More scams to avoid
The Phishing Scam
An online scam that preys on consumers by sending deceptive emails or text messages, disguising themselves as a trustworthy source with the intent of collecting personal and financial information...
Learn more about the Phishing Scam
A series of text messages containing a link to a fraudulent Star One website has been reported.
The fraudsters attempt to mimic the look and feel of our website by utilizing the same colors and logos. The fraudulent website will prompt you to enter your personal and financial information such as social security number, phone number, email address and password, online banking login credentials, credit/debit card information, etc. to gain access to your accounts.
Star One does not send messages containing links. DO NOT click on any links in text messages or emails that you are not familiar with or are not expecting.
If you have any questions regarding your account, please contact us directly at 866-543-5202.
Sample phishing text message:
The Recruiter Scam
You receive a message from someone interested in hiring you. It might come through email, text, or even a social media platform. At first, this "recruiter" seems professional...
Learn more about the Recruiter Scam
They claim to have seen your resume on a job-search site and want to interview you for a position. But first, you need to download a messaging app, such as Telegram. Once you download the app, the "recruiter" will begin sending you messages and will ask you to complete a few interview questions.
After giving you enthusiastic feedback, they will offer you a position with their company. That is followed by an official-looking contract to fill out and sign. After you sign, the scammer will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and banking information, claiming they need to add you to direct-deposit payroll and other company systems. If you provide this sensitive information, you could easily become a victim of identity theft.
Some versions of this scam don’t end there. As a new hire, you are referred to a "training manager" who will help you set up your home office. This person sends you a check to buy a laptop and other supplies. After depositing the check, your contact will say that you were overpaid and need to return a portion of what you deposited. However, the check is a fake, and any funds you "return" to your new employer will be long gone.
Protect Yourself
- Research job offers first. Visit a company’s website and look up their contact information. Verify the company exists and the job posting is real before you interact with a stranger. Do an internet search with the company’s name and the word “scam” to see if anyone has reported a fake job offer. Look on BBB.org to see any unresolved complaints or negative reviews.
- Beware of jobs that involve receiving and returning money. Legitimate companies don’t generally send money to new employees before work is done. They certainly don’t ask you to return funds that you’ve already been paid.
- Be careful with your personal information. Never provide anyone with your personal information until you are sure you can trust them with it. Do all the necessary research before divulging anything personal. Never let someone pressure you into giving up your personal information because it’s a “now or never” offer.
- Watch out for easy hires. If a company claims they want to hire you without meeting you either virtually or in-person, and if they don’t conduct a job interview, you’re probably dealing with a scammer.
The Refund Scam
You receive an unsolicited pop-up or email regarding a possible fraudulent charge on your Amazon account, or other popular online retailers, e.g. PayPal or eBay...
Learn more about the Refund Scam
The scammer convinces you to download special software in order to receive an "immediate refund" for the unauthorized charge. After you do, the fraudster has you log into your online banking so they can "process the refund."
Unknowingly, by downloading their software and logging into your online banking, you just provided the fraudster with access to your bank accounts!
Once they're in, they can cause havoc with your money, including initiating money transfers out of your bank account!
Protect Yourself
- If you receive a suspicious pop-up or email, verify the sender by contacting the merchant directly, e.g. sign into your Amazon account and verify the activity.
- Never download software at the request of an unknown individual. Merchants will never call you to request you to download software to obtain a refund. Doing so could install malware on your computer or device.
- Verify activity on your credit or debit card, or sign up for Visa Purchase alerts, a convenient way for you to monitor card activity outside of your normal patterns.
The Amazon Impersonator Scam
If Amazon contacts you to confirm a recent purchase you didn’t make or to tell you that your account has been hacked—BEWARE! ...
Learn more about the Amazon Impersonator Scam
According to the Federal Trade Commission, since July 2020, about one in three people who have reported a business impersonator scam say the scammer pretended to be Amazon.
These scams can look a few different ways. In one version, scammers offer to “refund” you for an unauthorized purchase but “accidentally transfer” more than promised. They then ask you to send back the difference. What really happens? The scammer moves your own money from one of your bank accounts to the other (like your Savings to Checking, or vice versa) to make it look like you were refunded. Any money you send back to “Amazon” is your money (not an overpayment) — and as soon as you send it out of your account, it becomes theirs. In another version of the scam, you’re told that hackers have gotten access to your account — and the only way to supposedly protect it is to buy gift cards and share the gift card number and PIN on the back. Once that information is theirs, the money is, too.
