Eagle Community Blog

Feeling generous but worried about scams? This blog post is your shield against charity crooks. Learn how to spot red flags, research legit organizations, and donate like a pro.

Buying a home is a long and complicated process, and scammers want to complicate things even more to capitalize on the confusion. Mortgage scams are growing increasingly prevalent and can be difficult to detect. Here’s what you need to know about these scams and how to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

When it comes to convenience, service and sheer scope of products, nothing beats Amazon. The world’s largest and most popular online marketplace is the 21st century shopper’s go-to for virtually any product under the sun. Unfortunately, though, Amazon is also rife with scammers. Here are five Amazon scams and tips from the e-commerce giant for protecting yourself from falling victim to these schemes.

Tax season is here, and it tends to put most people on edge. Many are anxious to file their returns because they rely on the money from their tax refund. Others find it stressful to locate all their tax documents and file on time. Add in people’s fear of the IRS and making mistakes on their returns, and it creates the perfect environment for scammers.

Fraudsters feed off uncertainty, and tax time provides multiple opportunities to deceive taxpayers. Fortunately, protecting yourself can be easy with the right knowledge.

While the tactics used by fraudsters are constantly evolving, their scams tend to fall into three general categories. Familiarize yourself with each to avoid falling victim this year.

Smartphones are the millennial’s answer to the disorganized life. You can buy practically anything with just a few swipes, schedule your appointments and store all your photos and home videos in this one, convenient location. [You can also manage your accounts, check your balance and deposit checks through ’s mobile banking app and/or website]. Unfortunately, all of that convenience comes at a price: Your mobile devices pose an inherent risk to your security if they fall into the wrong hands. The good news is, there are ways to protect your phone and your information from fraud. 

Here are 6 tips for keeping your device safe and secure.

The holiday season is here and while you are planning time with family and friends, it is also the time of year to be mindful of protecting yourself and your wallet with these helpful security tips.

Inheritance scams have been around forever, and they’ve only gotten more prevalent with the advent of online communication. Unfortunately, if the victim falls for the scam, they’ll only inherit the loss of funds, possible identity theft and more. 

Here’s what you need to know about inheritance scams and how to protect yourself.

Scammers follow the money, and this holds true for digital money as well. There are dozens of scams that use cryptocurrency to con people out of their money and their information. As a non-regulated currency, stolen crypto is virtually impossible to reclaim. Here are five crypto scams to know:

You’ve got mail! But beware, because this particular missive telling you that you’ve been preapproved for a large loan – maybe even a mortgage – may not be as it seems! The exciting news may be accompanied by a check that’s made out to you and even for the full loan amount! It’s a dream come true. Until, of course, it all turns into a living nightmare. 

Here’s what you need to know about preapproval scams and how to stay safe.

Most parents warn their kids against taking candy or accepting a ride from a stranger, but there’s a digital equivalent to conventional kidnapping that is unknown to many people. Digital kidnapping happens when a crook takes control of a target’s social media profiles and holds them until a ransom is paid. It can also involve “kidnapping” photos that are posted on social media pages. Here’s what you need to know about digital kidnapping and how to protect yourself from falling victim.

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery, but scammers are out to turn that frequent dream into an absolute nightmare. A fake lottery scam involves a fraudster, or a ring of criminals, misrepresenting themselves as a legitimate lottery company to con victims out of their information and money. Here’s all you need to know about fake lottery scams.

Survey scams are almost as old as the internet. They’re so prevalent, you can hardly spend an hour online without running into an ad for a “super quick” survey promising a reward for just a few minutes of your time. 

What actually happens, though, is that the scammer walks away with a free survey, or worse, your information and/or your money. The alert consumer can spot a survey scam easily, but fraudsters are unfortunately becoming more sophisticated at luring innocent victims into their schemes. 

Don’t get caught! Here are eight ways to spot a survey scam:

With prices rising on everything, including hotel stays, record numbers of vacationers are choosing to rent private homes or apartments on sites like Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO). Unfortunately, though, vacation rental scams are on the rise as well. Here’s all you need to know about these scams and how to avoid them.

