Security News

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SECURITY ALERT — URGENT -- (Dec '06)

Protecting Your Identity -- (Dec '06)

SECURITY ALERT — URGENT

A scam e-mail has been sent out recently, pretending to be from Card Services for Credit Unions (CSCU), our card service provider. The e-mail asks members to take a brief survey. When you click on the link in the e-mail, it takes you to a site that looks like the CSCU website, and asks for personal information as well as card information.

CSCU DID NOT SEND ANY E-MAILS DIRECTLY TO CARDHOLDERS AND DOES NOT HAVE CARDHOLDER DATA. CSCU does not communicate directly with cardholders.

If you believe you have revealed personal or financial information to a scammer, please contact us immediately.

Protecting Your Identity

Hometown Credit Union is proud of the measures we take to protect your Credit Cards and ATM/Debit Cards. But it is also important for you to be aware of actions you should be taking to minimize your risk of identity theft.

There is no ironclad protection that guarantees that you'll never fall victim to some form of identity theft. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself, many of which are rather simple:

  1. Destroy private records and statements. Invest in a low-cost shredder ($20). Shred credit card offers and statements, old bill stubs, or any other documents that may contain information about you or your finances.
  2. Secure your mail. Fetch your mail from your mailbox quickly, or get a P.O. box so that criminals don't have a chance to snatch credit card offers. Also, avoid mailing outgoing bills and checks from home. They can be stolen, and your name erased with solvents. Mail them from a secure mailbox, or at the post office.
  3. Safeguard your Social Security number. Your SSN is the primary target for identity thieves, because if gives them access to your credit report and bank accounts. Never carry your social security card with you, or any other card that has your SSN on it, such as health insurance cards. Also, don't put it on your checks. Don't even give out a partial SSN over the phone unless you placed the call. A thief can combine scams, such as calling at a later date and asking about your city of birth, which may allow them to figure out the remaining digits of your SSN.
  4. Don't leave a paper trail. Never leave receipts at an ATM or Gas Pump. A smart thief can match these with other information, giving them enough information to get started copying your identity.
  5. Never let your credit card out of your sight. It only takes a moment for a dishonest clerk to obtain a copy of your credit card info.
  6. Know who you are dealing with. Whenever anyone contacts you asking for private or financial information, DO NOT give out any information, even if the caller seems legitimate and seems to already know a lot of information about you. Instead, ask them what company they represent and the reason for the call. Then contact the company yourself and confirm what you were told. Then you may reveal personal information at your discretion.
  7. Review your credit card statements carefully. Many scams involve charging several small amounts to your credit card over a long period of time. This helps the thief go unnoticed. Be sure you can account for every transaction on your credit card statement, and report any problems immediately.
  8. Monitor your credit report. It is strongly recommended that everyone review their credit report at least once per year. You can do so for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. But while this service is free, be careful that you do not unintentionally sign up for a credit monitoring service. The law requires that the credit reporting companies allow one free credit report per year, but it does not prevent those same companies from using subtle ways to get you to sign up for their monitoring services.