Have one of these? stack of files Or maybe one of these? file cabinet

When you switch to e-Statements, you can say goodbye to the piles and files, BUT retain secure access to all the information they contain.

Discover the benefits of enrolling in e-Statements

1) 24/7 Access to your statements

E-statements allow you to access all of your accounts in one place.  You can quickly and easily keep an eye on your account balance, transactions and monitor for unusual activity.

2)View statements as soon as they are available

With traditional statements, you need to wait for the statement to be printed, stuffed into an envelope, go through the postal system and eventually make its way to your door. With e-statements, you receive an email at the end of the statement period that your account statement is ready to view. You can then log into your account and have immediate – and secure – access to your statement.

3)Reduce risk of identity theft and mail fraud

Your bank statements are full of sensitive financial and personal information. YOUR financial and personal information. When you switch to e-Statements, you are reducing the risk that your personal information will inadvertently fall into the wrong hands. E-statements help reduce your exposure to identity theft through your paper documents.

4)Better for the environment

Switching to e-Statements is a simple way to be more Earth friendly – from the reduction in the amount of paper that is used (the statement and also the envelopes!) to the amount of resources it takes to deliver that paper to your door.

5) Declutter

Using less paper is also better for your immediate home environment.  Clutter happens.  But it doesn’t have to!  You may have a stack of “important mail” that stacks up and becomes unmanageable.  When you sign up for e-statements, you don’t have to worry about misplacing your statement.  Your statement history is archived securely.  It is available for you whenever and wherever you are. 

So what are you waiting for? Start enjoying the benefits of e-Statements today!

 

The FTC launched ReportFraud.ftc.gov, a website that makes it easy for people to report fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Over the last couple years, fraud and scams have been on the rise due to COVID, so it could not have come at a better time. Help your community; report and stop scams.

If you get calls, emails, or mail about:

  • “Free vacations”
  • “Miracle” cures
  • Your Social Security number
  • Buying gift cards
  • and more!

Common types of fraud that you may encounter include:

  • Mail fraud
  • Credit and debit card fraud
  • Social Security fraud
  • Voter fraud
  • Elder fraud
  • Stolen tax refunds
  • Drivers license fraud
  • and more!

Take a second and look up if this could be a scam. You may also add your phone number to the official “Do Not Call” Registry here: www.donotcall.gov. Do not send money to people you don’t know. Do not give out your Social Security number to people you don’t know. If you are called and suspect a scam, hang up. If you suspect that the call, email, or mail could be a scam or fraud, report it. Contact us if you believe your accounts have been compromised. It will help protect you and your community!

report scams and fraud

It’s a fact of life now that you have to work hard to protect your identity. There are too many people out there trying to use your identity to steal your money, credit, and reputation. Here are some helpful tips you can use to protect yourself from identity theft.

What Do Scammers Steal?

Identity theft protectionTax ID theft occurs when people try to file a tax return under false credentials. The Internal Revenue Service is working hard to crack down on this. If they find a federal tax return that seems to duplicate your name or social security number, they will stop processing the return and send a letter to your home. It is up to you to follow the directions in the letter and verify your identity. You can get more information about this process from the IRS here.

Medical ID theft is commonly used to gain medical service or to issue fake bills to your insurance. They may also use your identity to buy prescription drugs illegally. This can cause problems for you and damage your credit. In addition, if the wrong information ends up in your personal medical records, it could cause a medical emergency for you.

Social ID theft is a growing problem with more and more people using social media and online transactions. In this case, the thief will use your personal information, including your name and image to create a fake social media account. They will use this account to scam people that know and trust you or open other fake accounts.

Protect Yourself and Prevent Identity Theft

There are a few steps you can take to prevent identity theft.

Paper Trails

Make sure that old receipts, account statement, expired debit or credit cards, and other sensitive pieces of information are shredded. People will go through the garbage to find this information. Make sure your Social Security Number is protected. Don’t carry it with you and don’t give it out unless it is necessary.

If you usually receive a paper bill and it is late, contact the company sending the bill. Someone may have stolen the mail to get your information. On a related note, don’t let your mail pile up and if you are going to be out of town, have the Post Office hold your mail.

