Summit Credit Union warns customers of scam

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Summit Credit Union is warning its customers to watch out for a new scam involving imposters asking for their personal or account information. Customers may receive a text message, email, or phone call from someone posing to be from Summit Credit Union.

According to the company, the message may ask members to verify a transaction or tell them to reactivate their suspended account.

Summit Credit Union has sent emails to its customers asking them to be on the lookout for any unsolicited calls, texts or emails. The company advises members to never click on any URL link attached to an unsolicited message or share personal account or identity information.

Summit Credit Union shared that this scam is targeting financial institutions adding that reports are coming in from both members and non-members.

“Fraudsters don’t know who does business with any particular financial institution,” said Chief Operations Officer Rebecca Gerothanas. “They’re just sending messages out hoping they get enough information.”

Over the next few months, Summit Credit Union intends to send emails geared toward scam and fraud education.

“The ongoing communication is nothing to be concerned about,” explained Gerothanas. “It’s really just our way of making sure that people are aware, because unfortunately, things like this don’t stop until they stop working.”

The Better Business Bureau says scams targeting financial institutions are common because banks and credit unions are trusted entities.

“Every [scam] attempt is different. You don’t know what a scammer is looking for,” said Tiffany Bernhardt Schultz, the Southwest Wisconsin Regional Director for the Better Business Bureau. “The best thing that you can do is ignore it, delete it and check with the trusted source.”

If you receive a message like this, you’re also encouraged to submit it to the BBB’s Scam Tracker, which helps others to avoid a similar scam.

Summit also reminds its customers that it will never ask for the following information in an unsolicited text message or phone call:

• Debit or credit card number
• PIN
• Username/password – even if it’s noted to be a one-time password to prove your identity

If you receive a phone call, email, or text message like this, Summit recommends to:

• Hang up on any unsolicited caller asking for personal or account information.
• Do not click any links in an unsolicited text or email asking for personal or account information.
• Be sure not to call, text or email any contact information given to you by the caller.

If you’ve given out your contact information, Summit says call right away at 800-236-5560.

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