CEO Corner
Carelessness Can Cost You 
Americans are concerned about someone stealing their credit card, check or debit card numbers, but 28% are careless with receipts, according to a recent survey from Paymentech (a processor and acquirer of credit card transactions and provider of fraud-prevention software).
Disregarding receipts that have valuable information greatly increases the risk of credit and debit card fraud. Nearly 15% of those surveyed throw the receipt away without tearing or shredding it. Another 13% leave the receipt in the bag they got with the purchase.
Thieves easily can find receipts with valid account numbers in trash cans. Some easy steps you can take to prevent thieves from stealing your financial information:
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Shred all preapproved credit offers, credit and debit card receipts, insurance forms, financial statements, and other paperwork containing personal and financial information.
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Check credit union statements and other financial statements monthly for discrepancies and order a credit report once a year to make sure no one else is using your personal information to obtain credit cards or services.
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Don't print your Social Security number on your checks and don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet.
You should also be hesitant about giving personal or financial information over the telephone--make sure you know the caller and know how the information will be used. Following these basic tips will help you to avoid becoming the lastest victim of financial fraud.
Anna T Grado
CEO
Phishing Scams
The reports of phishing attacks keep coming. The latest is effecting NCUA-the National Credit Union Administration-which is the governing body of Federal Credit Unions. It may look legitimate, but be cautious anyway. Just what is phishing? A fraudulent email or phone call sent out to members of credit unions reporting that there are problems with the member's account or their account needs verification or something similar. Most often this is done through email with a "link" to a website that will steal your information and use it for fraudulent purposes.
Know this! Section 705 FCU will not solicit our members via email, nor would we ask YOU for your information--neither would NCUA! Do not give anyone your personal information unless YOU initiate the contact. DO NOT respond to any of these emails (delete them immediately) and DO NOT give anyone your personal information if requested from an unsolicited email or phone call. BE SUSPICIOUS...these people are very clever AND convincing! And as always, review your account statements carefully for any unauthorized charges and act immediately. YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST DEFENSE!
Preventing Check Fraud and ATM Safety Tips!
We would like to think that we live in a perfect world; a world where everyone does the right thing...but that isn't so. Below are a few tips on how to prevent check fraud and ATM safety--we hope you find them useful. Many of these tips seem common sense yet we often do some things out of habit without thinking.
Prevent check fraud from happening to you!
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Don't leave a blank space when writing dollar amounts on your personal or business checks.
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Avoid abbreviations--"IRS" could very easily be altered to read "MRS".
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Don't leave checks in your mailbox.
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Review your monthly checking account statements OR cancelled checks--be sure they are made out to and endorsed by the intended person or place.
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Order checks from your Credit Union--they are made harder to alter.
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Keep deposit slips with your account information on them in a safe place--thieves can deposit worthless checks into your account and get back some of the deposit as cash.
ATM Protection and Safety Tips
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Keep your ATM card in a safe place and where it won't bend or scratch.
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Memorize your Personal Identification Number (PIN). NEVER write your PIN down on anything in your wallet or on your ATM card.
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Keep your PIN number private.
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Report a lost or stolen ATM card to your financial institution IMMEDIATELY!
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Keep your ATM receipts and check them against your monthly statement.
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Observe your surroundings before approaching an ATM machine. Make sure the machine you choose is not obstructed from view or poorly lit, if so...choose another machine.
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Have your card ready for the transaction to take place as quickly as possible. Not only is this courteous to others behind you, but also you will not be distracted so as not to notice a possible dangerous situation.
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Shield the screen so that noone can see you PIN number or the amount of cash you are requesting.
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Put away your cash, card and receipt immediately. ALWAYS take your receipt with you.
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If you see anything suspicious, cancel your transaction and leave immediately. If anyone follows you following a transaction, go to a crowded, well-lit area and call the police.
