Stay Aware: Tips to Prevent Elder Financial Abuse
Ascend has many tools and resources available to keep our members' financial information safe....Read More
Preventing Fraud
Ascend takes your account security seriously. To help keep your information safe, never give out any personal data or sensitive information related to your Ascend account, debit or credit card(s). If you are contacted with a suspicious text message, email or phone call — call us at 800-342-3086 to verify if it's valid.
Safeguarding our members’ information from fraudulent activity is a top priority for us. To help you stay one step ahead of potential threats, we have compiled a list of helpful tips you can use to protect yourself from scammers.
- Ask a member to reply to a suspicious text message or dial a phone number beginning with *72
- Ask a member for their account number via email or text message
- Ask a member to share their user ID or digital banking password
- Ask a member for a one-time passcode
- Ask a member to send money via Zelle to make their account current or “in good standing”
- Call a member to verify a Zelle transaction
If the email or text message appears to be from Ascend and you are unsure if it’s legitimate, call 800-342-3086 to confirm the validity of the message. Do not call the phone number listed in the message or reply.
Ascend representatives will never call you and ask for a one-time verification code, PIN, password or other personal identification details. If you receive a text message asking for personal information, it’s a scam.
Scammers try to put you under pressure to act quickly and make it more difficult for you to think clearly.
If someone claims to be a family member, verify with that family member by calling them directly. If you think your grandchild needs help, contact them directly, not by email, social media or text, or call their parents before sending money unintentionally to a scammer.
Crypto-related scams are becoming more prevalent as cryptocurrency grows in popularity. If someone offers you guaranteed big profits or returns using crypto, it’s usually a scam. Also, remember that if someone demands payments online using cryptocurrency, it’s likely a scam. Criminals will sometimes pose as reputable businesses or organizations and ask you to send cryptocurrency for payments or donations.
A popular phishing scam that has gained popularity in recent years are toll scams. Criminals will send you a text message claiming you have unpaid tolls and demand payment by clicking a link. They’ll often impersonate a legitimate toll authority, like E-ZPass or FasTrak. Remember that these toll organizations will never request payment over text messages. Also, never click on links sent to you from an unverified source.
Through a tactic known as spoofing, scammers can make themselves appear as anything they want to on your Caller ID. Do not share any personal information over the phone until you can verify the legitimacy of whoever is calling, even if the Caller ID is from a local number or appears to be from a trusted business like Ascend.
If you receive a phone call or text message instructing you to dial *72 before a 10-digit phone number, hang up or ignore the text message. This is a sneaky way for scammers to start forwarding your incoming calls and potentially gain access to your personal information.
This is especially true through third party services such as Zelle®, Venmo and Cash App. Don’t send a payment with gift cards. Legitimate businesses will never request a gift card to satisfy a bill. Ascend will never ask a member to verify a Zelle® transaction or send money via Zelle® to make their account current.
Beware of anyone promising you quick cash or low risk opportunities. Take the time to ask questions that can keep you from getting scammed.
Keep a close eye on your accounts, respond to fraud alerts and report unauthorized transactions right away.
Criminals will often pose as a reputable business, such as a financial institution like Ascend, and claim to be calling you from their fraud department or loan forgiveness department. If you get a call claiming to be from your financial institution out of the blue and they ask for personal or account information over the phone, hang up immediately and call the institution back directly using a verified phone number from their website.
Romance scams are when a criminal creates a fake online identity to build trust with a victim in order to lure their private information or get money. Criminals will use messaging apps, dating apps, and social media to meet victims. Remember to never send money or give your private information to someone you haven’t met in person. Be cautious if you’ve met someone online who never wants to meet in person or professes love quickly while asking personal questions.
Since elderly members can be particularly vulnerable to becoming a victim of a financial crime, members aged 65 years or older can benefit from an additional layer of account protection with our Advance Consent Agreement. By voluntarily signing the form, the member authorizes Ascend to contact a listed “trusted contact” in the event Ascend suspects fraud or abuse. Speak with an Ascend representative to learn more.
Ascend Card Control keeps you in control.
Secure your wallet without leaving the Ascend mobile app. Easily enable or disable your Ascend card(s) directly from your phone, receive alerts, and more.
Protecting yourself from fraud is crucial in today's digital world, where scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to steal your personal information. Explore our blog articles to learn more and be fraud aware!
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