Beware of Account Takeovers

Account Takeovers (ATOs) have been a growing concern in recent years and could play a significant threat to the security of your online accounts. ATO occurs when cybercriminals steal your usernames and passwords to commit fraud, usually through social engineering methods like phishing, vishing, and smishing attacks, or data breaches where Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is compromised. This can lead to fraudsters impersonating you and gaining access to your financial accounts or changing your account settings to conduct fraudulent activities.

ATO is not limited to merchant data breaches, and recent reports show that smaller, local merchants are now more likely to be compromised than in years past. To minimize losses, reacting to fraud events quickly is critical.

Phishing schemes are becoming increasingly targeted and more difficult to identify than in the past. Vishing and smishing are also sophisticated methods used by cybercriminals to deceive you into revealing critical information and disregarding legitimate fraud warnings. To prevent ATO, you must be vigilant about your online activities and never provide personal information easily.

To protect yourself, do not respond to automated messages, calls, texts, or emails. Instead, contact the company in question, using the official customer service number on your card or the company’s legitimate website. Do not click on links in text messages and always keep two-factor authentication codes private.

At Neighbors United, we take the security of your personal information very seriously. We want to remind our members that we will never ask for sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, PIN, or one-time passcodes, through unsolicited phone calls, texts, or emails. Please be wary of any communication that asks for this type of information, as it may be a phishing attempt to gain access to your accounts.

If you ever have concerns about the authenticity of a communication claiming to be from Neighbors United, please contact us directly by visiting a branch or calling (864) 941-8900.