How to Stay Secure Online
How to Stay Secure Online?
The security of your personal information is always a priority at BCU. We use a variety of technologies and techniques to help ensure that your accounts are safe and sound. You should protect yourself also by making an effort to control risks when you use your personal computer or conduct business online.
Here are some of the steps you can take:
• Do what you can to prevent unauthorized people from using your personal computer (PC).
• Log off or lock your workstation whenever you leave your computer.
• Don't give your PINs (Personal Identification Number) or passwords to anyone. In addition do not record your PINs or passwords in an easy-to-find place. If you notice suspicious activity in your accounts, report it immediately to the credit union.
• Install anti-virus, anti-spyware, and other internet security software on your PC. Use it regularly and keep it up-to-date.
• Be leery of emails you received from people you don't know and don't open any attachments they may contain. When in doubt, delete the message without opening it.
• Make sure your browser uses the strongest encryption available and be aware of the encryption levels of the sites and applications you use.
We recognize how important it is to protect your identity from unlawful use and shield your accounts from fraud and unauthorized access. With that in mind, we want you to know that it is not our practice to ask for your BCU Member Number or PIN in email. We only ask for your Member Number and PIN when you log into online banking.
Furthermore, you can be assured that it's not our practice to:
• Send email that requires you to enter personal information directly into the email.
• Send email threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing personal information.
• Send email asking you to reply by sending personal information.
• Share your name with anyone outside the credit union in a manner inconsistent with our Privacy Policy.
You should never respond or reply to email that:
• Requires you to enter personal information directly into the email or submit that information some other way.
• Threatens to close or suspend your account if you do not take immediate action by providing personal information.
• Solicits your participation in a survey where you are asked to enter personal information.
• States that your account has been compromised or that there has been third-party activity on your account and requests you to enter or confirm your account information.
• States that there are unauthorized charges on your account and requests your account information.
• Asks you to enter your member number, PIN or credit card number into an email or non-secure webpage.
• Asks you to confirm, verify, or refresh your account, credit card, or billing information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is phishing?
A: Phishing (pronounced “fishing”) is a form of criminal activity that employs social engineering techniques to acquire sensitive information such as PINs and credit card details. By masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an apparently official electronic communication like email, criminals use sophisticated lures to "fish" for users' financial information.
Q: What protection do I have if I responded to a phishing attempt?
A: Each situation is different. The credit union will work with you to make the best decisions based on the nature of the compromise and what data you shared.
Q: Should I provide my Member Number and PIN in an email?
A: You should never enter your member number or PIN in an email.
Q: What do fraudulent emails look like?
A: They take many forms, but most are similar in tone – harsh and demanding.
Q: Does BCU send out marketing emails?
A: Yes. We use email and our websites to inform members about products and services we offer that may be of value to them.
Q: What should I do if I'm suspicious of email bearing the BCU logo?
A: If you are suspicious, don't reply to, click on, or enter any information. If it says it's from BCU and you're suspicious, you can forward it to BCU. If you entered information about one of your BCU accounts, you should call us immediately. We investigate each incident and take steps to prevent further unauthorized email from being sent.
Q: I have email that looks like it's from BCU. How can I tell if it's legitimate?
A: Looks can be deceiving. As criminals make more credible forgeries of legitimate email and websites, you can no longer rely on seeing familiar graphics like the BCU logo. The key to determining the authenticity of email lies in the tone of the message and in the nature of the solicitation. Criminals want you to give them information and they're not very subtle about it. Our goal in marketing via email is to inform you about a product or service we think you might be interested in.
Q: Is BCU proactively working to stop phishing?
A: Yes! We aggressively evaluate the messages, work with law enforcement to shut down sites and provide resources to help you become more aware of the issue.
