Fuel Your Academic Dreams with a $2,000 Scholarship!
As a valued member of OAS FCU, we’re thrilled to present an exciting opportunity for you or a member of your family heading to college or trade school! The 2025 Credit Union Foundation MD|DC Scholarship is awarding 12 scholarships worth $2,000 each to help ease the financial burden of tuition costs.
Competition Topic
Share Your Thoughts on Credit Unions and Financial Wellness!
We want to hear how credit unions have positively impacted your life. How do they contribute to financial stability for individuals and communities? Share your insights with us!
Scholarship Details
- Award Amount: 12 scholarships of $2,000 each.
- Types of Scholarships:
- Essay-Based Scholarships:Craft a compelling essay of 750 words or less. 10 available.
- Video-Based Scholarships:Showcase your creativity in a 60-second video highlighting the impact of credit unions. 2 available.
- Apply for Both! Yes, you can submit applications for both types of scholarships!
- Important Dates:
- Application Deadline: 11:59 PM EST, April 15, 2025
- Awards Announcement: June 2025
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to OAS FCU members—or an eligible family member—pursuing an undergraduate degree or attending trade school for the fall term of 2025. Please note that parental membership does not qualify; the applicant must be a member.
Uncomfortable Pressure
Legitimate businesses and government agencies will never use high-pressure tactics to try to collect outstanding bills or taxes. If someone claiming to be a bill collector or government agent contacts you by phone, email, or text implying you’ll be arrested, lose Social Security benefits or be subject to an audit or heavy fine if you don’t pay them immediately, it is probably a fraud and should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Strange Financial Activity
If you notice unusual purchases charged to your accounts, your debit or credit card is unexpectedly denied, or you receive alert notifications of changes to your accounts that you didn’t make, these issues could be the result of compromised cards or accounts, or even identity theft. At OAS FCU, we can detect and alert you to various types of suspicious activity based on your Online Banking eAlert settings. Still, you should constantly monitor your accounts as well.
Examples of Fraudsters in Action
The IRS Fraudster
You receive a phone call from someone claiming to be an Internal Revenue Service or “IRS” agent. They say you’ve been notified repeatedly about owing back taxes. Police are waiting to arrest you if you don’t pay what you owe within an hour. To avoid being arrested, you need to wire money to the caller’s account or authorize them to debit your account. The fraudster is trying to threaten and intimidate you, and the only way they say they’ll stop is if you pay them quickly.
The Delivery Fraudster
You receive an email that appears to be from the postal service or a delivery company. The email says they’ve been trying to deliver a package to you but haven’t been able to. They want you to verify your purchase and schedule a new delivery, so they tell you to click a link and provide information such as an order number or account login. The fraudster is looking for credit card numbers and other private data to steal.
The Crisis Fraudster
In challenging times, there are always criminals looking to take advantage of the situation. For example, some people have been emailed or called by strangers and offered COVID-19 tests if they provided their insurance or Medicare information. The fraudster wants to use this information to commit medical identity theft and issue fraudulent bills and claims. In some cases, they want to trick you into clicking links in emails and text messages that can lead to spyware being installed on your computer or phone.
Social Engineering Fraud
Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. These fraudsters are highly sophisticated and will pretend to be part of reputable companies, so that you let your guard down and divulge sensitive information. To learn what to be on the lookout for, please watch the explanation video by clicking here.
The Pay Yourself Scam
This fraud involves a scammer pretending to be your financial institution. Sending you a text message in the form of a security alert, so that you introduce your credentials into a fake website or reach out and provide them with sensitive information regarding your account. To learn what to be on the lookout for, please watch the explanation video by clicking here.
Phishing Scams
Phishing is a type of social engineering where an attacker sends a fraudulent (e.g., spoofed, fake, or otherwise deceptive) message designed to trick a person into revealing sensitive information to the attacker; or to deploy malicious software on the victim’s infrastructure like ransomware. As phishing attacks become increasingly more sophisticated, we wanted to share a quick video on how to be safe. To learn what to be on the lookout for, please watch the explanation video by clicking here.
If you receive a phishing email or phone text message, we encourage you to report it to the proper authorities. That way, you can do your part to help fight scammers.
Step 1. Forward the email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at [email protected]. For text messages, copy and text it to “SPAM” (7726). Remember: Do not click or tap any links.
Step 2. Report the phishing attack to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or filing a complaint online at ftc.gov/complaint.
If you think a scammer has your information, such as your Social Security Number, credit or debit card, or bank account number, visit IdentityTheft.gov and take the specific steps listed based on the information that you lost. If you think you clicked on a link or opened an attachment that downloaded harmful software, update your computer’s security software now. Then run a system scan.
Social Engineering