Everyone likes to get a good deal. 

While there are plenty of great sales available online from reputable retailers, there are also many scammers out there offering bogus ones to try to steal your personal information and money. 

If you come across any offer online that seems too good to be true, that should be your first red flag to a possible scam.

Discover six more tips to help you avoid becoming a victim of an online shopping scam.

Tip 1: You can’t pay with a credit card or a secured payment service
The seller doesn’t offer a payment method through a credit card or a secured payment service, like PayPal. Instead, they only ask for payments through a money order, pre-loaded money card, or a wire transfer. This should be an indicator not to buy from this source.

Tip 2: Use caution when following links
Always give links a healthy amount of suspicion before you click on anything. If you don’t see “https” and a closed padlock symbol at the start of a URL, you shouldn’t enter payment information because the website isn’t secure. 

Tip 3: Beware of phishing
Phishing is a fraudulent practice where a hacker sends a message designed to trick a person into revealing sensitive information. Scammers often use this technique to disguise emails or text messages that look like they come from legitimate and well-known businesses with the hopes of finding victims that will send them personal information. If you notice misspelled words or if you feel something is off in a message, like the email address its from, contact the retailer through a phone number that you know is legitimate to check about the message.

Tip 4: Do your research first
If you see a great offer from a retailer you never heard of before, do some research to determine if it’s from a legitimate retailer. Check other online sources to see if they have things like a physical address, phone number, customer reviews, and a refund or return policy listed. If these things are missing or seem fabricated, the offer probably isn’t real, either.

Tip 5: Make sure your device is secure
Whatever device you use, make sure you have all of the latest updates downloaded and installed on it first before you start online shopping. If you avoid making updates to your device then you run a higher risk of becoming a victim to a new scam. It’s also a good practice to make sure your internet connection is secure and private as well.

Tip 6: Subscribe to Alerts in Digital Banking
Add Alerts to your UnitedOne Digital Banking account and you'll receive personalized notifications to your mobile device and/or email, like any time a withdrawal is made. This is a great way to track your account activity and help you notice any possible fraudulent activity with your account.

Tips for Spotting Fraud with Your UnitedOne Account

Keeping our members’ accounts secure is a top priority at UnitedOne Credit Union. Whether you are offline or online, please be vigilant with your account information at all times and the devices you access it on as well.

As technology changes and advances, so do the methods used by scammers and hackers to try to obtain and compromise your information. Individuals attempting to commit fraud may try to trick you by claiming to be someone they are not, including sending emails and texts or making phone calls from addresses and phone numbers that look legitimate.

If you are ever feel like somebody is posing wrongfully as a UnitedOne Credit Union employee, or if you suspect your financial safety has been compromised, please contact us immediately by calling (920) 684-0361 or (920) 451-8222.

Taking note of the ways UnitedOne and our partners will and won’t contact you can help you spot fraud and keep your account secure.

• UnitedOne will never call, email or contact you asking for your member ID, account number or Digital Banking password.
   
• UnitedOne will never contact you asking for your credit card or debit card number, PIN, or security code.
   
• To ensure UnitedOne employees are helping the correct member they may ask you questions that only you would be able to answer, like where did you use your card last or where does your direct deposit come from. These questions are for your protection.
   
• Neither our debit card nor our credit card provider will initiate contact by email regarding a problem with your card.
   
• As a UnitedOne debit card holder, you get the added protection to have fraud monitoring on your card. Our Visa Fraud Department may notify you if it notices any unusual transactions with your card. They may call or text to question if a transaction was authorized by you. If the answer is no, your card is shut down immediately. Your card may not work properly until confirmation of the transactions in question is received.

About UnitedOne

UnitedOne Credit Union has branches in Manitowoc and Sheboygan, and is open to everyone living or working in Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Kewaunee and Door counties. The credit union serves consumers and small to mid-sized businesses. 

When you join UnitedOne Credit Union, you become a member-owner of a not-for-profit financial institution with a history of success and service dating back more than 80 years. Our "We're here because you're here" philosophy continues to grow our reputation of strength, stability, service, and convenience today. We embrace a successful and straightforward member-owned cooperative mission: meet the financial needs of our members by empowering them with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions. That's the UnitedOne difference. 

To learn more about our services, contact us today! You can book an appointment online to see a Member Service Representative or Mortgage Specialist. You can also call us at 920-684-0361 or 920-451-8222.