Education » Articles » Fraud Alert UW Credit Union Impersonators
Fraud Alert: credit union impersonators
Con artists are at it again. This time they're posing as credit unions and convincing
members to give them deposits and personal information.
Phony Newspaper Ads
Watch out for phony newspaper ads. Some have advertised:
- incredibly low loan rates
- hassle-free approval process
- free and confidential consultations
- toll-free 866 phone number
Phony Web Sites
Pay close attention to Web addresses. To impersonate a Web site, a con artist sets
up a Web site appearing identical to a local credit union's site. Users don't notice
the difference between their credit union's legitimate Web address and the phony
one, which often uses believable-sounding letter combinations. The thief then place
ads in newspapers directing members to the phony site or a phone number, where members
are prompted to give personal information that could be used to steal their money
and other assets.
Note: When you visit our Web Branch site,
verify that the address (URL) is webbranch.uwcu.org and leads with "https://" (this
means that the site is secure and encrypted).
Victims Suffer Losses
Victims of these scams have lost hefty deposits. In addition, personal information
given to these thieves could be used to steal consumers' money and assets.
Contact Us
If you've seen a fraudulent ad or Web site for UW Credit Union or any other credit
union, please notify us immediately. You should also report it to the FBI and the
National Credit Union Administration's Fraud Hotline at 800-827-9650.
