Money Matters

The Column - September 16, 2021

….WOULD NEVER DO THAT!

The sentence usually begins with, My Mom…., My Dad…., My Grandma…., etc. And it always finishes with “…would never do that!”.

What didn’t they do? Supposedly not fall for a scam. Wire money to a person they’ve never met, give large amounts of cash to a stranger who is threatening them, or withdrawal a substantial amount of money to buy gift cards to settle a fraudulent claim.

Experience shows that fraudsters take advantage of inborn trust making us vulnerable to false pleas for help or claims for payment based on false accusations. The problem compounds if we are too embarrassed to admit what happened to our closest family.

Unfortunately, the staff at the Credit Union, way too often, must be the bearer of bad news to these family members that “…yes they did do that.”

If you are the trusted family member of an elderly grandparent, parent, sibling, or just a close friend, watch for signs of unusual behavior. And if you suspect something, say something! It’s never too late to intervene and unless you do, the fraudsters will keep coming back to the well.

CASH APP SCAMS

Cash apps like Venmo, Zelle and CashApp are great for their convenience. But as with all things involving money, scammers are lurking in the shadows. Here’s how to keep yourself (and your money) safe when using cash apps.

Be Detail Oriented
The sad truth about cash apps is that once the money is sent, it’s pretty much gone. As NBC News notes, under the current law, once money is sent it’s an “authorized transaction,” and there is no legal way to retrieve the funds. That means the more detail-oriented you can be, the better. Before you send money, triple check usernames, phone numbers, everything. If you can confirm that you’re sending money to the right person with a picture on their profile, even better.

Don’t Use It for Products
One big red flag that you’re hooked into a cash app scam? You’re using it to purchase something from a retailer. Retailers typically don’t use cash apps for the legal reasons cited above.

Keep it Personal
An easy way to make sure you don’t get involved in a cash app scam is to only use the apps for transactions with friends and loved ones. Never send money to a person you don’t know personally.

Watch out for Promises
One tactic scammers are using with cash apps is to promise a large sum of money later, in exchange for a smaller sum now. Essentially, someone will message you claiming that if you send $50 to them today, they’ll send you $500 in a week. Obviously that money never comes. Once again, never trust anyone you don’t know with your cash app funds.

These tips and many more are available through our Credit Sense service which can be accessed via Online or Mobile Banking.

AUTO LENDING

In addition to our great auto rates, this is a friendly reminder that our loan officers can also provide you with a prequalification, and detailed information of what you should expect to pay for a new automobile. Do not subject yourself to a bad deal, come see us first. Once you sign a contract with a dealer we can no longer assist! It only takes a few moments to plan ahead and let us help you get the best deal possible.

In addition, do you have an automobile that you would like to trade-in for a newer vehicle? We can provide you with a KBB trade-in value of what you can expect to receive for your used vehicle.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Look for the bright spot and move yourself toward it. There always is a bright spot.  Learn to see it. Learn to value it, and you will learn to succeed."  - Ralph Marston