Members of STCU warned about Email Phishing Scam

STCU is warning their members about the bogus emails, which asks the members to log-in into their STCU accounts. STCU says although these emails are official-looking but they are in reality fake, and so the members should avoid these emails. STCU further added that both the members as well as the non-members received these bogus emails in the early part of December.

As per the STCU, scam artists seems to be sending these emails randomly to various email addresses without having any information that whether owner of email address banks on the financial institution mentioned. As per STCU, other financial institutions members were also targeted by similar phishing attempts.

The recipient of the emails has been asked to click on a link inside the email to log into the credit union accounts. Once the link was clicked, then it opens a fake website which mimics the official website of the financial institution. The recipient here is asked to use the banking credentials for logging-in, and if the recipient follows it then that would give sensitive information to the fraudsters.

STCU is again reminding their members as well as consumers of the other financial institutions that the bank already has all the information, and so the bank will not send an email again requesting for that same information. In case the consumer is uncertain whether the email received is legitimate, he/she can call the STCU or the bank for verification.

The phishing emails many times can be identified with the help of these tipoffs: spelling errors or poor grammar; unlikely or very long web address; supposedly a secure website designated as "http". Normally, a secure website like those that are used by the STCU as well as other financial institutions was designated as "https". Moreover, secure websites show a padlock image after URL address; and an STCU email saying "Spokane Teachers Credit Union" as STCU in almost all instances have stopped using the full name, unless required under the federal or state law.

Phishing emails appear to be coming from the STCU should be forwarded to abuse@stcu.org, as this will help credit union to track whether fraudsters have changed any tactics. These emails then should be deleted by the recipient without clicking on any link.

» SPAMfighter News - 1/4/2019