Security Center

If a person you are unfamiliar with wants to pay you by check, cashier's check or money order and then requests you to wire a portion of the money back, beware! It’s a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.

There are numerous counterfeit check scams that have been around for years. It could start with someone offering to buy an item you posted for sale, or pay you to work at home, or even give you an “advance” on a prize you’ve allegedly won.

The checks look real but are actually counterfeit. Remember, you are responsible for the checks deposited in your account. There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back. If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashiers check for the exact amount, preferably from a local financial institution that has a branch in your area. Don’t ever provide your account information to them, and don’t deposit a check from someone you don’t expect. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!

Fraudulent e-mail messages are designed to mislead you into providing your personal and confidential information. You should be suspicious of any email that requests your personal or account information.

Most businesses, including Infuze Credit Union, will never use an e-mail to ask you to provide or verify your personal or account information. If an email asks for this type of information, presume it's fraudulent.

Many phishing emails try to deceive you with the threat that one of your accounts will be in danger if it’s not updated right away or that it has been compromised. An email that urgently requests you to supply sensitive personal information is typically fraudulent.

Phishing emails have a link that looks valid but directs you to a fraudulent site that may or may not have an URL different from the link. Check where a link is going by moving your mouse over the link in the e-mail and looking at the URL in the bottom bar of the browser. If it looks suspicious, don't click it.

Lastly, fake emails often, but may not always, contain misspellings, poor grammar, missing words, and gaps in logic. These types of mistakes help scammers avoid spam filters.

Many consumers don't know that P2P payment services have limited, if any, fraud protection. Once the money is sent, it’s gone.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) payment platforms — such as Zelle, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Facebook Payments and Cash App — make it convenient to send someone money from your checking account. Be careful though, as scammers target these services and you will likely have difficulty getting your money back should you be defrauded.