Members have reported some recent Scamming attempts via email and phone encouraging large withdrawals and Bitcoin Machine deposits.

Beware of Bitcoin Machine Deposit Scams. Scammers may pressure you to deposit money into a Bitcoin machine to ‘resolve issues’ like unpaid bills or threats. Legitimate organizations will never demand payment this way. Stay safe—think before you send!

Some PeoplesChoice members have been receiving texts regarding fraudulent transactions, most of them coming from California. Some of these texts have been followed up by calls from a number from another state. The spam callers are asking our members to download an app to dispute these charges. Remember: when in doubt, and something doesn’t seem right, you can always hang up and call us directly.

Members have reported seeing multiple phone calls appearing to look like they are coming from PeoplesChoice and/or our (207) 282-4156 line. These are called Spoofing Scam Attempts. PeoplesChoice WILL NEVER call you looking to confirm account or card numbers. Often these scam callers will claim large purchases, or unpaid bills – anything to create a sense of urgency. They often instruct you to log in to your computer to give them remote access to your screen. This allows them to capture sensitive information. DO NOT give out your personal information or follow any instructions from an untrusted call. When in doubt, hang up and call us directly.

Account takeovers occur when unauthorized individuals gain access to online banking accounts by illicitly acquiring login credentials through various means such as phishing, malware, or social engineering tactics.

To mitigate the risks associated with such activities, we strongly suggest you to update your account security through the following proactive measures:

1. Utilize Unique and Complex Passwords: Opt for passwords that are unique to your online banking account and employ a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to enhance their complexity.
2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Take advantage of our multi-factor authentication feature, which adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification steps beyond just entering your password.
3. Monitor Account Activity: Stay vigilant by regularly monitoring your account activity for any suspicious transactions or unauthorized access attempts. Promptly report any discrepancies to our customer support team for immediate assistance.

Your security and peace of mind are of utmost importance to us. If you have any concerns about the security of your account or suspect any unauthorized activity, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately.

PCU Members have reported unexpected calls about fraud on their account from a number that appears to be originating from PeoplesChoice credit union, or another financial institution. We will NEVER contact you by phone and ask you to share account information. These types of scams happen every day. When in doubt, hang up and contact our credit union directly with questions. (207) 282-4156

PCU members are reporting phishing calls/texts seeking card and other personal information where the scammer claims there have been large abnormal purchases associated with the account. Fraudsters are using “spoofing” technology which makes it appear they are calling from a PCU number. Stay vigilant – please hang up and call us directly if you are asked for any personal details.

Due to recent ATM skimming scams, we encourage all members to utilize the new contactless feature on our ATMs at all four branch locations. While shopping or travelling, be sure to use the contactless feature of our credit and debit cards for purchases whenever possible.

Scammers will use either the threat of consequences or the promise of a prize or monetary gain to get you worked up. They may call you saying they have detected fraudulent transactions on your account, or that you have won a prize and must give them your information to claim it. Statements like these should increase your skepticism, NOT your emotions. Scammers hope to get you so emotional that you stop thinking logically.

The next thing a scammer will do is apply pressure. Whatever the scenario is, there will be one common theme: urgency or scarcity. You need to act NOW to prevent any more fraudulent transactions on your account. You have won a prize, but there are only 2 left and if you wait and think about it, you’ll be too late. There is a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity, but unless you wire the funds by noon, you will miss out. Legitimate businesses, as well as the government, will never pressure you for an immediate decision.

You should think of your personal information and passwords as assets that are just as valuable as the funds in your account. If a stranger called you and asked you to lend them money, it’s pretty unlikely you would be comfortable with that. You should be protecting your personal information in the exact same way – by ensuring the person, company, or website is who they say they are before supplying any information. If you have any concerns, get the caller’s name, company name and number, and hang up. Search the company online and verify they are legitimate and don’t have complaints against them. Find the website, call the number listed there, then you can ask to be transferred to the person you were speaking with. Now you have successfully confirmed that the company who contacted you is legitimate and the person actually works for the stated company.

Legitimate companies or government agencies will NEVER:

• Contact you to inform you there is a security breach on your personal computer and ask you to pay them to remove it or to give them remote access to your computer
• Ask you to read an authorization code texted to your mobile device back to them over the phone
• Ask you to deposit checks into your account and then send some of the money back to them
• Ask you to pay a fee to receive lottery winnings or prizes – this is ILLEGAL
• Contact you about an inheritance and offer to share the proceeds with you
• Contact you about an undelivered package and ask you to pay a fee to receive it
• Contact you out of the blue with threats or promises of money

When a scammer finally has you on the hook, they have one priority: to get your money before you realize what has happened and cancel the payment. They often do this by requesting payment in forms that are difficult to trace or cancel. If they request you make a payment in Bitcoin, gift cards/prepaid cash cards, or through P2P services like Venmo or Zelle, you should be extremely cautious, as these types of payments are difficult or impossible to reverse or cancel.

• Your card PIN
• The CVV (3 digits) on the back of your card
• Online banking information
• Passwords
• Social Security Numbers
• Mother’s maiden name
• Address
• Phone number
• Other private personal information not related to your account

• Never open attachments or click on links in texts or emails from unknown or questionable senders.
• Look at the sending email addresses.
• Always use caution when making transactions to individuals you haven’t met in person.
• Never share personal information – including financial accounts – with anyone.

IF YOU GET A CALL REFERENCING AN EMAIL OR TEXT THAT IS SUSPICIOUS, HANG UP AND CALL US AT (207) 282-4156. DO NOT CALL THE ORIGINAL NUMBER BACK.