The Bottom Line
Small business is important to Central Oregon, and to Mid Oregon. Find tips and resources for business, and information about Mid Oregon’s commercial services and business members.
Are You Fraud Savvy? Take the quiz!
Question 1: You receive an email from a major online retailer announcing a fantastic, limited-time sale. The email asks you to click a link to access the deals. What’s the first thing you should do?
- Click the link immediately, so you don’t miss out on the sale.
- Reply to the email asking for more details about the sale.
- Hover your mouse over the link to see the actual URL before clicking.
- Forward the email to all your friends so they can get the deals too.
Question 2: You get a call from someone claiming to be from Mid Oregon’s fraud department. They say there’s a suspicious transaction on your account and they need your full account number and PIN to verify your identity. How should you respond?
- Provide them with the information they’re asking for to resolve the issue.
- Hang up and call Mid Oregon’s main number.
- Tell them you’ll call them back later after you’ve checked your account online.
- Give them your account number but refuse to give them your PIN.
Question 3: You’re shopping online and notice a website with extremely low prices, but the website’s design looks a little unprofessional and some of the product images are blurry. What should you do?
- Place a small order to see if it’s legitimate.
- Ignore the signs and place a large order to take advantage of the low prices.
- Close the website and search for the products on a more reputable, well-known site.
- Contact the website’s customer service to ask about the low prices.
Question 4: You receive a text message from a “package delivery service” saying they couldn’t deliver your package and you need to pay a small fee by clicking a link to reschedule the delivery. What is the safest course of action?
- Click the link and pay the fee to get your package.
- Ignore the text message.
- Check the tracking number provided in the text message on the official courier’s website.
- Forward the text to the real package delivery service to ask if it’s legitimate.
Question 5: You’re about to make an online purchase. You notice the website’s URL starts with “http://” instead of “https://”. Should you proceed?
- Yes, it’s just a minor difference in the address.
- No, the “s” in “https” stands for “secure” and indicates the site is encrypted.
- It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re using a strong password.
- Only if you’re using a public Wi-Fi network.
For more tips on protecting your personal information, visit Mid Oregon’s Security and Fraud Page: https://ow.ly/hjHm50V9XE1.
#FraudPreventionFriday #ScamAwareness #FinancialSafety #ProtectYourself #FraudEducation #ScamAlert #StaySafeOnline #CyberSecurityTips #FraudAwareness
Answers
Question 1: C. Hovering over the link allows you to check the URL for anything suspicious, like misspellings or a strange domain name, which are common signs of a phishing scam.
Question 2: B. Mid Oregon will NEVER ask for your Digital Banking login credentials and passwords, PINs, SSNs, complete card numbers or any other sensitive information. Always hang up and call our main number to ensure you are speaking with a real member service representative.
Question 3: C. Unprofessional website design, blurry images, and prices that seem too good to be true are all major red flags for a fraudulent website. It’s best to close the site and shop elsewhere.
Question 4: B. This is a common smishing (SMS phishing) scam. Legitimate delivery services will not typically ask for payment via a random link in a text message. If you’re expecting a package, check the tracking number directly on the official website or app of the courier.
Question 5: B. The “s” in “https” means the connection is secure and encrypted, protecting your personal and financial information. Websites starting with “http” are not secure and should be avoided for any transactions involving sensitive data.
Don’t Get Schooled by Scammers.
There are so many scams out there preying on us these days, and many of them are targeting our online shopping. Now that it’s back to school time, if you’re shopping for supplies, returning items online, or just participating in some online retail therapy regardless of the time of year, here are a few tips to help identify fraudulent shopping websites and how to avoid giving up your personal information, whether it’s your payment card details, your address, or any other bit of PII that a cybercriminal may find useful.
- Check the URL of the website before doing anything. It’s best to do this before clicking any ads or links. Hover over it with your mouse or hold your finger down for a few seconds to reveal the link. If it’s really long, full of junk, or doesn’t make sense at all, don’t click it. It may be legit, but better to err on the side of caution.
