Stay protected against the latest digital threats with OnPoint Community Credit Union’s 2025 Cybersecurity eBook

OnPoint’s eBook helps educate consumers about an ever-evolving cybercrime landscape  

PORTLAND, Ore. — In 2024, U.S. consumers lost a record $12.5 billion to fraud, with 1 in 4 adults falling victim. Tech support scams, investments scams and impostor scams ranked among the key threats, and young adults and the elderly remain top targets of scammers.  

In response, OnPoint Community Credit Union released its 2025 “The OnPoint Guide to Personal Cybersecurity” eBook to help consumers protect themselves and stay informed about the latest online threats. OnPoint updates the free eBook every October in observance of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  

“Technology makes so many things easier for consumers, but unfortunately that also extends to cybercriminals,” said Damian Laviolette, chief information officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “The red flags are not quite as red these days, so it’s critical to stay up to date on the latest trends and be vigilant about your online safety. We are committed to providing members and non-members with the tools and knowledge they need.” 

The latest trends in online fraud include: 

• Cybercriminals continue to improve techniques with AI and automation. One common technique used by cybercriminals is called deepfake phishing, where they recreate a loved one’s voice or even a local official to add weight to these manipulative communications. In Q1 of 2025, $200 million in losses was reported nationwide from deepfake cyberattacks. AI also helps scammers generate these messages even faster, to target more potential victims.  

• Youth and seniors are the most at-risk populations. Young people, especially children, have clean credit histories, making them valuable to identity thieves. Chat features in online games also give cybercriminals a platform to convince young people to reveal personal information, transfer money or click on malicious links. Cybercriminals also target people aged 60 and older because they believe they have considerable assets and are less familiar with cybersecurity best practices and online scams, especially AI techniques. Grandparent scams, tech support scams, government impersonation scams romance scams were among the top most common types of elder scams reported in 2025. 

• Your smart devices have become targets. According to IoT Analytics, there will be approximately 19.8 billion connected devices by the end of 2025. The growing number of “smart” household appliances, cars and systems create potential access points for cyberattacks that might be easily overlooked. Cybercriminals can attempt to access your passwords or bank accounts through the information shared with a digital assistant or get into your Wi-Fi network to launch a ransomware attack.  

 Top Four Tips for Cybersecurity: 

• Always verify the sender. Messages from cybercriminals come in many forms: emails, texts, phone calls, or even videos. They want you to hand over personal information, money, or click on a link containing hidden malware. Never trust a request for your password—a legitimate source like a bank or government office will not need your password, a PIN or card number. When in doubt, find another way to contact the sender to confirm that the message is legitimate. 

•  Watch out for too-good-to-be-true offers. Cybercriminals often send messages promising unexpected money in exchange for a fee or tax. You should always be suspicious if an individual, bank or company contacts you offering any sum of money. Do not send money or attempt to deposit unverified funds—especially if you’ve never met the sender. Search for the person or organization online and seek the advice of your financial institution if you’re suspicious. 

• Talk to your children and elderly family members about cybersecurity. Your children and elderly family members should be aware of the threats they are likely to encounter online. Play an active role in your children’s online interactions and set up child-safety controls on their devices to restrict their access, block offensive content and limit screen time. Help educate your elderly family members about common scams, monitor their financial accounts for fraud and block spam calls on their devices. 

• Protect your devices. Change your router name and password from the default settings, use a guest network for smart devices and add multi-factor authentication (MFA) requirements to access administrative control of your primary network. Use strong passwords—or even better, passphrases—that contain spaces between words, and symbols and numbers in place of some letters. 

As online fraud continues to evolve, staying informed and alert is more important than ever. You can protect yourself and your family by downloading The OnPoint Guide to Cybersecurity eBook or consulting with a staff member at your nearest OnPoint branch. 

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 About OnPoint Community Credit Union 

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 618,000 members and with assets of $9.56 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union’s membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Clark and Skamania) and their immediate family members. OnPoint Community Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). More information is available at onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077; 800-527-3932.