Protect Yourself
- Never call back an unknown number. Use the information on Amazon’s offical website and not a number listed in an unexpected email or text.
- Don’t pay for anything with a gift card. Gift cards are for gifts. If anyone asks you to pay with a gift card – or buy gift cards for anything other than a gift, it’s a scam.
- Don’t give remote access to someone who contacts you unexpectedly. This gives scammers easy access to your personal and financial information—like access to your bank accounts.
The Search Engine Website Spoofing Scam
You need to contact your bank, credit union, or familiar merchant but can't remember their website address, no problem just "Google it." Seems easy and safe, right? ...
Learn more about the Search Engine Website Spoofing Scam
After all, the public Search Engines are secure, aren't they?
Well, think again! Scammers are making "look-alike" websites with the ultimate goal of stealing your login credentials.
When you click on the search result, you may click on a spoofed website that looks just like the site you're used to seeing, for example, the login page to your bank site.
Once you input your login credentials, you might be asked to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes, like your social security number, account number, password, or other information used to verify your identity. What you don't know is that the fraudster is using your login credentials or personal information and logging in to the "real" site to steal your money.
Protect Yourself
- Take a close look at the website address. Are there any extra characters that don't belong? Try copying and pasting the website address into a new tab, does it still look the same?
- Bookmark important websites. Keep a bookmark of each legitimate website you use. Clicking on the bookmark, instead of searching or following a link ensures you're using the right site each time.
- Be wary of Search Engine Ads, especially if you're simply trying to find and access your banking or other login page.
- Never use public, unsecured Wi-Fi for banking, shopping or entering personal information online.
The Debit/Credit Card Fraud Scam
You receive a call from someone who says they're from your card issuer's fraud department...
Learn more about the Debit/Credit Card Fraud Scam
They say there has been suspicious activity on your card and need some information from you to verify whether the charges are valid. Sounds legitimate, right?
Having your card issuer warn you of potential fraud is great service, right? Sadly, scammers are using this tactic to commit real fraud with information they've already compromised from another source that often includes your personal and card information.
The scammers may have some information already, for example your name, address, or card number. What they're really doing is tricking you into giving them the additional information they need, such as your card security code or a One Time Passcode that is sent to your smart phone or email. Pretending to be someone trustworthy is an easy and popular way for scammers to acquire the information they need to commit fraud with your card.
Protect Yourself
- Only trust calls you initiate. Only give your card information during calls you initiate. When calling your card issuer's
customer service, only use the number on the back of your card or other reliable source.
- Don't give out or confirm card information on any phone call that you didn't initiate. Scammers may have obtained some credit card information and need to confirm the accuracy or get just one more piece of information from you, like a PIN or security code.
- Validate any call-back phone numbers. Put your financial institution's Risk Management phone number in your contacts so
it's easier to recognize as a valid phone number.
- Verify activity on your credit or debit card or sign up for Visa Purchase alerts, a convenient way for you to monitor card
activity outside of your normal patterns.
The Tech Support Scam
You receive a call, email, or pop-up message from someone claiming to be from a well-known company like Microsoft, Apple or a software security company like McAfee or Norton, saying they've detected a virus or malware on your computer...
Learn more about the Tech Support Scam
They use lots of technical terms to convince you the problem is real. They may even ask you to open some files or run a scan on your computer and then tell you the results show a problem... but there isn't one.
It's a tactic scammers use to get you to give them remote access to your computer, with the ultimate goal of getting your
credit card or online banking information under the ruse of charging you for their "phony" services.
Or worse yet, while they have remote access, they download malware that gives them access to your computer and to sensitive data like user names and passwords.
Protect Yourself
- Hang up on (or close out pop-ups from) unsolicited callers offering to fix computer problems. Companies like Apple and Microsoft will not contact you for tech support unless you have requested help, and they will never ask for personal information.
- If you're worried about a virus or malware, call your security software company directly, using the phone number on its website or product package or consult a trusted security professional.
