Digital wallets make paying fast and convenient – but scammers are exploiting that convenience in a dangerous way. Fraudsters are posing as trusted friends, family members, or financial institutions employees to trick people into sharing one-time verification codes, allowing criminals to add your card to their digital wallet. Once that happens, your card can be used instantly – without ever leaving your wallet.

How This Scam Works:

These scams usually involve impersonation and urgency. Here’s how it typically plays out:

The Impersonation

• A scammer contacts you pretending to be:
• A financial institution employee
• A fraud department representative
• A merchant or card service provider
• Even a trusted friend, family member or employer

The Setup

• They claim there’s:
• Suspicious activity on your card
• A blocked transaction
• A need to “verify” or “secure” your account

The Code
You receive a real verification code by text or app notification – because someone is trying to add your card to a digital wallet

The Trick
The scammer asks you to read the code to them to “confirm your identity.”

The Theft
Once you share the code, the scammer finishes adding your card to their phone and can start making purchases immediately.

Why This Scam Is So Dangerous

• The verification code is legitimate – which makes the scam convincing 
• Digital wallet transactions can happen instantly
• The scammer never needs your physical card
• Victims often don’t realize what happened until charges appear

Important: The verification code is not for confirming who you are. It’s confirming that you approve adding your card to a new device.

Red Flags to Watch For:

Be cautious if someone:

• Asks for a one-time code sent to your phone
• Creates urgency (“act now”) and/or pressures you to act quickly without time to think
• Tells you not to contact anyone else
• Claims sharing the code will “protect” your account

No financial institution employee will ever ask for your verification code.

Key things to keep in mind:

• Heritage Grove will never call, email or text asking for sensitive information, such as:

1. Login credentials 
2. PIN
3. Full SSN
4. Debit/Credit card numbers
5. CVV code
6. Code Word

• Always access digital banking from Heritage Grove’s website or mobile app. 
• Enroll in alerts, push notifications, enable two-factor authentication, and ensure your financial institution has your up-to-date contact information. 
• Never click on links in text messages, unless you’re certain of the source.
• Be suspicious of communications asking for sensitive information – don’t provide personal information. 
• Scammers can use urgency to put you at risk of making sensitive decisions quickly. Don’t rush! Take the time to think through the request and consider whether the call, text or email is real. 
• Verify independently – Contact the family member, friend or company directly from a number you know or google search the company and find their phone number on their website. 
• If something feels “off”, it probably is. Trust your gut instinct.

If you think you are a victim of a scam:

• Don’t be afraid or embarrassed – scams and fraud happen often, and we are here to help you.
• Contact your financial institution immediately – the sooner you let them know, the easier it is to help you with your accounts and loans. 
• Change your digital banking password(s).
• Lock or remove the compromised card(s) from digital wallets. 
• Monitor your credit – enroll in our free Credit Score Solution within our digital banking and review your credit score and report periodically. You can also receive free credit reports once a year from annualcreditreport.com. 
• If you think someone might be using your personal information – you can report it at ftc.gov. 

Digital wallets are secure – but only when you keep your verification codes private. Scammers rely on impersonation and pressure to bypass security protections. 

Remember:
If you didn’t request it, don’t approve it. 
If someone asks for a code, it’s a scam. 

Staying informed is one of the strongest defenses you have. 

Questions? Call/text 503.588.0211 or email creditunion@ourgrovecu.com.

Read more fraud prevention posts:
How to Protect Yourself from AI Scams
Is it Real… or a Romance Scam?
Fraud Unmasked: How to Recognize and Avoid Common Scams