Fraud: scammer techniques and how to spot them

This article covers the most common fraud techniques targeting nonprofits that use Springly and its banking partner Swan, along with the reflexes to spot them. It's aimed at anyone who manages payments or the bank account for their nonprofit.

This article covers the most common scam techniques circulating right now, so you can spot them at a glance and stay one step ahead of fraudsters.

• Key things to remember, in every case
• Three common scam techniques
• What to do if you're unsure
• Need help?

Key things to remember, in every case

• No call will ever ask you to act urgently. Neither Springly nor our banking partner Swan will ever call you to block a payment, confirm a code, or validate a card under time pressure.
• Our only SMS messages are for consent and identity verification. You may receive a text from us only when creating your account or to verify a user's identity. Never to validate a payment urgently or prompt you to take immediate action.
• We never communicate via WhatsApp. No legitimate message, call, or notification from us — or from Swan — is ever sent through that app.
• We will never ask you to read your credentials out loud. Not to a person, not to an automated system — even as part of a so-called "security check".

Three common scam techniques

1. Fake "advisor" calls

A fraudster poses as a Springly or Swan advisor and contacts you by phone — sometimes even via WhatsApp. They may already know some of your information (name, address, card number) to build trust, and come across as very familiar with your account or the platform.

They then create a sense of urgency: you need to "verify" or "block" payments immediately, or you could be held liable. Some will transfer you to an "automated verification system" and ask you to read your codes or credentials out loud — which are then recorded without your knowledge.

The codes fraudsters typically ask for are:

• the 3DS confirmation: a security code sent by your bank via text message, or a validation completed directly in your banking app.
• the CVC: the 3 or 4 digits on the back of your payment card. Never share these — neither our team nor our banking partner Swan will ever ask for them.

What to do: hang up. Always verify any phone number on our official website before calling back, and never confirm anything in response to an unsolicited message or call — even if the caller seems perfectly informed.

2. Fake payment cards sent by mail

A letter that closely mimics a bank's official branding informs you that your card needs to be replaced for "security reasons," or offers you an "upgraded" card you never requested. The enclosed card looks convincingly real: chip, magnetic stripe, logo and all.

To "activate" it, you are asked to scan a QR code that leads to a fake banking site designed to capture your login credentials and your current card details.

What to do: Swan never sends a new card unless you explicitly requested one from your account, and you always receive an email before a replacement card is mailed. Never scan a QR code received by mail to "activate" a banking product.

3. Classic phishing: emails, text messages, and fake websites

These attempts spike after every data breach affecting other companies (telecom providers, airlines). Fraudsters take advantage of the general climate of concern to try their luck — even when none of your data is involved.

The reflex to adopt: always check the exact sender address. Do not click on a link received by email or text message to log in — type your account address directly into your browser. And enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Your best practices when in doubt

• Never share your login credentials, a code received by text message, or your payment card numbers with anyone — even if the person seems familiar with your account.
• Always verify a suspicious phone number or email address through our official channels before trusting it.
• If you receive a suspicious call, text, or email: hang up or do not respond, then contact us directly through our official support.

Think you may have been the victim of a fraudulent transaction? Our article What to do if you suspect fraud walks you through how to secure your account and dispute the transactions in question.

Have a question, a concern, or a situation that seems suspicious? Contact our support team directly from your Springly account.

Stay vigilant — we're watching out on our end too 💙