Protect Yourself from Fraud
With more transactions being completed online than ever before, instances of fraud are increasing. We want to arm you with the information you need to avoid falling victim to the fraud and various scams currently taking place.
Use these tips to help protect your finances and identity:
Unless you have specifically requested a Call Back from us, Tech CU will never call you and ask you to provide any personal information, such as your account number, username, password or One-Time Passcode (i.e. Tech CU Security Code). Fraudsters are able to mimic phone numbers which may appear familiar to you including your financial institution's phone number.
If you ever receive an unexpected phone call asking for your personal information, please hang up immediately and call the number on the back of your ATM/debit card.
When talking on your cell phone or public phone, be aware of eavesdropping and do not share any passwords, account numbers or other personal information out loud.
If you receive a text from an unknown number, do not click on any links or take any action requested in the text. Be aware of poorly written text messages. Fraudulent texts often have incorrect grammar or typos.
If you receive a text message from Tech CU fraud monitoring, do not reply and do not share any account information. Call our Member Contact Center immediately at (800) 553-0880 to confirm the validity of the message.
Be wary of emails, especially if they are unexpected or from untrusted sources. Fraudsters can mimic logos, colors, images and other recognizable and familiar information. Never click on attachments and links in suspicious emails, as these can install malware that takes information from your phone or computer.
If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a Tech CU representative, do not share personal information such as account number, username, password or One-Time Passcode. Unless you’ve specifically requested that we contact you, Tech CU representatives will never call, text, or email you requesting personal information.
Safeguarding your account and personal information is our top priority.
Leverage Password Best Practices
The vast majority of security breaches are based on using weak or reused passwords. A Gartner report noted most user-generated passwords can be guessed by a computer in less than an hour, only 30% of people change their passwords on a regular basis, and 60% of people reuse the same password on multiple sites. Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can take to improve your passwords and increase your online safety.
USE THESE TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PASSWORDS
Prevent fraud by creating a unique password that you use only for your bank account – and nowhere else.
While it may sound counterintuitive, the most important parameter of a password isn’t only how strong it is, but that the password is not the same across multiple accounts. Why? Using the same password for multiple online accounts allows cybercriminals to more easily access your other accounts that share the same password.
Make your password complex.
In general, passwords should contain at least 8 characters and use a combination of numbers, special characters, and upper/lower case letters.
When it comes to passwords, passphrases are your friend.
A passphrase typically contains a phrase or sentence, instead of a single word. When choosing a passphrase, choose something that is unique, easy to remember, and not easy to guess. For example, if you frequently forget to put your receipt in the grocery bag you may come up with a passphrase such as ReceiptInBagWithHasteYay!45 or if you really like to be outside, you may come up with a passphrase like TheGrassIsGreenInPlot874.
When updating your passwords, don’t use a small variation of a previously created password.
If your password is RedDelta, don’t change it to RedDelta1. Why? Cybercriminals have tools available to help them figure out password variations.
When creating another, unique password feels impossible – use a password generator.
Password managers like 1Password or LastPass, both will generate unique and difficult to guess passwords on your behalf.