Fraud Prevention Tips

Current Frauds & Scams (Updated April 2025)

• Imposter Frauds: Imposters may pose as someone you trust or an official agency to gain your confidence, but their goal is to steal your personal information or money—always verify their identity before responding.
• Online Shopping Scams: Scammers create fake websites and apps to steal your money and information, so protect yourself by using official retailer platforms, reading return policies, using credit cards for purchases, and regularly monitoring your account activity.
• Fake Check Scams: Fake check scams involve scammers sending fraudulent checks and asking for a portion back in untraceable payments, leaving you responsible for the funds when the check bounces—always verify checks and avoid sending money or gift cards to strangers.
• UPS/FedEx/USPS Scams: These scams use deceptive text messages—often pretending to be from USPS or other trusted sources—to trick you into clicking links and revealing personal or financial information, which can then be used for identity theft or fraud.

Debit & Credit Card Fraud

• LSCU will never contact you and ask you to provide sensitive card information. If you are contacted and feel unsure, please end the call immediately and contact us directly.
• If you plan to make a purchase using your card online or over the phone, verify the merchant and make sure you fully understand the payment charges. When shopping online, read all the fine print (which legally are required to be made known to you), including Terms & Agreements.
• If you are traveling or making purchases outside the U.S., or if you plan to make a larger than normal purchase on your card, contact us so that we can note this when monitoring Member card activity.
• PIN (debit) transactions make it more difficult to commit fraud. Your PIN should never be given to anyone and if it is written down, keep it in a secure location. When choosing a PIN it is best to avoid easily identifiable numbers such as the last four of your SSN, birthday, address, etc.

We monitor debit card activity in ‘real time’ on our Members’ behalf. If we notice suspicious activity on a card, we may freeze your card to prevent further charges; however, due to the large amount of daily card activity, suspicious transactions may not be immediately noticed. If your card has been compromised, we will notify you along with any needed next steps. It is always best to check your account activity daily to verify purchases and deposits. If you notice a suspicious transaction on your debit or credit card, please contact us immediately.

Online & Email Fraud

Regular email is not a secure communication method and your account information cannot be guaranteed. If you contact LSCU by email, please refrain from including any account numbers or SSNs. Our employees always secure emails containing any account or sensitive information prior to sending them. All emails from LSCU will always contain “@lonestarcu.org” as the email address domain. If you are concerned about the legitimacy of an email you’ve received, please do not click on any links and contact us for verification.

Where to Report Frauds & Scams

• Report anything you think may be a fraud, scam, or bad business practice to the FTC.
• Report unwanted calls from telemarketers and register your number on the national Do Not Call Registry via the FTC.
• Report a suspected investment fraud or a problem with your investments to the SEC or report a potentially fraudulent, illegal, or unethical investment activity to FINRA.
• Report a suspected financial/economic crime or fraud to the FBI (e.g., mortgage fraud or investment fraud).