Common types of scams will target you through text messages, emails, voice calls, letters or potentially even someone who shows up at your front door. No matter which strategy the fraudster uses, you may be:

• Contacted by phone, email, text, direct message with a request for personal information or money. Never click a link or download an attachment from someone you don't know. Pioneer Valley Credit Union will never text, email or call you asking for personal or account information.
• Check Fraud is a category of criminal acts involving the unlawful use of checks in order to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do not exist. Methods involve taking advantage of the float (the time between the negotiation of the check and its clearance at the check writer's financial institution) to draw out these funds. Specific instances of check fraud include check kiting, where funds are deposited before the end of the float period to cover the fraud, and paper hanging, where the float offers the opportunity to write fraudulent check but the account is never replenished.
• Pressured to act with an alarming phone call, email or text that plays with your emotions. Fraudsters may pose as a representative from an organization you have a relationship with, such as Pioneer Valley Credit Union, and say there's a problem that requires immediate attention. Do not move forward until you have verified the person who has contacted you and the story or request is legitimate.
• Asked to pay in an unusual way, like gift cards, bitcoin, prepaid debit cards or digital currency, to resolve fraud. Pioneer Valley Credit Union will never ask you to transfer money to anyone and will never ask you to transfer money because we detected fraud on your account.
• Asked to provide personal or account information, such as an account verification code, bank account number or PIN. When in doubt, don't give it out. Pioneer Valley Credit Union will never text, email or call you asking for an account authorization code.
• Offered a free product or other opportunity that seems too good to be true. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Never cash a check for someone you don't know.

If you authorize a transfer or send money to a scammer, there's often little we can do to help get your money back.