How did I feel? At the time, it felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. It was an ordinary Tuesday evening, and I was clicking through a ton of unread emails when I saw it – the one from my credit union.
The subject line read "URGENT: Finish Your Loan Paperwork!". It made me sit upright on my couch.
I opened the email and skimmed through it. It said I needed to finalize a few documents before receiving the $5,000.00 loan. No, it wasn’t a pre-approval. It read like I was already approved - like we had been communicating all along. My credit union was waiting for me to sign some forms so they could take the last step and transfer the money to my checking account.
I didn't remember applying for a loan, but boy, all I could think about was how I could use the money to catch up on bills.
The email was peppered with phrases like "final notice" and "respond within 24 hours". I saw my name and the last four digits of my Social Security number at the top of the email. Then I felt a knot form in my stomach. Was someone else using my information to apply for a loan? I’d heard about identity theft – maybe I was being targeted. I reread the email.
My credit union wanted me to click the hyperlink to their website, download the paperwork, and email it back. While my cursor lingered over the blue underlined text, I noticed something strange. The URL was made up of letters and numbers, and my credit union’s name was nowhere to be found.
That’s when it hit me – my credit union uses a well-known software company to securely collect electronic signatures. They don’t send members to a website to download stuff.
It was a close call, way too close.
When I contacted my real credit union using the phone number listed on my eStatement, they confirmed the email was fake. It was a scammer trying to send me to a look-alike website to steal my login credentials.
The email looked so real, with my credit union’s logo, a loan officer’s digital signature, and a phone number at the bottom. I almost fell for an email phishing scam designed to prey on my need for cash. I realized how convincing these cybercriminals can be.
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The real member story above has been anonymized modified to represent the experiences multiple Logix members have had when confronted with fraud attempts. The quotes used are summarized examples of actual feedback members have given us shortly after being exposed to fraud attempts.
Email phishing scams trick people into sharing confidential information with those they believe are trusted companies. Scammers pose as employees of businesses, government agencies, and sometimes people you know. They “phish” for confidential information they can use to access your financial accounts. This might include directing you to hyperlinks that take you to fake websites or opening attachments that contain malware.
You can avoid email phishing scams by following these safety tips:
- Avoid clicking on suspicious email links. Scammers encourage you to click on hyperlinks hoping you’ll reveal private information or unknowingly unleash malware that can scan your computer for sensitive data.
- Refuse to share financial data or other personal details in response to unsolicited email requests. This information can easily be forwarded to other scammers. Be wary of unexpected requests for private information from your financial institution or anyone else.
- Do not call the phone number in the email message. It’s likely a direct line to the scammer. Instead, dial the number listed on the sender's official support channels or found on other official communication.
Safeguarding your financial data helps prevent unauthorized charges, identity theft, and account takeovers.
NOTE: Logix will never send loan paperwork to you via unencrypted means like email. Visit Fraud and ID Theft Prevention to explore other ways to protect your Logix accounts.
If someone claiming to be a Logix employee contacts you and you are unsure if it is legitimate, please get in touch with us through our chat service on our website or call us at (800) 328-5328 to confirm that we are trying to contact you.
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