Stay Vigilant. Stay Safe. Stay Ahead of the Scammers.

Digital scams are on the rise and they're getting more sophisticated. As scammers continue to develop new and ever-more sophisticated techniques to trick consumers, be on the lookout for the following telltale signs for a scam:

"Act Now" or Else!

Messages like the one below urge you to "Act Now" or "Make an Immediate Payment" or else you will be hit with severe punishment. The message is bogus as is the Administrative Code, Bit.ly URL to mask the true destination, and empty threats. 

If you receive an urgent message, do not act or click any links. If you're truly unsure, contact the business or entity directly using trusted sources – never from the message in question.

Grammatical Errors & Strange Design

Be cautious if you receive messages containing numerous grammatical errors. In this example, it's phishing because:

1) All of NASA is not capitalized
2) Multiple actions are listed if you respond with "No"
3) Random capitalization and inconsistent punctuation

When you respond, fraudsters will contact you posing as a NASA Federal employee and attempt to extract personal information from you. Then they'll use that information to access your accounts.

Urgent Notices

Impulse and panic are a fraudster's best friend. Most scams (like in this example below) include a time element used to create a false sense of urgency. They want you to act quickly and not think.

If you ever receive an 'urgent' message from NASA Federal, do not click any links. Instead, log directly in to your NASA Federal account to view or send messages.

Generic Greetings & Suspicious Links or Attachments

Fraudsters love to take shortcuts. It's easier to send mass texts/emails without your name featuring companies we all use.

Be cautious if you receive communication containing blurry logos, strange design, grammatical errors, suspicious links, and downloadable software. These are always a phishing scam – delete ASAP. 

"Too Good To Be True" Offers

Whether it's a high-paying job, investment opportunity, or a chance at romance, dangling "too good to be true" offers is a way fraudsters use social engineering to gain access to your accounts.

In this example, a recruiter (with an email that doesn't include her name or company), offers a low-work job with robust pay and benefits. They ask the recipient to respond via text to establish rapport and a line of communication in hopes of gaining access to your information and inevitably, your money.

Stay Vigilant in the Fight Against Fraud

At NASA Federal Credit Union, we’re committed to helping you spot common signs of fraud and protect what matters most: your financial well-being. If you receive a call, text, or email that you think may not really be from NASA Federal, DO NOT RESPOND.

Do not click links, open attachments, or provide other personal information like passwords, PINs, or account numbers. Simply delete. The best way to fight against fraud is to pause and think. 

If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam or suspect fraud on your account, contact us immediately at 1-888-NASA-FCU.