Cyber Security

There are many ways in which bad actors may ‘steal’ your money other than just physical theft:

a person sitting in front of a laptop computer.

Check Fraud

Involves scams in which you are tricked into accepting a fraudulent check but the actual processed funds are obtained by the bad actor and you are left with a monetary loss.

a close up of a credit card on a computer keyboard.

Debit / Credit Card Fraud

Occurs when a bad actor obtains your actual credit/debit card or the information on the card to create another card and uses it against your actual funds in your account.

a man in a suit pressing a button on a touch screen.

Phishing / Pharming / Pretexting

Occurs when a bad actor tricks you into giving them your account information, usually through email or phone, which may eventually lead to identity theft and a monetary loss.

Know the best ways to avoid being scammed

Don’t respond to communication. If you’re not 100% certain of the source of the call, email, or text, then hang up the phone, don’t click on the link in the email, and don’t reply to the text message.

Don’t trust caller ID or answer phone calls from unknown numbers. If you recognize the caller ID but the call seems suspicious, hang up the phone. Phone numbers can be easily spoofed to appear to be from a legitimate caller.

Don’t give out your information. Never provide any personally identifiable information unless you originate the call.

Research and validate the contact. If the individual or organization seems suspicious, make sure the request being made is legitimate by an official line of communication.

A reminder: Ozarks Federal will never ask you to send us personal information such as an account number, Social Security number, or Tax ID over text, email, or online.