October 2022
Don’t Fall Victim to White Washing…
Benchmark Federal Credit Union was recently informed that several of our members have fallen victim to a check scam called White Washing. White Washing targets members who write out personal checks then place them in a mailbox. Scammers are taking checks from the mailbox and then using chemicals to remove the ink. They enter a new payee and amount and then fraudulently deposit the checks. In some cases, this is causing members to overdraw their account.
Please protect yourself by checking your account daily via our Home Banking service or Mobile Banking. Home Banking is available via our website at www.benchmarkfcu.org; where clickable links to download our Mobile Banking App can also be found. In place of writing checks, you may wish to try our Billpayer service that is available for free with your Benchmark Checking Account. Another option is to pay online or by calling the merchant directly and providing our routing number, 2313-866-29 and your checking account number. If you are sending checks through the mail, take your mail into the post office. If you cannot get to the post office, do not leave your mail sitting in your mailbox for extended periods of time. Please contact us at (610) 429-1600 if you have any outstanding checks that you fear may have fallen into the wrong hands, so we can place a stop payment on them. If you are a victim of White Washing, please contact your local police department.
At Benchmark FCU, we look forward to being your financial partner throughout life’s benchmarks!
September 2022
Member Service Rep Impersonation Scam
Benchmark Federal Credit Union recently learned about an increase in scams involving Member Service Representative impersonations via text, phone calls, and emails.
All members should be on the lookout for any of these communications claiming to be associated with Benchmark FCU. Scammers are trying to spoof financial institution’s identities by using their real phone numbers to appear on Caller IDs.
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
- We will never call or text asking our members for personal information
- NEVER voluntarily give out personal information such as account numbers, credit and debit card information, or passwords
- Do not respond to unknown text messages
- Immediately hang up if you suspect the call might be a scam
- Please contact Benchmark FCU directly at 610-429-1600 to verify legitimacy of any communication
Benchmark FCU cares about the safety and security of our members and their accounts. We encourage all members to visit our Security Center to stay up-to-date on the latest security news and alerts.
At Benchmark FCU, we look forward to being your financial partner throughout life’s benchmarks!