Avoiding Targeted Social Media Scams

Over the past few years, social media financial scams of multiple varieties have become more frequent. In fact, Citadel members have been targets of social media scams, and this scamming continues to occur across multiple regions and involves a variety of financial institutions.

One of the most common types of social media scams is when an individual is asked to surrender personal information in order to provide access to their bank account(s). The fraudsters tell the victim they will deposit money into their accounts, then deposit fraudulent checks via ATMs. These scams are sometimes positioned as “work from home” opportunities to make money.

Citadel offers tips to avoid this type of scam:

1. Legitimate businesses or employers will not ask for your account information. Never allow another individual to use your account or have access to your account information. These folks may promise you’ll make money, but ultimately, their promises are fraudulent, so refrain from answering suspicious requests via social media.
2. If information is shared, you can be held responsible. When account or personal information is willingly shared with another individual, the victim can face monetary losses, civil action, and possible criminal charges.
3. Keep your information as secure as possible. To keep your accounts safe from other types of fraud or scams, create strong passwords/PINs, keep your cards secure, and report suspicious activity to Citadel immediately.
4. Download Citadel Card Control: Citadel Card Control allows you to set controls and manage your Citadel debit and credit cards from a centralized location with the Mobile Banking App. Learn more: CitadelBanking.com/CardControl.
5. Sign up for account alerts: Citadel offers account alerts and eAlerts through Online and Mobile Banking to help members monitor spending behaviors, fraudulent activity, and more.
6. Consider purchasing ID Theft services: Consider signing up for credit file monitoring and identity theft protection through a trusted party. Learn More about how to protect yourself against Identify Theft through Citadel.

Staying informed and adopting smart fraud prevention practices will go a long way toward protecting your identity. Between your efforts and Citadel's security offerings, you should be able to stay a step ahead of identity thieves.