of our reliance on the use of our mobile phones is through text scams, also called Smishing.
Social Engineering Scams
Scams are more prevalent than ever, the key to not getting tricked is understanding the scammers tactics.
What is social engineering?
Social Engineering is the practice of manipulating people into divulging confidential information including bank account information, social security numbers and passwords. It involves exploiting human psychology and tendencies to trust, authority, fear, and curiosity to deceive individuals or organizations.
Social engineering attacks can take various forms and the attacker may impersonate a trustworthy person or entity, create a sense of urgency or fear, or offer a reward or benefit to gain the victim’s trust and compliance.
Common techniques include:
- Authority: Pretending to be a credit union employee, police officer, executive, or technology-support representative.
- Urgency: Claiming money is being stolen and action is required immediately.
- Fear: Warning that an account will be frozen, closed, or reported to law enforcement.
- Trust: Using the credit union’s logo, employee names, phone numbers, terminology, or information about the member.
- False sense of security: Supplying something that appears to confirm their identity such as an employee ID badge. A photograph of an identification card can be copied from social media, altered from a real badge, assembled from publicly available branding, or completely fabricated.
According to the FBI, impersonation of financial institutions is a common route to account takeover and identity theft. Since January 2025, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 5,100 account-takeover complaints reporting losses exceeding $262 million.
Never share passwords, verification codes, personal identification numbers, or card security codes with someone who contacts you unexpectedly. End the conversation and call us directly using an official number.
Avoid being a victim of social engineering scams
Be cautious when you are asked for confidential information via email, text message, social media message, or over the phone. Confidential information includes:
- Social Security Number
- Account numbers
- Usernames & Passwords
- PINs
- Other personal information
Phishing emails and text messages may also include links or attachments containing malicious software designed to infect your computer. Use caution when opening emails, downloading attachments, or clicking on links.
Here are a few additional tips to help keep you safe:
- If you receive a suspicious email, social media message, or text message from someone you know, call them and ask if they sent the message before interacting with it. Their email, social media account, or device may have been compromised, and the message you received may be from a fraudster hoping to steal your personal information.
- Don’t share personal information on social media. Be cautious when answering questions in social media surveys, as these may be designed to glean enough information to guess your passwords or to steal your identity.
- Remember, financial institutions and government agencies will never send an unsolicited email or text message asking for your personal information.
Never provide your online banking credentials or debit or credit card number and PIN to anyone. Never give personal information out on social media.
Contact Us
Report Fraud
If you suspect someone has gained unauthorized access to your account, contact WECU immediately at 800-525-8703.
To report a card lost or stolen after hours, call 866-767-0814 (credit) or 844-909-1628 (debit).
If you are traveling outside the U.S. call collect at any time 415-805-4639 (credit) or 415-805-4713 (debit).
