"Do you want to make money with a few quick and easy steps? Click here for your cash now!” We see click-bait advertisements, emails, and videos like this all the time, and we want to believe the claims they make. Fraudsters understand human nature and use our desire for easy solutions to our money problems to entice us to click on a link. If you do though, you’ll definitely come to regret it.

While there are many ways to make money – some even online, the quick and easy way is more apt to leave you high and dry! One scam that has been trending, is known as “Card Cracking.” Card crackers primarily target social media consumers with opportunities to make fast cash. They tell you that all they need is your account or card number and you’ll be a couple thousand dollars richer. Next, the Card Cracker deposits a fraudulent check into your account and withdraws the funds – leaving you a small service fee for your “trouble.” Unfortunately for you, you’ve now become an active participant, with a flagged finance account. Ouch! 

You might ask, “How could I have known that the check was fraudulent?!” You can keep an eye out for signs that you’re dealing with a fraudster. The biggest tell-tale is that permissible business transactions are seldom conducted through social media.

We know that sometimes you may be pressed for cash and find yourself in a financial pinch, but we don’t want you to fall victim to any scam that has the potential to make a temporary situation permanent. So, trust your gut and report suspicious activity as soon as you detect trouble.

We have a few more key tips and identifiers to keep you cool, calm, and collected when faced with a possible scam.

Stay-Safe Tips:

  1. Always be wary of any emails, messages, or phone calls that request confidential information, like your account numbers, login IDs, PINs and passwords, or any other personally identifiable information.
  2. Ask the caller for their name and number so you can call them back. If this number doesn’t match the one they called you from, it’s a major red flag.
  3. Don't feel pressured into providing information if the caller uses scare tactics, such as threatening to disable your account.
  4. Never click on links in an email or text unless you are absolutely certain who sent it.
  5. Frequently review your account history for any unusual transactions.