欺诈sters are continuously adjusting their tactics to try to catch you off guard. That’s why your credit union is here to help you outsmart these scammers, by predicting what they might have up their sleeves as we head into summer.

假期和旅行, 毕业典礼, 婚礼的季节, and summer DIY projects are just a few reasons money circulates quickly during the summer months. Here are three types of fraud that are likely to heat up as the weather warms:

在家工作诈骗

As many begin to search for jobs in a slower job market post-graduation, fraudsters will roll up their sleeves to target young professionals seeking attractive work from home jobs. You may come across a job listing that looks like a legitimate opportunity, or a “recruiter” may reach out to you for a potential role that fits your expertise.¹ But once you finish a long interview process and get your job offer, 这才是真正的骗局.

在这些“在家工作”骗局中, your interviewer (or another representative from the phony company) will ask for your personal information under the guise of sending you a check to purchase equipment. The check they send is for more than the cost of the equipment you’re purchasing. When you wind up with a surplus after your shopping trip, the scammer will ask you to send the remainder back to them, 或者给别人. 如果你觉得这很可疑，那你是对的. 当它返回时, the check will bounce after 7-10 business days and you’ll be on the hook to cover the funds. 

脸谱网市场欺诈

While there are some great virtual garage sale finds on 脸谱网 Marketplace in the summer months, 不幸的是, scammers know the allure of getting something for a nice price and use it to their advantage. Some of the most popular forms of 脸谱网 Marketplace scams include trying to take the payment process offline so it can’t be traced or asking you to pay in an untraceable manner such as a gift card or cryptocurrency.² 类似于“在家工作”骗局, they may also overpay for an item using a check and ask you to reimburse them, only for their check to bounce and leave you on the hook for the funds.

Scammers may also post fake listings to entice you to pay them for an item you’ll never receive, ask you to send them an item they want before they submit payment, or ask you to text them a four-digit code to “prove you’re real,” only to use that code to compromise your account using two-factor authentication. 还记得, if a buyer's or seller’s behavior is setting off internal alarm bells, it’s better to step away from the sale now rather than be sorry later.

伪造支票

Though check payments aren’t as common as they used to be, that doesn’t mean scammers aren’t out looking for any loophole they can find.

第一个, a seemingly old-school technique on the rise involves snatching checks right from your mailbox. Around graduation time, thieves know many people receive and send checks to their loved ones. So, 如果他们能读心术，把握好时间, they will drive right up to your mailbox and take the ingoing or outgoing checks from you. Then, they take it home to “wash” it with a cleaning product to dissolve the ink, 想给谁就给谁, 然后更改金额.³

第二个, another type of scam revolves around getting you to deposit funds that then need to be wired somewhere else, 却发现你存的支票被退票了. This can take the form of the Work From 首页 scam detailed above, but some enterprising scammers will “hire” you as a personal assistant or mystery shopper to buy gift cards, 然后把信用卡密码发给他们.⁴ 礼品卡用完了, 他们给你空头支票, and you’re left responsible for covering the missing funds from your account.

那么你该如何保护自己呢?

Being aware of these summer scams is the most important means of protection – simply being alert to the possibility of this type of fraud on the rise. Here are some ways to be extra careful this season:

1. 在网上寻找潜在的雇主, and if you feel unsure about their digital presence, find the company’s phone number and call them for more information on their current openings. 
2. Double-check buyer and seller reviews on 脸谱网 Marketplace, and make sure you’re dealing with people local to you if possible. 
3. Avoid sending checks from your home by mailing checks from your post office. You can also sign up for the free Informed Delivery service through USPS to receive emails of images for everything that will be delivered to your home that day, 这样你就知道会发生什么了.
4. Avoid depositing a check from anyone you don’t know and trust. 

Have questions or need assistance reporting a scam?

我们的信用合作社专家随时为您服务. Contact 利记app官网 for support of all your financial needs — and stay safe this summer!

^{来源:1. FTC.gov, http://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/05/want-work-home-spot-scams-first 2. Kim Komando http://www.komando.com/security-privacy/facebook-marketplace-scams/865731/ 3. Bankrate.com, http://www.bankrate.com/banking/common-types-of-bank-account-fraud/#check-fraud 4. 联邦贸易委员会消费者谘询， http://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-report-fake-check-scams#Types}