How do I protect myself from scams?

Protecting your personal information is very important to us. In this article, we’ve outlined some of the most common signs of a scam and a few actions you can take to protect yourself.

Important reminders:

• Upgrade will never ask for login credentials, including your password to your Upgrade account(s).
• Upgrade will never ask for your personal information through social media platforms.
• If you suspect you have received a phishing email, phone call, or SMS impersonating Upgrade, please reach out to Upgrade at (833) 211-5227.

What to do if you suspect a scam?

If you suspect you are being scammed, report it immediately. Notify Upgrade Customer support and report the suspected scam to the following institutions as soon as possible:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Visit the FTC website and report the scam.
• FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center: Visit the website and report the scam.

To notify Upgrade Customer support, contact us toll-free at (844) 319-3909, Monday-Friday, 5am - 6pm PT, Saturday and Sunday 6am - 5pm PT.

How do I know an email is from Upgrade? (spot phishing/spoofing)

Phishing and spoofing can be serious threats to your personal information. Learn how to spot these scams so you don’t fall victim to one.

Spoofing

Spoofing occurs when someone creates a fake identity to gain access to your personal information or money. Spoofing can happen across a variety of platforms, including phone, text, and email. Please use caution when answering phone calls and opening emails; report the email as spam or hang up and call us directly if you are in doubt.

Signs of spoofing:

1. The caller or email sender requests your account details and/or personal information.
2. The caller or email sender asks you to send or wire them money.

Phishing

Phishing occurs when you get a legitimate-looking email from a sender who asks you to call a number, visit a website, or reply to the email with your personal information. Please use caution when opening and replying to emails regarding your Upgrade accounts.

Signs that an email may be a phishing scam:

1. Sender’s email address does not match Upgrade emails
2. Grammar, spelling, and formatting errors in the subject line and body of the email
3. Email contains links that, when hovered over, link to non-Upgrade URLs
4. Email contains unexpected attachments
5. Sender requests your account details and/or personal information
6. Sense of urgency in the email, e.g., “I need you to provide this information by today at 12:30 pm PST or your account will be blocked.”

Learn more about protecting yourself from fraud here. If you suspect you have received a phish email or a spoof call impersonating Upgrade, please contact Upgrade Customer Support toll-free at (844) 319-3909.

What should I do if I’ve responded to a phishing email?

If you respond to a phishing email, there are steps you can take to mitigate the damage. Contact Upgrade Customer Support and report the incident. Then, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.

Contact Upgrade Customer Support toll-free at (844) 319-3909, Monday-Friday, 5am - 6pm PT, Saturday and Sunday 6am - 5pm PT.

Contact all of your banks and alert them that you’ve been the victim of a scam. Next contact the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion and place a freeze or add a fraud alert on your credit profile. This requires you to authorize access to your credit profile, essentially disabling access to scammers. Finally, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://complaint.ic3.gov/.

Finally, change any passwords that may have been compromised.

Common Scams

A few common scams appear more frequently than others. Keep an eye out for them and know their warning signs to protect yourself from fraud.

Imposter Scams

• What it can look like: You recently applied for a personal loan through a lender or a third party like Credit Karma, Lending Tree, etc., and were denied. A few days later, you receive a fake loan agreement from someone impersonating a lending company.
• Why it’s a scam: It is a common tactic for scammers to impersonate a trusted company to trick you into providing personal information, such as bank account details or passwords. Double-check the contact information of the person requesting something from you, and never give out personal information to someone you don't know or haven’t validated further.

If you suspect someone is impersonating Upgrade, please contact Upgrade at (833) 211-5227. Our team can verify if we have or have not reached out to you.

Sweepstakes, bonuses, and prizes

• What it can look like: You open your inbox to an email or your social media app to a direct message saying you’ve just won a sweepstakes, a raffle prize, or a bonus.
• Why it’s a scam: Although it may seem real, Upgrade does not currently hold sweepstakes, send prizes, or offer our customers anything that is not directly listed on our website. Visit our site to learn more. (Note that there are specific bonuses offered for opening new accounts, but the exact terms are listed on our website.)

Broker Scam

• What it can look like: You get a call from a broker claiming they can help you apply for a loan. They ask you for your personal information and/or to send them money to apply for a loan.
• Why it’s a scam: Upgrade and Universal Credit do not work with brokers. While we sometimes work with third-party vendors for specific products, we never use brokers to process anything for our customers. If you have been contacted by someone claiming to be a broker, contact Upgrade immediately and do not give out your personal information.

Text Scam

• What it can look like: You receive a text containing a link and a message such as, “your account has been compromised”. Signs of a scam text include a sense of urgency, requests for personal information, or suspicious links.
• Why it’s a scam: These links can lead to spoofed websites attempting to phish your personal information. Upgrade will only send short verification codes by text as part of a multi-factor authentication process and only when you are live on the phone with an Upgrade agent.

How to protect yourself from a scam

The best way to protect yourself from a scam is to be extremely cautious about giving out your personal information to anyone. Double-check the contact information (name, email, phone number, etc.) of the person requesting information from you, and never give out personal information to someone you don't know or haven’t validated further. A s a reminder, Upgrade will never ask for your login credentials for any account, including your password. Please keep your login credentials secure to protect your information and report any suspicious activity to Upgrade Customer Support.

If you’re unsure, you can always contact Upgrade Customer Support directly. Our team can verify if we have or have not reached out to you. Contact us toll-free at (844) 319-3909, Monday-Friday, 5am - 6pm PT, Saturday and Sunday 6am - 5pm PT.