Cybersecurity Awareness Month:
Internet Safety Tips to Protect Your Accounts

Cybersecurity isn't just a concern for large organizations. It's just as critical for you as an individual to stay alert and knowledgeable about the latest fraud tactics. Financial institutions like us take cybersecurity seriously and have entire departments dedicated solely to protecting your money and personal information from scammers. We’re celebrating October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, by continuing to share our knowledge, so you can build the habits that keep your funds and information safe long after the calendar page turns.

Why Cybersecurity Deserves Your Attention

A scammer doesn't call and say, "This is a scam." Instead, they build trust quickly, create urgency, and count on you acting before you think. Scams can happen to anyone. That's why cybersecurity best practices focus less on technology and more on habits you can build into your daily routine: pausing before you click, double-checking a request, and knowing where to turn if something feels wrong.

Common Cyberattacks

Most attacks fall into a handful of categories, and they typically arrive through your phone or your email inbox.

Phishing: The Original Email Scam
Phishing is the term most people know, and it's still one of the most common ways scammers reach you. An email arrives that looks like it's from your credit union or bank, a delivery service, or even a coworker, and it asks you to take an action such as clicking a link, opening an attachment, or confirming account details. The email address, logo, and wording are often close enough to the real thing that you have to look twice to catch the difference.

How to spot a phishing email:

• Urgent, threatening, or emotional language
  “Your account will be suspended”; “Immediate action required”; “URGENT”
• Unsolicited attachments or links
  If a message asks you to log in or take action on an account, avoid using the link in the message. Instead, open the company's app or type its known website address directly into your browser.
• Requests for personal or financial information
  Don’t send sensitive information over email. Always use an official website instead.
• Sender email address is incorrect
  Support@arrowheadco.com instead of Support@arrowheadcu.org
• Fake login pages or branding inconsistencies
  Low-resolution logos, strange formatting, poor grammar

Smishing: When the Scam Lands in Your Texts
Smishing combines "SMS" and "phishing," and it has grown because it grabs your attention instantly and bypasses email security filters. A message might claim your card was declined or that you need to verify a delivery, and it usually includes a link built to gain your sensitive information.

How to spot a smishing text:

• Fake urgency and asking for a response — responding may confirm to a scammer that the number is active, you are engaged, and they can then escalate the scam
• Unfamiliar numbers
• Strange links or web addresses that don’t match the company’s real website
• Requests for codes like one-time passwords, PINs, or login codes
• Offers sounding too good to be true

Vishing: The Phone Call That Sounds Legitimate
Vishing relies on a scammer's voice instead of written words, which makes it feel more personal and, unfortunately, more convincing. Caller ID can be spoofed to display a real institution's name or number, so a call that looks legitimate on your screen tells you little about who's actually on the line.

AI vishing is also a tactic that’s getting harder to detect. You’ll receive a call and hear an AI-generated voice of someone you know, delivering a personalized script using your public personal information, often asking you to give them personal information or money. It’s a good idea to have a private codeword with those close to you to validate who you are speaking with. You can also hang up and call the person back from your contact information.

How to spot a vishing call:

• Fake urgency, threatening a negative outcome if you don’t provide what they are asking for
• Robotic tones, awkward pauses, or AI-generated voice glitches (although AI increasingly sounds very realistic)
• Requests for private information like passwords, Social Security Numbers, verification codes, etc.
• To sound legitimate, they might provide public information, like your birthday or job title

Spoofed Websites: A Copied Site Built to Fool You
A spoofed site copies a company's branding, layout, and even its web address with a single altered character. Landing on one after clicking a link in a text or email is often how a scammer gets your credentials in the first place.

How to spot a spoofed website:

• Incorrect URLs, like arrowheadcu-secure.com, instead of arrowheadcu.org
• Unrealistic pricing or deals
• Unusual payment methods like cryptocurrency and gift cards
• Missing contact information
• Typos, bad grammar, sloppy formatting, and low-resolution images (although fake sites increasingly look very polished with the help of AI)

Signs Your Account May Be Compromised

• Login alerts or password reset emails you didn't request
• Transactions you don't recognize, even small ones
• Contact information on your account that has changed without your input
• Friends or contacts receiving messages from you that you never sent
• Sudden inability to log in with credentials that worked recently

If you notice any of these, change your password immediately and contact your financial institution if it’s a financial account.

Cybersecurity Best Practices for Everyday Protection

You don't need a technical background to keep your accounts safer. These habits go a long way:

• Use multi-factor authentication everywhere it's offered, so a stolen password alone isn't enough to get in.
• Create unique passwords and consider a trusted password manager to keep track of them.
• Install cybersecurity software on your devices, including antivirus protection and a firewall, and keep it updated.
• Update your apps and operating system regularly, since many updates patch vulnerabilities scammers exploit.
• Avoid public Wi-Fi for banking or anything online that involves sensitive information.
• Monitor your accounts regularly by checking your statements and setting transaction alerts to help you catch a fraudulent charge quickly.
• Sign up for fraud text alerts through your financial institution and save the number in your phone. These alerts will never ask for any personal information.

A Quick Look at Cybersecurity Software

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud or a Scam

If you believe a scammer has contacted you or that your credit card or account information have been compromised, act quickly:

1. Don't click any links or call numbers provided in the suspicious message.
2. Contact your financial institution directly using the phone number on the back of your card or on their official website, not a number or website from the suspicious message itself.
3. Change your passwords for any account you think may be affected.
4. Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission.
5. Monitor your accounts closely for the following few weeks.

Building Habits That Last Beyond October

Cybersecurity Awareness Month gives everyone a reason to talk about internet safety tips, but the habits behind them work best when they stick around the other eleven months of the year. Pausing before you click, verifying who's really on the phone, and treating urgency as a red flag rather than a call to action puts you ahead of most scammers before they even get started.

We’re here to help. If you have concerns about a message, call, or website, please call us at (800) 743-7228.