Beware of scammers asking you to move money to “protect” your account

Fraudsters are always looking for new ways to gain access to people’s money, and one scam is becoming increasingly common: callers pretending to be from a financial institution and asking members to move money out of their account.

The call may start with something that sounds legitimate, such as a request to “verify a suspicious transaction” on your debit or credit card. The caller may sound professional, knowledgeable or urgent. Their goal is to gain your trust and convince you to take action before you have time to think it through.

How the scam works

In this type of scam, the fraudster may tell you your account is at risk and that you need to move your money to a “safe” account. They may instruct you to:

• Log in to online banking
• Use a transfer feature, such as Transfer to Another Member
• Enter a member account number and last name they provide
• Transfer funds to the account they claim will protect your money

Once the transfer is complete, the funds may be quickly withdrawn and difficult or impossible to recover.

How to protect yourself

The most important thing to remember is this: Solarity Credit Union will never ask you to move money to another account to protect your funds. We will also never ask for your online banking password.

To help keep your accounts safe:

• Never make a withdrawal, deposit or transfer at the direction of someone who called you unexpectedly
• Never share your online banking username, password, PIN or card security code
• Do not rely on caller ID, which can be spoofed to make a call look legitimate
• If a call feels suspicious, hang up immediately
• Contact Solarity directly using our official phone number to verify any claims or report activity you were not expecting

What to do if you receive a suspicious call

If someone calls claiming there is a problem with your account and asks you to move money, stop and hang up. Then contact Solarity directly before taking any action.

If you believe you may have been targeted by this scam, or if you already completed a transaction after receiving a suspicious call, please call us right away. The sooner we know, the sooner we can help review your account and discuss next steps.