Fighting Fraud: What's a consumer to do?

With so many retailers, web sites and even movie studios having become victims of hacking, ensuring the safety of financial and personal information has become critical to most consumers.

One step in the right direction — the latest in payment protection: EMV chip technology. New credit and debit cards will use a chip instead of a magnetic stripe. While the information contained on magnetic-stripe cards remains static, the data for each EMV transaction is encrypted and unique —making it much harder to produce a counterfeit card. When you make a purchase, you’ll insert your card into a reader rather than sliding it through.

Look for your new Tech CU debit cards (with the EMV chip) in early 2016. Along with the new cards, we continue to use advanced technology on a daily basis to monitor accounts for fraudulent behavior.

Another way to protect your accounts is by checking your credit score. Why do this? Checking your credit score on a regular basis can inform you of unusual fluctuations— indicating irregular or fraudulent behavior and allowing you to take action. As an exclusive member benefit, you can get your credit score each month for free, through our partner, Savvy Money. And, doing so won’t impact your credit rating. Click here to check your credit score today.

Finally, here are just a few additional tips to keep in mind when handling your personal or financial information:

• Don't give out critical information over the phone unless you initiated the call to a trusted institution
• Shred pre-approved credit applications, statements and receipts
• Check your statements carefully
• Don't carry around your social security card, any extra ID cards and/or several credit cards
• On the Web, use a secure browser or place your order by phone or mail
• Cancel credit cards you haven't used for a long time

We’re all in this battle together as we do everything possible to keep your financial life safe and secure.