Computer Hackers

Protecting yourself online can seem to be a daunting task, but you don’t have to be a computer genius to set up some guards. Make sure that you have anti-virus software installed on your computer. A couple of popular and effective ones include Avast and Symantec, but just about any antivirus is better than having nothing!

Other things you can do to protect yourself online is to make sure your passwords aren’t easy to figure out like “password1” or the name of your dog. If a company that you have an account with is hacked, change your passwords. Also, don’t give your information freely. Hackers can use answers to questions that seem innocent like your mother’s maiden name, birth dates, old teachers’ names, and so on to answer security questions on your accounts.

Protect Yourself at ATMs

Lady at ATMYou’ve probably seen or heard the news stories about “skimmers” being found on ATMs and gas pumps. What can you do to protect yourself against this growing method of stealing data? A skimmer is a device that can steal the information on the magnetic strip on the debit or credit card. With your PIN number and that data, they can use your account information for their own gain.

The most common method of skimming involves two devices: one captures your PIN and the second gets the data on your card. They can sit nearby with a laptop and get your information as you enter it. Here are some tips to keep your data and your money safe:

Here are some tips to keep your data and your money safe:

1. Hide your PIN. If you cover the pad as you enter the numbers, the thieves won’t be able to steal the digits and get into your account.

2. Check your balances. You usually only have a two-day window to report a fraudulent transaction, after 60 days, you may have no recourse. You can come into your favorite Family Credit Union branch and ask about setting up alerts.

3. Use ATMs at Branch Locations. We know how convenient it is to use an ATM at a restaurant or gas station, but you really should avoid it. Those are easy to access for thieves and usually don’t have video surveillance. Using an ATM like the ones at The Family Credit Union lower the risk for a skimmer being used.

4. Trust your gut. If something doesn’t look or feel right, go to another ATM. You may think that an ATM looks “off” or it doesn’t feel right when you insert card. Keep an eye out for people looking over your shoulder or if they just seem out of place. Nothing says you have to use that ATM, so go somewhere that feels safer or wait for your financial institution to open.

It’s Your Money and Identity, Keep It Safe

You’ve worked hard for your money and reputation, don’t let a scam artist steal what is yours. Protect your identity and finances with common sense and safeguards. Feel free to stop in and talk with us about other ways you can protect yourself with the help of The Family Credit Union!

covid-19 fraudThese unprecedented times are uncertain for so many of us. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will take advantage of others during times like these. Scams relating to the coronavirus are on the rise. Here are a few common ones and what you should do if you encounter one:

  1. Robocall Scams – These scams will attempt to contact you by phone claiming to sell fake cures, vaccines, fake testing kits, or advice on fake treatments for COVID-19. No legitimate medical professionals will contact individuals like this.
    • How to Avoid – Hang up or ignore calls from numbers you don’t recognize. Do NOT press any numbers on your phone’s keypad. Fact check information against reputable resources like the FDA or CDC. Know that at this time there are no approved home test kits for COVID-19.
  2. Supply Scams – Scammers are creating websites, fake shops, and social media accounts claiming to sell in-demand items such as cleaning supplies, surgical masks, gloves, etc. If consumers attempt to purchase these items, these sites will pocket the money and not send any products and leave little to no way to get your money back.
    • How to Avoid – Do NOT follow links from email offers. Always use suppliers you recognize or are well known. Be aware that scammers often employ addresses that differ only slightly from those belonging to the entities they are impersonating. For example, they might use “cdc.com” or “cdc.org” instead of “cdc.gov.” Always check online reviews if using a supplier you don’t recognize.
  3. Provider Scams – Scammers are also contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.
    • How to Avoid – Hang up and contact your loved one they refer to, if by name or relationship. Do NOT give personal information to caller. Report to local law enforcement.
  4. Charity Scams – Scammers are soliciting donations, via telephone and email, for individuals, groups, agencies, counties, cities and other areas affected by COVID-19.
    • How to Avoid – Delete the email or hang up the call. Do not click links or give personal information. Face check information by googling the organization. Never let anyone rush you to donate. If you decide to donate to anyone, make sure it is through a secure site.

