Stay Alert This Holiday Season: Don’t Let Scammers Spoil Your Festivities
The holiday season brings extra messages, purchases and deliveries, which also means more attempts by scammers to trick people. Criminals take advantage of busy schedules and try to create panic or urgency to get personal information.
Recognizing a Scam
A common scam might look like this:
“Marshfield Medical CU alerts: your ____ acct# has been disabled due to recent activities.”
This is not legitimate. It uses urgent language, claims something is wrong and tries to get you to act fast. Real institutions will not ask for sensitive information through unsolicited texts, emails or calls.
Common Holiday Scam Types
- Phishing: Emails pretending to be from trusted senders.
- Smishing: Fake texts asking you to click a link or respond with details.
- Vishing: Calls claiming your account is at risk and asking for information.
- Fake websites: Pages designed to look real so they can collect your login data.
- Holiday themed tricks: Shipping notices, charity requests, gift card demands or fake deals.
How to Protect Yourself
- Treat unexpected messages about account problems as suspicious.
- Do not click links or call numbers sent through unsolicited messages.
- Never provide your username, password, Social Security number or PIN in response to an unexpected request.
- Use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.
- Keep an eye on your accounts for unusual activity.
- Use secure payment methods when shopping or traveling.
If You Believe You Were Targeted
- Contact your financial institution right away.
- Report suspicious messages to the proper authorities.
- Consider placing a freeze on your credit if sensitive information was shared.
- Remember that scammers rely on panic and urgency. Taking a moment to pause can prevent a problem before it starts.
Staying alert helps protect your information during a busy time of year. When something feels off, trust your instincts and reach out directly using a verified phone number (715-387-8686) or website.