At Union Savings Bank, we believe that awareness is an important part of fraud prevention. By recognizing common scams, verifying unexpected requests and taking advantage of available digital banking security features, you can take practical steps to help protect yourself.

How Today’s Scams Work

Scams can arrive through email, text messages, phone calls, social media or fraudulent websites. While the delivery method may vary, many scams follow the same pattern: gain your trust, create a sense of urgency and convince you to share personal information or send money.

Here are some common scams to watch for:

• Phishing: Fraudulent emails designed to trick you into clicking a link, sharing information or taking another action.
• Smishing: Scam text messages that may impersonate a bank, business or government agency.
• Vishing: Fraudulent phone calls intended to pressure you into revealing information or sending money.
• Bank impersonation scams: Messages claiming suspicious activity has been detected on your account, often directing you to a link or phone number controlled by scammers.
• Family emergency scams: Messages claiming a loved one is injured, stranded or in legal trouble to pressure you into sending money before verifying the situation.
• Fake job and payment scams: Scenarios in which someone receives a check and is instructed to deposit it and send part of the money elsewhere. If the original check is later returned, the victim may already have sent their own money to the scammer.

The common thread is manipulation. Scammers want you to react before you have time to think critically or verify what you are being told.

How AI Is Making Scams More Convincing

Artificial intelligence is helping scammers make familiar tactics faster, easier to produce and more believable.

AI can be used to create realistic emails, text messages and websites, as well as convincing images, videos and cloned voices. A message may appear professional, and a caller may sound like someone you know, even when the communication is fraudulent.

Traditional warning signs, such as spelling mistakes, poor grammar and unprofessional-looking websites, are no longer as reliable as they once were.

A familiar voice, logo or website is not proof that a communication is legitimate.

Instead of relying on how authentic something looks or sounds, verify unexpected requests independently.

For example:

• If a message claims to be from your bank, use the phone number on the back of your debit card or contact the bank through its established website or app.
• If someone claims to be a family member in an emergency, hang up and call the phone number you already have saved for that person.
• Consider establishing a family verification word or question to help confirm someone’s identity in an emergency.

When something unexpected happens, step outside the original communication and use a trusted way to verify it.

Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore

Whether a scam arrives by email, text or phone, certain behaviors should prompt you to stop and take a closer look.

Watch for:

• Unexpected requests for money or personal information.
• Pressure to act immediately.
• Requests to keep a situation secret.
• Changes to payment instructions.
• Offers that seem too good to be true.
• Requests for your password or a one-time security verification code.

A scammer may claim that a verification code is needed to confirm your identity. Sharing it could allow someone to complete a login, payment or password reset.

Never share your password or a one-time security code with an unexpected caller or contact. Union Savings Bank will never reach out and ask you to provide a verification code that the bank sends to your phone.

If a request feels unusual, stop the conversation. Do not use the phone number or link included in the suspicious message. Contact the person or organization independently through a trusted channel.

Remember three simple steps: Stop. Verify. Then act.

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud

Even careful people can fall victim to a convincing scam. If you think you have shared personal information, approved unauthorized access or sent money to a scammer, acting quickly is essential.

Take these steps:

1. Contact your bank. If your Union Savings Bank account or a payment was involved, contact the bank promptly so the situation can be reviewed and steps can be taken to secure your account.
2. Change exposed passwords. Update any passwords you may have shared. If you reused the same or a similar password on other accounts, change those as well.
3. Review account activity. Look for unfamiliar transactions or changes to your account information. Do not approve unexpected login attempts or multifactor authentication requests.
4. Report the incident. Depending on the situation, consider reporting fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or your local police.
5. Continue monitoring your accounts and credit. Watch for additional suspicious activity after the initial incident.

Do not let embarrassment keep you from reporting what happened. Scams are deliberately designed to manipulate people, and reporting an incident quickly may help limit further harm.

Use Digital Banking Tools to Help Protect Your Money

Recognizing scams is one part of fraud prevention. Monitoring your accounts and using available security features can help you identify suspicious activity and respond sooner.

Union Savings Bank offers digital banking tools that can help you monitor your accounts, manage your debit card and stay informed about activity.

1. Turn On Account Alerts and Security Notifications

Alerts are among the easiest ways to stay informed about activity on your accounts. Depending on your settings, notifications can help you monitor:

• Repeated unsuccessful sign-in attempts.
• Password resets and changes to usernames, contact information or account settings.
• Low balances.
• Transfers and other money movement.

These notifications can help you spot activity you do not recognize and investigate it sooner.

Review your alert settings and enable the security-related notifications that make sense for your accounts. Alerts are available through USB digital banking on both the website and mobile app.

2. Take Advantage of Debit Card Controls

If your debit card is lost, misplaced or involved in suspicious activity, you may be able to temporarily freeze it through digital banking.

Union Savings Bank’s debit card controls also allow customers to manage features such as:

• Temporarily turning a card off and back on.
• Reporting a card as lost or stolen.
• Changing a PIN.
• Setting spending and ATM withdrawal limits.
• Managing geographic and international transaction controls.

These features can help you respond quickly if something seems wrong, without having to wait until you can speak with someone at the bank.

3. Monitor Payments and Transfers

Digital banking tools can provide additional visibility into how money moves between accounts.

For example, Bill Pay alerts can help you monitor changes to payees, while external transfer alerts can notify you when accounts are added or modified or when transfers are initiated.

When using Zelle or another payment service, be especially careful with unexpected or urgent requests. Because payments can move quickly, verify unusual requests before sending money.

Only send money through Zelle to people you know and trust.

4. Review Your Spending and Credit Activity

Regularly reviewing your financial activity can help you recognize transactions or changes that do not fit your usual patterns.

Union Savings Bank’s digital banking experience includes tools such as Credit Score Insights and Spending Insights, which can help you monitor your financial activity.

• Credit Score Insights can help you keep an eye on changes in your credit profile. Unexpected changes or an unfamiliar new credit account may warrant further investigation.
• Spending Insights can help you understand your spending patterns and review activity across your accounts. Unfamiliar merchants, unexpected purchases or recurring charges may be worth a closer look.

The more familiar you are with your normal financial activity, the easier it may be to recognize something that does not belong.

Make Fraud Prevention Part of Your Routine

Fraud prevention works best when awareness and technology work together. Small habits can help you stay informed and better prepared to respond to suspicious activity.

Here are five actions to prioritize:

• Enable account alerts and use debit card controls.
• Review account activity regularly.
• Monitor your credit profile.
• Keep usernames, passwords and verification codes private.
• Report suspicious activity promptly.

You can also visit the Union Savings Bank Security Center, located under the Help Center section of our website, for information about common scams, phishing and spoofing, mobile device security, social media risks and other ways to protect your information.

Stay Informed. Stay Vigilant. Stay One Step Ahead.

Scammers will continue to evolve their tactics, and AI is making some fraudulent communications harder to distinguish from legitimate ones. But taking time to verify unexpected requests, recognizing warning signs and using digital banking security features can help reduce your risk.

If you remember one thing, make it this: Do not let urgency replace verification. Stop, verify and then act.

Want to learn more about recognizing scams and protecting your accounts? Watch our full cybersecurity presentation, Stay One Step Ahead: Protecting Yourself From Today’s Scams, for additional insights and practical tips.

Watch the full presentation on our YouTube channel.