These are just a few of the scams that are going around right now. Please be aware that there are even more, and you can learn more about these scams and others here. Also be aware that many times these scams unfairly target a mature demographic (60+), but everyone is susceptible to these scams. We hope you are staying safe and healthy!

identity theftby: Chris O’Shea, originally posted on SavvyMoney

Hopefully you’ve never had your identity stolen. If you have, you know what a pain — in more ways than one — it can be. You not only have to update personal information, you’ll likely lose money as well. According to a recent study on identity theft, among those who had their identity stolen in 2019, the median loss was $375. And that’s just counting incidents that were reported to the FTC. In the event that you do have your identity stolen, here are some immediate steps to take. Go through these and you can likely minimize the damage done.

  • Report It.

    Head to the FTC’s identity theft site (www.identitytheft.gov) and report the incident. Not only will this help the FTC battle scammers, but also it will prompt the agency to send you a detailed plan about how to recover your info. The plan also comes with pre-filled forms that should be sent to your local police. Those forms will become part of your report. By also filing with your local law enforcement, you’re (again) helping others and helping yourself. If someone uses your personal info or accounts to commit a crime, the police already know it wasn’t you.

  • Initiate a Fraud Notice.

    Once you’ve contacted the FTC and the police, you’ll want to place a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. A fraud alert tells anyone who tries to access your report that your identity has been compromised, and therefore requires a more detailed identity verification process. This alert will stay on your credit reports for one year.

  • Get Monitoring.

    As US News reports, if your info was stolen via a data breach, you might be offered free credit monitoring. Sign up for it. If this was an isolated incident, you can pay for credit monitoring if you feel it’s necessary, but start with your bank or credit union to see if they offer this service for free. (The Family Credit Union does!)

  • Update Your Passwords.

    If you don’t already use one, sign up for a password manager app/site. The manager will create new, complex passwords and keep track of all of them. You’ll sign in using a single master password that you have to track. Then, while putting the manager into play, change every single password you have. Yes, every one. Now is not the time to cut corners.

  • Get New Accounts.

    In some cases of identity theft, you’ll need to close credit card and bank accounts and reopen new ones. Even if the account seems untouched, it’s better safe than sorry.

 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Earlier in September, Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting companies, reported that they were the target of a cybersecurity breach. The breach occurred from the middle of May through June and over 143 million Americans had their sensitive personal information accessed by the hackers. The information that was exposed included names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and addresses, everything you need to establish an online identity.

In addition to the information listed above, 209,000 people had their credit card numbers stolen and documents with personal information for 182,000 people were also accessed. People residing in Canada and the United Kingdom were also affected.

Were You Impacted?

Before we discuss ways to protect your information, you should find out if your personal information was touched. With close to 50% of the United States being impacted by this breach, it’s important to find out if your information was accessed. Equifax has set up an easy way to see if you are one of the 143 million Americans whose privacy was breached.

Protect Yourself

The Family Credit Union does our credit reporting through TransUnion, so any information you may have provided to us is safe and is not included in the Equifax breach.

Other ways that you can protect your personal information include:

  • Check Your Credit Reports: You can check your credit reports from Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian for free through www.annualcreditreport.com. You can look for unauthorized accounts and other suspicious activity. If you do suspect identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission recommends you visit www.IdentityTheft.gov to learn what your next steps may be.
  • Watch Your Credit Card Accounts and Bank Statements: Be vigilant when it comes to your money. Look for changes, sales, and other things that you don’t recognize or seem odd. The staff at The Family Credit Union can help you go over your accounts if you have any questions.
  • Place A Credit Freeze On Your Information: A credit freeze will prevent someone from opening a new account using your information, however, it won’t stop them from making changes to any accounts you may already have. You can also look into placing a fraud alert in your files. This alert warns creditors that you may be the victim of identity theft, so they will take extra steps to verify your identity if someone attempts to set up credit using your information.
  • File Your Taxes Early: A criminal can use your information to file and receive a refund or to get a job. File your taxes before the hacker can do it. If the IRS contacts you by letter (they probably won’t call you, that’s a whole other scam), make sure you respond quickly. It can take a lot of time and effort to get the problem cleared up, so if you are on top of things, you can prevent it from even occurring.

Contact The Family Credit Union For Assistance

The staff at The Family Credit Union are here to help! If you have any questions or need any help with protecting your identity, stop in at any of our branches. We’ll show you ways to protect your information and credit. We work hard to earn your trust and look forward to helping you protect your finances and getting the most out of your money.