WASHINGTON–Credit unions are being encouraged to warn their members of increasing attempts by fraudsters to scam people under the guise of some sort of issue or assistance related to the coronavirus pandemic or the various aid programs the government has announced.
Scammers have been posing as a government workers or government agencies and using email, texts, phone calls and more to solicit personal data from members. According to authorities, this is especially true with scams related to the $1,200 stimulus checks being sent to most Americans. As part of the scam the fraudsters say they need a person’s banking/credit union account information, PayPal account numbers, or Social Security Numbers to process their government stimulus payments.
Seniors Being Targeted
The FBI has issued a number of warnings, and said seniors are being especially targeted.
“There’s a lot of phishing scams that try to get you to click on a link. If you don’t recognize it don’t click on it,” warned FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono. “This is a high priority for us. If someone thinks they see a scam or know someone, please get a hold of us and use tips.fbi.gov.”
Separately, the FBI’s San Diego office said on Twitter scammers are texting about offers of "goodies" from Costco, saying it's part of a COVID-19 "stimulus package" for the store's "loyal customers."