Protect your Personal Identification Number (PIN) & Personal Access Code (PAC)

• At the ATM or in-store, use your hand or body as a shield to avoid debit skimmers who use hidden cameras or look over your shoulder to obtain your PIN.
• Never share your PIN or PAC with anyone; financial institutions will never ask for this information.  Note that voluntarily sharing this information could jeopardize any future skimming claims you may have.
• Never record your PIN or PAC numbers anywhere.
• Like any password, change your PIN and your Personal Access Code frequently.  Best practice is every 90 to 120 days.

Protect your MemberDirect online banking access

• Never leave your computer unattended while using our online banking services.
• Always exit the site using the Logout button and close your browser if you step away from your computer. Your browser may retain information you entered in the login screen and elsewhere until you exit the browser.
• Prevent the browser from caching (storing) the pages that you view by using the Enhanced Security feature located on the login screen.  We strongly recommend that you use this feature if you are accessing the online banking section of the website from a shared computer, such as at a friend's house or through a publicly-accessible computer, such as at a library or airport.
• Secure or erase files stored on your computer by your browser so others cannot read them.  Most browsers store information in non-protected (unencrypted) files in the browser's cache to improve performance.  These files remain there until erased. They can be erased using standard computer utilities or by using your browser feature to ‘empty’ the cache.
• Disable automatic password-save features in the browsers and software you use to access the Internet.
• Install and use a quality anti-virus program.  As new viruses are created each and every day, be sure to update your anti-virus program often.  It is recommended you update anti-virus definitions weekly. Scan all download files, programs, disks and attachments and only accept files and programs from a trusted source.
• Install and use a personal firewall on your computer to ensure others cannot access your computer through the Internet.

Protect your MemberCard like you would cash

• Keep your card within view at all times, particularly at restaurants, bars or full service gas stations: ensure the card that is returned to you is your own.
• Avoid unfamiliar debit or ATM machines and look for physical alterations to the machines.  Remember that you can often get cash back at stores particularly large department and grocery stores.
• Should you discover that your MemberCard is missing, contact us immediately.

Protect your credit card

• Keep your actual card secure.
• When making an online purchase always be sure that you are on a secure website for a well-known business. A legitimate website will have a padlock icon on the lower right corner of the screen and you should be able to view the security certificate details for the site by clicking this icon.
• Don't give out your credit card number over the phone to businesses you are unfamiliar with and never provide your number to anyone over the phone if you did not initiate the contact.
• Never email your credit card number.
• Check your statements regularly and be sure to report any questionable purchases to your credit card provider immediately.

Destroy receipts

• Debit and credit card receipts contain part, or all of your card number; many cases of identity theft come about as a result of someone sifting through the trash”.
• Keep all receipts until you’ve had the opportunity to verify them for accuracy (both the receipt itself and to your statement).  Once this is done, shred them immediately.
• Review your statements promptly and report any discrepancies immediately.

Guard your personal information

• Never give out your personal information to anyone contacting you by mail, phone or e-mail; if someone claims to be your financial institution or credit card provider, advise them you will call them back at the number published in the phone book or on the back of your card or statement.
• Never just throw your personal documentation into the trash or recycling bin.  Shred all documents which contain personal information such as bills, tax returns, insurance forms, transaction records, cheques or account statements.  Note: make an effort to use cross-cut shredders – they make it much more difficult for paperwork to be reassemled
• Guard your mail: know when you should receive your statements and remove mail from your mailbox daily.
• Don’t let telemarketers pressure you for information or sales.  Ask for references and a call-back number – but beware: a crook can give you phoney numbers where a colleague is standing by to finish taking your money or personal information.  Best rule of thumb:  if you didn’t initiate the purchase, don’t do it.

Reduce your risk by reducing paper

• Opt out of mailed statements to reduce identity theft.  You can access e-statements via MemberDirect Online Banking.  Additionally, cucardsonline provides you with access to your Credit Union MasterCard e-statement electronically as well.
• Transfer money using e-Transfers and pay bills through MemberDirect Online Banking instead of writing and mailing cheques.

Lock up your cheques

• Don’t give crooks a chance to counterfeit your cheques. Store extra cheques and deposit slips in a secure locked location and destroy cancelled cheques, or cheques from a closed account immediately.
• Never leave your chequebook in an unsecure location, such as your vehicle.  Frequently check the number order in your cheque book as thieves will often steal one or two cheques from the middle or back of a book.
• Report lost or stolen cheques as soon as you discover they are missing.

Ask yourself

• Does this transaction or the person you are dealing with make you feel uncomfortable?
• Does the deal seem to be too good to be true?

Be aware

• Become familiar with common tactics that fraudsters use to cheat you out of your hard-earned money.
• Any cheque or money order could be counterfeit which is why we have a deposit hold policy.