We’re 100% sure that if you’re reading this, you use the internet. That means you’re a potential target for online scams. As your financial institution, we want to do everything we can to keep you, your money and your personal information safe from fraud. Learn more about phishing scams so you can avoid them.

Understanding phishing scams

Phishing is a scam where criminals pose as trusted organizations such as your bank, a utility company or a shipping service, to trick you into sharing personal information. These messages often arrive by email or text and look surprisingly legitimate. The goal is to get you to click a link or open an attachment that can steal sensitive data, install malware on your device or even push you into making fraudulent payments.

Phishing is still one of the most reported scams, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).* Overall, in 2024 the IC3 logged over 193,000 incidents of phishing or spoofing, costing people and businesses a total of over $70,000,000 in losses. Here are some common examples of phishing “hooks”:

• Shipping notifications. Fake emails or texts to track or sign for a package.
• Super sales. Some may seem too good to pass up but are actually fake companies or impersonators of real retailers.
• Cash prizes or winnings. Hurray, you’ve won a contest! But do you remember entering it? Don’t open that email.
• Account verification requests. These might look like they came from your financial institution or another commonly used service, but they’re just tricking you into sharing personal information or sending a payment. Remember, Grow will never ask you for security codes, your PIN, your password or other personal details in this way.

You’re probably wondering: How can I avoid phishing scams?

Don’t get hooked!

Scammers will target anyone and everyone with phishing scams. Keep yourself safer with these tips:

• Only open emails or text messages from senders you trust.
• Always hover over links before clicking on them, so you can see a preview of the real destination. Don’t click if it seems suspect or if it’s a link you weren’t expecting.
• Never input personal information, such as bank account details, Social Security numbers or passwords, into websites, except those you trust to be secure.
• If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary.
• When in doubt, search for the company online and call them directly to verify the authenticity of any email rather than clicking potentially risky links.

Want to learn more about avoiding scams? Visit our Education page and sort by Security Education to find more.

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• Security Education