SECURITY
Protect Your Identity | Checking/Phone/Phishing Scams | Internet Scams | Credit/Debit Card Alerts | Consumer Alerts |
LATEST SECURITY INFORMATION
Don't be a Victim!
2010 is a Census year, which means that across the country, census workers have begun going door to door to verify addresses of households across the country. It is important to assist with this very important initiative, but make sure you do so without compromising your personal and financial security.
If someone knocks on your door - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:
- If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.
- Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers nor will employees solicit donations.
- Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail or in person at home. However, they will not contact you by e-mail, so be on the look out for e-mail scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an e-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.
For this and more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org
source: http://dallas.bbb.org/article/bbb-alerts-consumers-about-us-census-workers-be-cooperative-but-cautious-10346
Traveling Abroad?
Don't forget to contact our Visa department if you plan to use your MHV Visa Credit or Debit Card. Security restrictions are in place to protect you from fraudulent activity on your card. By contacting us before you go, we can remove the restriction so you have use of your card while traveling. Please note there may be transaction and amount limitations in some areas.
PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY
Have You Been a Victim of Identity Theft?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides an Identity Theft Affidavit that includes forms and procedures that you can use to report identity theft to your creditors and to credit reporting agencies.
Tips to Safely Conduct Financial Transactions Over the Internet
CHECK / PHONE / PHISHING SCAMS
- (5/20/09) We have been notified of a phone phishing scam where local residents are getting calls stating that there has been suspicious activity on their credit union account. The phishers are asking for sensitive info including account number, pin, cvc, etc. Please note that MHVFCU will never ask you for confidential information over the phone. If you are not certain if you are speaking with MHVFCU, please ask for the representatives name and call us directly at 1-800-451-8373.
- (1/16/09)--A fraudulent e-mail seeking credit card information (known as a "phishing fraud") has been circulating nationwide since 2 p.m. EST 1/16/2009. This fraudulent phishing email appears to be from NCUA and contains a link purportedly to obtain a subscription for the NCUA Express Subscription service. When that link is used, the recipient is directed to a "clone" of the NCUA Express Service site that seeks credit card information from those to whom the phish was sent. If you receive such an email, please ignore it, as it is fraudulent. The NCUA does NOT charge for the Express Subscription service and does NOT solicit credit card information over the Internet.
- (1/13/09)--PSCU Financial Services has reported a phishing attack. E-mails are being addressed to PSCU Financial Services customers and states that accounts will be blocked until billing information on file is verified. These are unauthorized e-mails as PSCU would never initiate a direct communication with credit union members.
INTERNET SCAMS
- Are you trying to sell something over the Internet? If so, BEWARE! A current scam is targeting Internet users selling something on the World Wide Web. Here's the scenario... You post your car for sale on the web and strike a deal with a prospective buyer. You work out the details and the buyer sends you what looks like an Official Check from a bank or credit union. But the check is thousands of dollars more than your agreed upon sale price; when you contact the buyer, they state a mistake was made cutting the check. They ask you to deposit the check and return the difference by wiring it to an overseas bank account. You do so and assume that all is well. Perhaps at this point you have already released the car to someone representing the buyer. Unfortunately, a couple of days later the check is returned as counterfeit and you are out the money that was wired overseas and your car! Please take extra precautions when selling something over the Internet. If you receive a check for more than your sale price, most probably the check is phony and you're dealing with someone who is trying to "scam" you. If you do deposit the check, don't do anything with the "overpayment" until the check clears and we know the check is good. If you're concerned, ask one of our Member Service Representatives to verify funds with the issuing bank. Or if you know after reading this that you are being "scammed", please bring it to our attention so that we can collect all your information and turn it over to the authorities to investigate. Always exercise caution in any transaction to protect your identity and your assets.
- In a new Internet scam, payments are made with counterfeit Travelers Express MoneyGrams. Please be alert to such forms of payment; they may not be what they appear.
CREDIT / DEBIT CARD SCAMS & ALERTS
- (2/2/2009)--MHVFCU has been working with VISA to obtain a list of member VISA cards involved in the recently announced Heartland Payment Services VISA card breach. Should your VISA card be reported as compromised, you will receive a letter detailing the information that we have. The letter will also include instructions on how, together, we can protect your VISA card. Please contact us at 1-800-451-8373 if you would like additional information.
- (1/22/2009)--We are aware of the recent VISA breach at Heartland Payment Systems and are working very closely with VISA to identify any of our card holders that may be at risk. As soon as we know more information, we will be contacting any affected members. Please check our website for any updates.
Please Note: Should you find yourself in a situation where your credit card is blocked, you can call us with your password to request that the hold on your card be released; for your protection, we will not release a hold without your password. Please note that your password is the security code you’ve selected to identify yourself to us when calling; it’s not your card PIN, which we have no way of knowing. If you can’t remember your password or never established one, please call our Contact Center at 800.451.8373, ext. 6000, for assistance. Then, if you need help with a blocked card in the future, you can call the Contact Center with your password and ask to be transferred to the Visa Department for help.
CONSUMER ALERTS
- (2/15/05)--A national bi-weekly payment administrator pulls mortgage information from public records and sends mortgage holders a letter about converting to their weekly or bi-weekly payment plans. They have their letter set up so our name appears over the member's name in the salutation (and their name does not appear on the letterhead). Therefore, it appears this offer is associated with us. It's not. The letter invites you to set up a weekly or bi-weekly payment program administered by this company for a one-time setup fee of $195 and a "transfer fee" added to each payment ($1.95 weekly or $3.50 bi-weekly). They claim this will shorten your mortgage term and save you money. That's because splitting a payment in half and paying that amount bi-weekly results in 26 bi-weekly payments, not 24, which is the equivalent of one additional monthly payment each year. You do not need an "administrator" who charges fees to pay down a loan faster; you can do it yourself right here at MHV. You can make additional payments on your mortgage at any time at no extra charge. Please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your options.
