Rest Confident, Your Money is Safe and Secure at Kirtland Credit Union, a message from our President & CEO. Learn More

All Kirtland CU branches and locations will be closed on Thursday, November 28 in observance of Thanksgiving.

Phishing attempts are on the rise. Use caution if you receive a call, email, or text message that claims to be from Kirtland CU. Remember: we will never ask for your online banking access codes or credentials, or for you to transfer money. Learn more on our Fraud Awareness and Prevention Center. 

FRAUD ALERT: Have you received a text message asking to verify a fraudulent transaction? Do not click on that link or call the phone number on your text message. Scammers are using a variety of messages and techniques to gain access to your account. Learn how to protect yourself on our Fraud Awareness and Prevention Center.

We have engaged Forvis Mazars, LLP (Attn: Bud Hollenkamp, 1801 California Street, Ste. 2900, Denver, CO 80202) to perform member verifications. Kindly compare the balance of your accounts on your September 2024 statement WITH YOUR RECORDS. If balances do not agree, please address your discrepancies directly to Forvis Mazars, LLP. Include your name, truncated account number, and an explanation of the difference noted.  A reply is not considered necessary unless a difference is noted.

Welcome To The Insighter!

Explore the latest happenings at Kirtland CU and learn about important topics from around the financial world. Here’s your insight! To learn about retirements, investments and financial planning, check out Invested now.

Missed Delivery – The Scam That Never Arrives

By Ashleigh, K-Staff

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Technology is awesome! We can order our groceries on our phones, navigate a new city, attend a business meeting, and share streams of consciousness with a global network of readers. We can even get real-time alerts when packages are on their way, arriving, or delayed! But, fraudsters have also discovered this magic, and they’re deploying it in tricky ways that can put us at risk.

One scam that surged during the COVID-19 pandemic was the package delivery scam. The FCC recently warned about this scam, noting that the increase in package deliveries due to the pandemic brought about an increase in complaints about delivery notification scams.

How It Works

Package delivery scams usually begin with a text message or e-mail about a package that appears to come from a legitimate company like FedEx or UPS (posing fraudulently as a company to scam someone is called phishing. When it happens via phone or text, it’s called smishing). The notification generally includes a link, purportedly view a status update. These links actually trigger malicious malware downloads or lead to a website designed to get you to enter your personal and financial information.

Other scams feature “missed delivery” notifications, according to the BBB. These notifications are often physical notes attached to a mailbox or door that ask the target to call the attached number for next steps. Those next steps actually involve getting a hold of your personal and financial information.

How To Avoid Becoming A Victim

  1. Track your delivery. Go to the merchant and click to view tracking information there. Write down your tracking number and initiate your own checks. Don’t rely solely on text or email notifications.
  2. Don’t click the link! This tip comes directly from the United States Postal Service. The easiest way to avoid falling victim to this scam is to not ever click links sent to you via text or e-mail about deliveries. Check yourself through the merchant.
  3. Think before acting. A key component of scams is a sense of urgency. Thieves don’t want to give you time to think logically; they want action! If you receive a text or e-mail about a delivery, think to yourself: did I order anything? Am I expecting a package? Did I sign up for these kinds of notifications? Where else could I go for this information? A few minutes of calm thought could save you a lot of headaches.
  4. Don’t enter information on websites you don’t trust. If you did click on a link and are being asked for personal information, don’t enter it. This could be information as simple as your name or address and as consequential as your Social Security number or bank account information.
  5. Don’t pay. If you’re being asked for money to resolve a delivery issue, it’s very likely a scam. Deliveries are paid for up front by the sender. FedEx and UPS have stated they will never ask for payments through unsolicited text or e-mails, according to the FCC.
  6. Watch for errors. Scammers are often terrible spellers. If you receive a text or e-mail with strange syntax, misspelled words and typos, you’re looking at a scam.
  7. Don’t trust the number. It’s scary easy to spoof a phone number. I legitimate phone number is NOT a reason to trust.

So, what should you do if you suspect you’ve been scammed?

Report it! The best way to end these types of scams is to report them to the authorities. The FCC and other organizations work hard to find these criminals and close them down. You can help by reporting suspected scam texts.


If your accounts or card information could be compromised, let your financial institutions know right away to limit potential damage.  

Photo credit: FCC.gov

Let's Make Friends

Share the love! Get $200 for you and your friend for each qualified referral you make.

Online and Mobile Banking are currently experiencing technical difficulties and may be intermittently unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes our members.