Fraud Alerts

Washed and Stolen Checks

APL Federal Credit Union has seen a large increase in the number of stolen and washed personal checks.  Stolen and washed checks are a major fraud where criminals steal your mailed checks, use chemicals to erase the ink (washing), and then rewrite them for larger amounts to themselves, causing significant financial loss. Many times, criminals only wash the payee of the check and change it to someone else’s name.  This scam often starts with mail theft from mailboxes (on the street or at the Post Office), leading to altered payee names and amounts, sometimes escalating to full identity theft using information on the check. This also causes your intended recipient of the check not to receive the funds causing you to fall delinquent on payments and can be quite a mess for you to deal with.  To protect yourself, we strongly encourage you to discontinue sending checks via USPS mail and use our Online Banking Bill Payment Service where most of your payments will be sent electronically and received by the recipient much faster than using USPS.  Also, monitor accounts closely, and report any suspected fraud immediately to you’re the Credit Union and authorities like the USPS. 

How the Scam Works

1. Theft: Criminals steal checks from unsecured mailboxes (both personal and blue collection boxes).  Sometimes the mail is stolen during transit to your recipient.
2. Washing: They treat the check with chemicals (like acetone or bleach) to remove the original ink, leaving the signature and account information intact.
3. Alteration: The thief then rewrites the check with a new payee (themselves) and a much higher dollar amount.
4. Deposit: The altered, genuine check is cashed or deposited, draining funds from the victim’s account. 

How to Protect Yourself

• Secure Your Mail: Don’t let mail sit in your mailbox; retrieve it promptly.  Do not put checks in your street mailbox for the Postal Carrier to pick up.  Refrain from using the USPS to mail out any checks.
• Use Secure Pens: Write checks with a black or blue gel ink pen that’s resistant to washing, like a G2 or Uni-ball.
• Pay Online: Use APL Federal Credit Unions online bill pay to avoid sending physical checks altogether.
• Monitor Accounts: Review your cleared check images online to ensure there was no alteration.  Regularly check your bank statements for missing checks or unusual activity and consider credit monitoring. 

What to Do If It Happens to You

• Contact APL Federal Credit Union Immediately: Report the fraud, dispute the charges, and consider closing the compromised account.
• Report to Authorities: File a report with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (part of the FBI).
• Check Your Identity: Visit IdentityTheft.gov to create a recovery plan for potential identity theft. 

Account Takeover

Reminder: APL FCU will never call, text or email you to ask for your account credentials, online banking login information, verification codes, or PIN number. If you receive a call or text claiming to be from APL FCU requesting any of this information, do not respond. Fraudsters have been claiming to be from the APL Fraud Department and the numbers appear to be legitimate. If you are suspicious of any communication, please hang up and contact us directly by calling us at 443.778.5250.

We have received multiple reports the past few days of members receiving SMS text messages from fraudsters claiming to be from APL Federal Credit Union. The texts reference a charge from businesses like Walmart or Target, asking the member to verify whether it is legitimate or not.

When the member responds to the text message indicating they did not make the purchase in question, they then receive a call from the fraudsters who attempt to get the member to share personal and account information.

If you get a text or call that resembles this scenario, please refrain from giving out any personal information. You should hang up immediately and contact the Credit Union directly using our published number on our website (aplfcu.org). 

Please note that an APL FCU staff member will never call and ask you for your login credentials or your card numbers. If you are ever unsure if you are speaking to us and not a scammer, just hang up and call us back directly on our published phone number.

At APL FCU we have numerous fraud prevention measures in place, but you can assist us by keeping an eye on your accounts. 

If you are in doubt about any incoming emails or calls, refrain from giving any personal information and contact the Credit Union immediately at 443.778.5250.

Please note:  

• APL FCU will never contact you and ask you to provide your online banking password or PIN.
• If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from APL FCU, please call us 443.778.5250 or email us at [email protected].
• If you opened a questionable link and shared your login credentials, PIN or other sensitive information, please call the service center at 443.778.5250. 
• Use a complex password—a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Make sure it’s at least eight characters long. Never reuse a password. 
• Monitor your accounts using our free alerts in Digital Banking and monitor your plastic card purchases with our Card Management tool.
• If you receive a call claiming to be from APL FCU, but it seems suspicious, hang up and call the Credit Union directly. 

Please Note: Members should expect a call from APL FCU if they have requested a Wire Transfer.
If you are NOT EXPECTING a call from the APL FCU, please hang up call our call center at 443.778.5250

• ITEMS SOLD on the internet
  
  • Is the amount of the check more than the item’s selling price?
  • Is the check drawn on an account that is different from the person buying your item?
• WINNING A LOTTERY you never entered
• WORK-AT-HOME program
• COMMISSION for accepting funds through your bank or other means

• RETURN some of the proceeds?
• SEND some of the funds by wire or by Western Union?
• SEND money overseas?
• PAY MONEY to recover an inheritance?

• CONFIRM, UPDATE, OR PROVIDE your account information?