Cyber Corner

Not All Calls Can Be Trusted

Recently there has been an increase in phone scams and not all calls can be trusted.

Scammers have recently called CPM members and asked for their full Social Security numbers stating that there is an unusual charge on their card that they need to verify. The call even appears to come from CPM on caller-ID but the number you see has been spoofed and the call is not from CPM.

CPM WILL NEVER CALL AND ASK FOR YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, ACCOUNT NUMBER, USERNAME, PASSWORD etc. It is important to be vigilant in protecting yourself. If you provide your information or send money to a scammer, there is often very little we can do to assist you in getting your money back.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you receive a call:

• NEVER provide your online banking password, PIN number or social security number to anyone, on the phone or otherwise.
• CPM will NEVER call you and request personal information.
• No legitimate caller will ever ask for access to your account for any reason.
• Do not trust caller ID. Scammers are easily able to change the phone number that shows up on caller ID using commonly available apps. The number of the caller on your screen may not be the number you are speaking with.
• If you receive a call and feel that something is not quite right, hang up immediately, lookup the company separately, and initiate the call yourself to ensure you are speaking with a legitimate representative.
• In general, if someone you do not know is calling, and you are not expecting a call from them, you do not owe them any information or a conversation. Protect your personal information from everyone.

If you have responded to a phone scam, and you provided any confidential information regarding your banking passwords, PIN numbers or account number, please notify us as soon as possible at 800-255-1513.