Scam text claims card has been blocked

Phishing is when a criminal poses as a legitimate official or company representative and contacts people via email, text or telephone to lure them into providing sensitive personal information.

In this scam, fraudsters send text messages to people telling them their “card” has been blocked. The scammer will ask for personally identifiable information. Once this data has been obtained, the fraudster may take further actions, including changing a PIN . This is followed by fraudulent activity, often at ATMs.

The security of your personal information is a primary goal of Oregon State Credit Union. That is why we will never ask you in a text, email, unsolicited phone call or via a social media site for your full social security number, full member number, debit or credit card numbers, CVV or PIN.

If you receive a suspicious message requesting confidential information, it is not from Oregon State Credit Union. You should delete all such messages without clicking on any links.

Please report suspicious unsolicited phone calls by calling our Member Service Center at 800-732-0173. We are happy to help answer any questions that you may have, and we appreciate your partnership as we take more steps to protect you and your financial accounts.

You can reduce the risk of falling victim to fraudulent phone calls and text messages by following these steps:

• Be aware - Legitimate businesses do not make unsolicited calls for personal, sensitive information. If you receive an unsolicited call asking this, it is probably a scam.

• Don't give in to pressure - Many times the caller will pressure or try and scare you into giving your personal information. If so, simply hang up.

• Don't answer phone calls from unknown numbers. Valid callers will leave a message.

• Don't respond to unfamiliar texts asking you to click a link to call your financial institution.

• Stay calm - These callers are masters at emotional string pulling. When in doubt, hang up.

• Carefully review your statements when they come in, and contact us if you notice any unauthorized activity.

Please notify us if you suspect that someone has impersonated a credit union representative. We are happy to help you. Please keep our customer service number (800-732-0173) in your mobile phone for fast access.

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