Phishing

Phishing is when someone uses fake emails, calls, or texts to get you to share valuable personal information, like account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and passwords.

Phishing emails are among the most common forms of phishing. If you receive an email from a seemingly legitimate organization, which may include an authentic-looking sender address and/or official organization logos, look at it closely for the following tell-tale signs of phishing:

• The email asks for your personal account information and threatens negative action if you don’t provide it.
• The email is generically addressed or uses nonsensical phrases.
• The email includes a link and says you must click on it.

OUR TIP

If you suspect fraud, flag the email as phishing immediately.

Check Washing & Cooking

Check washing is when scammers steal physical checks from mailboxes and use chemicals to rewrite the recipient's name, amount, etc.

Check cooking is when scammers capture photos of checks and digitally alter them so they can be deposited by someone else.

• Consider using digital payment methods, like card payments and Zelle®. JHCU offers online bill pay so you can easily and securely make single or recurring payments to any company, organization, or individual.
• If you prefer to use physical checks, we recommend dropping off your check at the nearest post office and monitoring your account for any suspicious transactions afterward.

Employment Scams

Employment scams often come in the form of fake websites, unsolicited emails, and deceptive phone calls. Scammers may use remote interview tools such as Zoom or social media to appear legitimate.

If you’re suspicious about a company’s legitimacy, you can check a company’s record with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at www.bbb.org or search scam reports using BBB’s Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us.

• Job offers from strangers, seemingly out of nowhere
• High pay for little work
• Requests for money or personal information
• Pressure to act quickly
• Emails that aren't tied to a specific company's address (such as @gmail.com or @yahoo.com)

OUR TIP

If you or someone you know was targeted by a job scam, file a complaint with the FTC, your state Attorney General, and your local consumer protection agency.

Payment App Scams

Scammers will often pose as people you know, or think you know, to convince you to send them money without thinking twice about it. 

How do they do this? Scammers will comb through your profile on payment apps, keeping an eye out for recurring names and transactions that you might not think twice about. The scammer then creates a profile on the same app and makes it look exactly like an existing friend in hopes you don’t look too closely.

• JHCU will never ask you to transfer money through a payment app
• Review all requests for payment
• Only send money to those you personally know and trust
• Set your profile and transactions to private

Unknown Numbers

Before responding to any message you are unfamiliar with, take a moment to examine it.

• Do I know this person/number?
• Did I place this order?
• Is this offer too good to be true?
• Is everything spelled correctly (Ex, Is there an “s” in Johns Hopkins?)

Retailer Impersonations

We will NEVER ask you to confirm a transaction you didn't make by responding 'yes'. If you receive a call asking you to do so, it's likely a fraudulent attempt to deceive you. Stay vigilant and never disclose personal or financial information to anyone you're unsure of.