Scammers will capitalize on anything to pull off another ruse, even the special bond between a grandparent and grandchild. Grandparent scams are not new, but they have gotten a lot more sophisticated in recent years, so they can be difficult to spot. Here’s what you need to know about grandparent scams and how to avoid them. 

Scammers never take a break from dreaming up new ways to con people out of their money. Recently, they’ve even been hijacking QR codes to pull scams on innocent victims. Here’s all you need to know about QR code scams and how to avoid them. 

With the holiday shopping season heading into its final frenzied stretch, scammers are out in full force to take advantage of busy shoppers. In particular, credit card fraud is rampant during this time of year. With most purchases paid for with plastic, scammers have their pick of vulnerable prey before the holidays. Stay safe this season and protect yourself and your cards from fraud with these safety measures and preventative tips: 

In our digital world, passwords are as much a part of our lives as Netflix and Amazon. Keeping information stored in dozens of accounts across the web can make it easier to stay on top of your finances, order a new pair of jeans or even schedule a dentist appointment. Unfortunately, though, passwords can be relatively easy for scammers to hack, opening the door for identity theft, credit card fraud and more. 

Here’s where multifactor authentication (MFA) comes into play. As a means of securing your information, MFA provides an extra layer of protection for your accounts and sensitive data. 

Here’s all you need to know about MFA, how it works and why it’s an important step in protecting your information. 

Black Friday has traditionally been the day that kicks off the holiday shopping season, sending hordes of crowds surging through malls and big-box stores all over the nation. Unfortunately, it’s also been a day that kicks off the season of shopping scams. 

Here are four scams to watch out for this Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season:

That cackling, long-haired witch might send your heart fluttering with fear, but these Halloween scams are even spookier! Here’s what to know about these common Halloween scams. 

Nowadays, everyone in the family is using technology - from kids to grandparents. These convenient digital tools instantly connect everything, from friends and family to financial accounts and shopping. Unfortunately, they also open the door to fraudsters.

It’s more important than ever to educate your family members about online safety and how to avoid becoming a victim of the latest scam.

With online transactions increasing each year, it’s more important than ever for people to become vigilant in protecting their identity. Identity theft and fraud are on the rise, and scammers are becoming smarter and more creative with how they’re targeting people and their accounts. Figuring out where to begin to protect yourself can be overwhelming. Here are ten things you can start doing right now to help keep your accounts more secure.

For many young adults, obtaining a college degree in their desired field is the key to a secure financial future. Unfortunately, though, scammers are exploiting this essential right of passage by offering fake diplomas and bogus degree programs to the unsuspecting college-bound crowd. Here’s what you need to know about college degree scams.

It probably doesn’t surprise you to know that scammers are always coming up with creative ways to con people out of their money. Recently, there’s been an uptick in an old scam in which crooks reach out to targets and try to gain access to their accounts through micro-deposits. Unfortunately, too many people have already fallen for this scam, and we don’t want our members getting caught in the trap. To that end, we’ve compiled this guide on micro-deposit scams, how they play out and what you can do if you’re targeted.

Spring is here, and the buds are sprouting like mushrooms after rain. Unfortunately, so are the scams. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning of an uptick in lawn-care scams, which can be difficult to spot. Here’s what you need to know about these scams and how to play it safe.

In these uncertain times of COVID-19, people wonder how best to protect themselves and their families from financial disaster. Although it is certainly understandable to have those worries, it is also highly advisable to remain calm and respond thoughtfully. Rash actions made under stress can cause all kinds of unforeseen problems, which is especially true when it comes to finances. So what's the best course of action right now?
 

Unfortunately, identity theft impacts many people each day. Because of the potential resulting damage, if you become a fraud victim, it’s essential to take swift action to get the situation under control.  While this may take a few steps, you must do what is necessary to minimize fraud’s harmful effects.

If another person obtains your personal information, or if your private data is exposed in a data breach, you should go right to work to protect your identity. When criminals have your personal information in hand, they can open fraudulent credit accounts under your name and potentially damage your credit history.

Here are some steps you can take if you do become a victim of fraud: