Mountain America Credit Union is a regional bank that services the South Western region of the United States mostly. In a recent publication they raise awareness for their clients about cybersecurity risks. The biggest takeaway revolves around receiving incoming requests for personal information. As a general rule of thumb any time you get a call, text (especially text), email, smoke signal, or any other form of communication to you from an outside source you should not respond directly with your personal information. Call the company directly using contact information on their official website instead. You can read more below: https://www.macu.com/newsletter/spring-2026?cid=eem-macu-email-seasonal-newsletter-spring-2026-az&elq_mid=9402&elq_cid=47582434&st=AZ&GUID=A6BECPXO#article1

APS is a local utility company to Arizona that recently sent out a notice to empower its customers to avoid scams. While the message speaks specifically towards APS and how it operates, the messaging included in the notice really applies to general scam awareness: Recognizing a Scam - Threat to shut off: Scammers often contact customers claiming their energy bill is past due and service will be shut off unless a payment is made right away – usually within an hour or less. - Request for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct customers to call them back after they purchase a prepaid card. - Request for prepaid card: When the customer calls back, the scammer asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants instant access to the card’s funds, and the victim’s money is gone. - Solar installers claiming to partner with APS: Be wary of solar installers that claim to be affiliated with APS or offer special deals or incentives by phone or door-to-door. Learn about our Qualified Technology Installer (QTI) program designed to help customers find trustworthy technology installers for their homes. - Spoofing: Scammers and robocallers sometimes use technology to modify phone numbers and caller IDs. It’s called “spoofing.” Not only are scammers spoofing APS phone numbers, but we’ve received reports of scammers spoofing the numbers of community service organizations like Chicanos Por La Causa. For more details you can visit the site directly @ https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Our-Commitment-to-Safety/Energy-bill-scams?utm_source=Dynamics%20365%20Customer%20Insights%20-%20Journeys&utm_medium=email&utm_term=N%2FA&utm_campaign=20260305_March%20Scams%20Email&utm_content=March%20ENG%20res%20Scams%20Email#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=02162f97-a68f-4a91-bc8c-895d1e000200

NordVPN just published an interview about online threats which is really good! Below is a short clip of the larger article! you can read the entire article here Justina: Phishing is easily one of the most common scams and seems to never go away, probably because it works so well for scammers. Phishing happens when you get an email, a text, or even a direct message that looks legit. It might say it’s from your bank or a delivery service. But someone’s actually trying to steal your personal information, logins, or financial details. According to our research on scam experiences, receiving phishing calls and messages ranks as the second most common scam tactic — our February 2025 survey found that 39% of NordVPN users have encountered this type of attack, which is why they’re turning to various cybersecurity tools for help. How do you spot a phishing email or text message if you have no cybersecurity tools available at the moment? While bad grammar used to be a telltale sign, AI has made phishing messages much more sophisticated and convincing. Instead, ask yourself — did I expect this message? If you get a delivery notification but haven’t ordered anything, or congratulations for winning a lottery you never entered, that’s your red flag right there. Especially if the unexpected message delivers an urgent request. If there’s also a link, hover over it before clicking and see if the address matches the legitimate service that’s supposedly contacting you.