How can I protect myself from fraud and identity theft?
You can help protect yourself from fraud and identity theft by using strong passwords, monitoring your accounts regularly, safeguarding personal information, keeping your devices updated, and avoiding suspicious emails, text messages, phone calls, or websites.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. This may include misuse of your Social Security Number, account information, credit cards, or other personal data.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a type of online scam in which fraudsters send emails or create fake websites designed to trick individuals into providing personal, financial, or account information.
What is caller ID spoofing?
Caller ID spoofing is when a scammer disguises the phone number shown on your caller ID so that the call appears to come from a trusted source such as Wescom Financial.
What is QR-code phishing (quishing)?
QR-code phishing, sometimes called quishing, is a scam that uses a QR code to direct you to a malicious website or fraudulent login page. Before scanning a QR code, make sure you trust the source. If the code leads to a page asking for passwords, financial information, verification codes, or other sensitive information, do not enter the information.
What is vishing?
Vishing is a phone-based scam in which fraudsters use telephone calls or recorded messages to impersonate legitimate organizations and attempt to obtain sensitive personal or financial information.
What is smishing?
Smishing is a form of fraud that uses text messages to trick individuals into clicking fraudulent links, visiting fake websites, or providing personal and financial information.
How do I report suspected fraud on my Wescom Financial account?
If you believe fraudulent activity has occurred on your account, contact Wescom Financial immediately and report the suspicious activity through the appropriate fraud reporting channels.
Will Wescom Financial ever call and ask for my account information?
No. Wescom Financial will never call, text, or email you to request passwords, authentication codes, PINs, complete account numbers, or Online Banking credentials. If you receive such a request, do not provide information and contact Wescom Financial directly.
What are Card Fraud Alerts?
Card Fraud Alerts help identify potentially suspicious card transactions. If unusual activity is detected, you may receive a text message, email, or phone call asking you to verify the transaction.
How do Account Alerts help protect my accounts?
Account Alerts can notify you of important account activity, including transactions, balance changes, and other account events, helping you monitor your accounts and quickly identify unauthorized activity.
How often should I check my credit report?
Reviewing your credit report regularly can help you identify signs of identity theft or unauthorized activity. Consumers are entitled to receive free credit reports from the major credit reporting agencies as permitted by law.
Why is a strong password important?
A strong password helps protect your Online Banking accounts and personal information from unauthorized access. Use unique passwords that combine letters, numbers, and special characters, and avoid using easily identifiable information.
What should I do if I receive a suspicious email, text message, or phone call?
Do not click links, open attachments, or provide personal information. Contact Wescom Financial directly using a trusted phone number or website to verify the communication.
How can I tell if I am visiting the real wescom.org website?
Before entering personal or financial information online, verify that you are visiting Wescom's official website, www.wescom.org, and look for security indicators such as a secure connection (https://) and a padlock icon displayed by your web browser. Be cautious of fraudulent or lookalike websites that attempt to impersonate legitimate organizations by using misspellings, extra letters, different domain extensions, or similar-looking characters in the web address. For example, wescom.org is Wescom's official website, while a deceptive site such as wescorn.org may appear legitimate at a glance. Always carefully review the website address before entering sensitive information or logging into your accounts.
How can I reduce the risk of online banking fraud?
You can reduce the risk of online banking fraud by using strong passwords, enabling security features, monitoring account activity, keeping software updated, and avoiding suspicious communications that request personal information.
What are common signs of fraud or scam activity?
Common signs of fraud include unexpected requests for personal information, urgent demands for payment, suspicious links, unfamiliar account activity, requests for authentication codes, and communications claiming to be from a financial institution that ask for confidential information.
What are common payment scams?
Common payment scams are schemes designed to trick you into sending money through payment methods that can be difficult to reverse. Scammers may ask you to pay using payment apps such as Zelle®, Cash App, Venmo, or PayPal, as well as wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or checks.