Is this a scam? How to protect yourself from identity theft

All it takes is one click, one unfortunate mishap, and suddenly your financial information is in the hands of scammers, and your accounts are compromised.

Part of being proactive is learning a few basic facts about types of scams, what you can do to avoid them, and what to do if your identity is stolen. That preparation can help you avoid a lot of stress.

"Scams are everywhere," said Beck. "It’s unfortunate that we now have to approach every phone call, email, and text message as if it is a scam. It’s even more unfortunate that most of them are someone trying to swindle you out of money."

You can avoid having your identity stolen by stopping and thinking through a situation involving your finances or personal information before moving forward. For example, anytime someone asks for your account number or financial information in a communication or transaction that you didn’t initiate, assume something is off.

"We’ve had members fall for scams that involve giving the thieves their account number or online banking password," said Beck. "The member truly believes it’s for a legitimate reason. Once the thieves get a hold of your account number, they can possibly drain it dry. On countless occasions, our staff have thankfully been able to uncover the scam and help save the member’s finances."

A good general rule is don’t participate in interactions you aren’t sure about. For example, be wary of emails and texts that ask you to click a link or enter your personal information to, for instance, reactivate an account. If you receive a message that seems legitimate enough to investigate, always type the website into your browser, or call the customer service number on the website. Never click a link you receive in a text that claims to be from a financial institution.

Also look out for out-of-the-blue windfalls.

"If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is," said Kristin Lombardi, Member Services and Loan Manager of RTP Federal Credit Union. "If you win a lottery or contest that you don’t remember entering and you have to pay something first or give out your Social Security number, then it is a scam, and they are trying to get your money and information."

Consumers are encouraged to reach out to their bank or financial institution immediately if they receive an unexpected message that says it concerns their account.

"There are lots of different forms of identity theft scams," said Lombardi. "Usually they are discovered by credit card charges that our member did not authorize, or unfamiliar ACH withdrawals from their accounts, returned checks, or receiving mail or calls from collectors on accounts that they have no recollection of. Typically when we are notified and we start asking questions, we start to see all the red flags that were missed by the member."

Taking charge of your information will help you avoid scams.

"If you are not proactive in protecting yourself, you are at risk," said Beck. "By taking proactive measures, such as not giving out personal information, shredding documents, and using complicated passwords, you are already reducing your chances of theft. Victims often have to go through long, painstaking measures to recover after identity theft. This includes police reports, credit freezes, loss of funds, a reduced credit score, etc."

If some of these measures seem like they add an inconvenience to your life, they are nothing compared to the time and energy that gets robbed if a scammer is successful.

Although scams differ, many identity theft victims have similar experiences afterward.

"They experience financial loss, embarrassment or anger, and time consuming tasks like research," said Lombardi.

"Using tools available to them can help our members keep safe from identity theft," said Lombardi.