An important warning for all of our members: We’re seeing an increase in a specific type of fraud scam where the scammer pretends to be our fraud department. These calls and texts can even appear to be coming from our legitimate phone numbers, which is called “spoofing.”

Here’s how the scam works:

• You receive an unexpected call or text about a suspicious charge on your account.
• When you say you didn’t make the charge, the scammer claims your account is compromised and offers to help.
• To gain your trust, they may insist that our branches have been compromised or that an “insider” is stealing from you and that you should not come in and speak to us in person.
• They then pressure you to take immediate action, such as downloading an app or providing your account number, debit/credit card number, passwords, or online banking security questions. They may even keep you on the phone for hours to prevent you from calling us directly.

Remember, VLFCU will NEVER ask you to download an app (other than our own mobile app) to resolve a fraud issue. We will also NEVER ask for your passwords, account numbers, or online banking security questions. Most importantly, our branches have NOT been compromised.

If you receive a suspicious call like this, hang up immediately. Then, call us directly at 800-691-9299 to verify. Trust your instincts — if a call feels off, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.