- Do not make a payment, give sensitive information such as credit card details, or allow remote access to your computer to someone who calls out of the blue offering tech support.
The Government Grant Scam
It starts with a call from the "Federal Grants Administration" (which doesn't exist) bringing news that you've been selected to receive a lucrative grant the government is providing to help people just like you....
Learn more about the Government Grant Scam
If it sounds too good to be true, that's because it is.
The federal government awards billions of dollars a year to organizations for all sorts of programs, but it does not give grants to individuals for their personal use. Fraudsters dangle the prospect of free government money to trick people out of their money.
If you respond to the pitch, they'll ask you to send a wire transfer, gift cards or provide your credit card or bank account information to cover processing fees for the grant. They may also ask for personal information to verify your identification. Once you send the processing fees, the promised grant never materializes.
Worse yet, the fraudsters now have your personal and financial information they need to perpetrate identity theft.
Protect Yourself
- Don't give out your bank account information to anyone you don't know.
- Don't pay any money for a "free" government grant. If you have to pay money to claim a "free" government grant, it isn't really free.
- Look-alikes aren't the real thing. Some fraudsters use Internet technology to disguise their area code in caller ID systems. It may look like they're calling from Washington, DC but they could be calling from anywhere in the world.
The Romance Scam
You met someone online, maybe through a popular dating site, Instagram, or Facebook...
Learn more about the Romance Scam
Your new love interest always says all the right things, sends you flattering messages, and professes their love. You think you've met your true soul mate and quickly agree to communicate by email or phone.
You've been communicating now for months, even years but you never actually meet in person. They have a great career that keeps them abroad for long periods, like the military or a doctor working overseas.
Every time you plan to meet something comes up, usually an emergency of some sort. Over time, their emergencies lead to requests to borrow money, to pay for a car repair or to buy medicine, you know, just a loan until they get their next big "grant," "paycheck," or better yet "inheritance."
As time goes by, they steadily increase the amount they need, often telling you a sob story that pulls at your heartstrings.
Protect Yourself
- Use caution when communicating with someone online. Many scammers create dating profiles with the ultimate goal of scamming you out of your money.
- If you believe you're involved in a romance scam, stop communicating with the person immediately.
- Be wary of requests for money. If you never met in person, don't send money or gift cards.
- Never give your bank account details to someone you've never met, they could be using you to move illicit money from one place to another, this is commonly done to launder money.
Nanny and Caregiver Scams
This type of job scam is easy to fall victim to because you’d likely think it’s impossible for an in-person job to be a scam. However...
Learn more about Nanny and Caregiver Scams
The people behind these scam ads are trying to trick you into sending them money or personal information.
Protect Yourself
- If you’re hired without an interview (either in-person or over the phone), it’s likely a scam.
- If you get a pre-payment, it’s likely to be a fake-check scam.
- Use social media to search the client’s name—you may uncover complaints by others who have been scammed.
Work-From-Home Scams
During the height of the COVID pandemic, work-from-home became increasingly popular...
Learn more about Work-From-Home Scams
Companies were able to get work done without the added risk of COVID exposure. As more and more employers offer the option to work from home, others have found a way to turn it into a scam.
Mitigate your risk of falling for a scam by keeping an eye out for red flags. Below are some potential signs of fraudulent job offers.
Protect Yourself
- Promising a lot of money with no experience necessary.
- Asking you to send money or buy start-up materials to get the job.
- Not disclosing information on when or how you’ll get paid.
- Only having one form of contact.
- Asking for private information, such as bank account, Social Security or credit card numbers.
- Not providing the employer’s name or much information about the business.
Mystery Shopper Scams
Mystery shopping can make for a steady side hustle—when it’s not a scam. ...
Learn more about Mystery Shopper Scams
Retailers and restaurants hire people to go into their businesses and try out their products and services and report on their experiences. A mystery shopper will typically pay for the product or service themselves and then get reimbursed by the retailer.
Below are a few tips on how to avoid mystery shopping scams.
Protect Yourself
- If you have to pay an upfront fee, RUN. Honest companies will not charge you to work for them, they’ll pay you.
- Don’t pay for a list of mystery shopping jobs. It’s available for free.
- Never deposit checks into your account and send money back—these checks are fraudulent.