Fraud & Security
News, Events, Resources, Tools & Advice
Fraud Resources
Discover an essential, clutter-free directory for reporting identity theft and financial scams. From the FBI's cyber-crime division to a direct directory of major credit bureau fraud lines, learn the exact phases to freeze your records and deploy proactive defenses to keep your assets entirely secure. Continue reading
Phishing Emails
Artificial intelligence tools have made modern phishing emails more believable, polished, and dangerous than ever before. Learn how to uncover a scammer's real domain using desktop and mobile address inspection tricks, discover the emotional triggers used to bypass your defenses, and review an immediate incident response plan if you accidentally interact with a malicious link. Continue reading
Why Con Games Still Work
"Con" stands for confidence, and scammers succeed by weaponizing our natural desire to be helpful and friendly. Discover a practical, high-visibility red flag checklist to evaluate online marketplace buyers, outsmart overpayment check traps, and learn the immediate steps to take with ATFCU's fraud team if your dashboard is compromised. Continue reading
How to Fight Back Against Imposter Fraud
International fraud networks are pairing social media data with sophisticated AI voice-cloning tools to execute highly convincing imposter scams. Learn how the classic "grandchild scheme" targets families late at night, discover a simple low-tech code word trick to instantly verify your relative's identity, and review the non-negotiable steps to take before moving a single dollar. Continue reading
Phone Pirates Are on the Loose
Scammers are spoofing the ATFCU Fraud Team's phone number to trick members into handing over sensitive credentials. Discover the blunt reality of phone-based identity theft, the single rule that instantly exposes a phone scammer, and how to protect your card. Continue reading
Anatomy of a Text Scam
Fraudulent text scams are hitting smartphones daily, using artificial urgency to trick you into clicking malicious blue links. Discover two insider tips to immediately spot a spoofed text by auditing phone numbers and sender domains, and learn the exact steps to take with ATFCU if your card data is compromised. Continue reading
Scam Texts – Beware of Weekends
Cybercriminals treat weekends as prime time to launch text scams, knowing your mental guard is down. Discover the inner workings of the "keystroke mirror trap" designed to steal your mobile banking passwords using fake domains, and learn the non-negotiable steps to safely audit your account lines without clicking a malicious link. Continue reading
How to Spot a Counterfeit Bill
Counterfeiting methods may change, but the U.S. Treasury's advanced security layers make authentic currency impossible to accurately clone. Discover a practical field guide to verifying real paper money using the touch, light, and tilt methods—including the exact color codes of UV light testing—and learn the correct protocol to follow if you are passed a suspicious note. Continue reading
Fighting Identity Theft
Data breaches are a permanent fixture of our digital economy, but you don't need a massive budget to keep your identity completely secure. From deploying zero-cost credit freezes and utilizing real-time mobile card switches to setting up a custom verbal passcode with ATFCU, discover the ultimate tactical manual to insulate your hard-earned assets. Continue reading