MEMBER ADVISORY: Reports of Spoofing Calls About Money Transfer Apps

SESLOC members are reporting receiving spoofed phone calls from scammers requesting bank account information. The caller ID is manipulated to look like it is coming from a SESLOC Credit Union number. On the call, the scammer will pretend to be a SESLOC team member and claim there was an issue using a payment app, such as Chime or CashApp. From there, they may ask for access to your personal information or account information.

These calls are fake. SESLOC Credit Union will NEVER call to request personal or account information. 

The attackers are attempting to get you to reveal personal identifiable information, which may then be used to commit financial fraud or identity theft. Unfortunately, these incidents are becoming more common.

CashApp notes: “Cash App will never ask you for your sign-in code or PIN. If someone contacts you claiming to be from Cash App and asks for personal information, don’t respond.” According to Chime: “Chime team members will never ask you to download apps or send money through Pay Anyone. If you see an ad suggesting this, it’s a scam.”

If you have received a suspicious message, please report the incident to the California Franchise Tax Board at 800-852-5711, or by using their Fraud Referral Report. Notifying the board helps them keep tabs on suspicious activity and can help shut down scams as they pop up.

You may also:

• Take a screenshot of a text message, email message or webpage and send to us via Secure Message in Online Banking or via Live Chat on sesloc.org. To access our website, ALWAYS type https://sesloc.org in your internet browser.
• Call SESLOC at (805) 543-1816 by dialing the number on your keypad to verify if a message is valid. Do not click on a past incoming call from your call log history.
• Report a suspicious phone call, email, text or pop-up ad to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• Be prepared. Read the Federal Communications Commission guide on Phone Spoofing. 

Check out these articles for more tips:

• • Avoid Money Transfer App Scams!
  • How to Identify and Avoid America’s Top Scams
  • AI Scams are on the Rise
  • Protect Yourself From Common Money Scams
  • 5 Ways to Protect Yourself From SMiShing Attacks
  • The Growing Threat of Phishing
  • Four Common Mobile Security Threats
  • 4 Steps to Protect Yourself Online