- If a shop you’ve never heard of catches your eye, do some additional investigation. See if the goods are sold elsewhere and check reviews. If you can’t find much, that may be a clue to move on.
- If you’re already shopping on a site and popups keep appearing asking for payment details WHILE you’re shopping, that could be an indicator of a fake. Additionally, if it says your payment was declined when you don’t expect it to be, don’t re-enter another card. Contact your financial institution and make sure they didn’t block it. There is a scam that performs just this trick.
- Zoom in and check the images. If they’re blurry, you could be looking at a phony site.
- If the customer service link is a link to nowhere, don’t trust it.
Keep in mind that when you’re online shopping, criminals are shopping for your payment card and other information. Stay ahead of them by checking and rechecking the websites you’re shopping on and don’t let them start your school year off with a failing grade!
Want to know more? Read additional Mid Oregon blog articles about online security and fraud protection.
By: Jim Stickley and Tina Davis
August 3, 2025
Don’t Fall for the Feed: What’s really behind that social media link?
Social media platforms are fantastic for connecting, sharing, and discovering. However, they’ve also become fertile ground for scammers. From tantalizing fake giveaways to alarming account takeovers, and even seemingly innocent clickbait, social media scams are designed to trick you. Staying informed is your best defense against these digital traps.
Five Key Points on Social Media Scams:
- Fake Giveaways & Contests: Scammers promote enticing “too good to be true” giveaways (e.g., free vacations, electronics, cash) from seemingly legitimate brands or influencers. They often ask for personal information, a small “fee,” or for you to share the scam to enter.
- Account Takeovers & Impersonation: A scammer gains control of a friend’s or family member’s account, then messages you asking for urgent financial help, gift cards, or personal information. They exploit your trust in the “friend.”
- Clickbait to Malicious Websites: Innocent-looking posts with sensational headlines (e.g., “You won’t believe what happened next!”) lead to websites riddled with malware, phishing forms, or unwanted subscriptions.
- Phishing Attempts: Direct messages or posts designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers by impersonating a legitimate service or offering a false sense of urgency.
- Romance Scams: Scammers create fake profiles to build emotional relationships with targets, eventually asking for money for fabricated emergencies, travel, or investments.
How to Protect Yourself:
- Verify Everything: Before clicking any link or responding to an offer, verify its legitimacy. Look for official company pages (blue checkmarks), check URLs carefully, and search for the offer on the company’s official website.
- Be Skeptical of “Too Good to Be True”: If an offer, prize, or request seems too good or too urgent, it’s likely a scam. Scammers thrive on excitement and fear.
- Secure Your Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords for all social media accounts, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security.
- Guard Personal Information: Never share sensitive personal or financial information (passwords, bank details, SSN) via social media messages, even if the request seems to come from a friend. Call them directly to confirm.
- Think Before You Click: Hover over links before clicking to see the actual URL. If it looks suspicious or redirects multiple times, avoid it.
What to Do If You Fall Victim:
- Act Immediately: The sooner you act, the better your chances of mitigating damage.
- Change Passwords: Immediately change passwords for the compromised social media account and any other accounts that use the same password.
- Notify Your Bank/Credit Card Company: If you shared financial information or made unauthorized payments, contact your bank and credit card companies to report fraudulent activity.
- Report the Scam:
- To the Social Media Platform: Use the platform’s built-in reporting tools for fake accounts, suspicious posts, or scams.
- To Authorities: File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For internet crimes, report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov.
- Warn Your Network: If your account was taken over, inform your friends and family through other channels (phone, email) so they don’t fall for messages sent from your compromised account.
By staying vigilant and informed, you can enjoy the benefits of social media while protecting yourself from the ever-evolving tactics of online scammers.
Want to know more? Read additional Mid Oregon blog articles about online security and fraud protection.