Protect Your
Personal
Table of Contents
Credit vs. Debit ………. 3
Tips to Keep Your Information Safe …... 3
Shop Safely Online ………... 4
It’s a scary world. It seems like every week there’s a new story about how hackers and scammers are finding ways to steal others’ hard-earned money. Here at Aspire, we do everything we can to make our members safe.
Regardless of what financial institutions you use and the security measures they have in place, you also need to take charge in keeping your personal information just that… personal.
We’ve put this guide together to help you understand what helps, how to spot fraud and how to keep your information safe in an online world.
Easy Change: Choose Credit Instead of Debit
“Swipe and sign” is a signature based transaction. Instead of punching in your PIN when making a transaction with your debit card, simply sign for your purchases. By swiping and signing, you’ll reduce your risk of identity theft by not entering your PIN while making a purchase in public.
You’re also awarded the same protection as any other credit card transaction. If you swipe your card and a keypad is displayed on the screen for you to enter your PIN, simply press “Cancel”, and you will be given the option to sign for your purchase in-stead.
10 Other Tips To Keep You Safe
1. Use virus protection on your computer. Make sure to keep your virus protection up-dated.
2. Shred documents like receipts, credit card offers, or anything with identifying infor-mation.
3. Only give out confidential information when you initiate the contact. Don't offer up information to whoever calls.
4. Wipe the hard drive on your computer before getting rid of it. Your computer stores a ton of information about you and you don't want to leave anything behind.
5. Be wary of Wi-Fi. While the Wi-Fi at your home and office is on a protected net-work, public Wi-Fi in libraries, airports and bookstores may not have as much security. Avoid doing online banking or transmitting sensitive information over public Wi-Fi.
6. Use strong passwords. Especially avoid passwords that include your name or other easy information. There are sites that create strong passwords for you.
7. Always review your statements. Better yet, use online banking to check in every day and make sure there is no suspicious activity.
8. Log off sites when you're finished instead of just closing the window.
9. Disable 3rd party cookies in your browser. This site explains how to do that in differ-ent browsers.
10. Use social media wisely. Keep public information limited, especially your date of birth.
More Specific Tips: 7 Tips For Shopping Safely Online
Shopping online is a pleasure. No traffic, no crowds, no searching for a parking spot. But with these added conveniences and options, we’ve also acknowledged that scams are increasing as well.
While shopping on legitimate, well-known sites belonging to your favorite department store or specialty shop is probably not going to be a problem, lesser-known sites that come up when you're looking for a bargain and using a search engine for something specific could be places for concern. The same can be said for auction sites.
Here's what you can do to ensure that online shopping is as secure as a trip to the mall:
1. Call the retailer first. If you're not sure about the website's legitimacy, pick up the phone and try the number that is listed. Anyone can set up a website today, and it doesn't take much to look like a Fortune 500 company. Before entering your credit card number, see if you can talk to a live person.
2. Use a search engine to check out the retailer. Did anyone post a less-than-positive review about the site you're about to order from?
3. Look for a 'Buy Safe' seal. Buy Safe is a company that certifies online sellers as being reliable.
4. Make sure the site is encrypted. Encrypted websites have a URL that begins with the letters 'https' and not just 'http'. Look also for an SSL certificate or a pop-up win-dow telling you you're entering a secure site. If it's not secure, don't shop the site. 5. Use your credit card, which offers more protection than a check. Other options for online payments are PayPal or Escrow.com.
6. Don't input any more information than what is necessary. There's no reason why a company you're ordering a sweatshirt from needs your date of birth, social security number or income level. Anyone asking for that type of information is either selling it to others for marketing purposes or is engaged in identity theft.
7. Don't respond to unsolicited mails by clicking on links that are embedded in the e-mail. Instead, find the site yourself through a search engine or type it manually if you know it.
Now that we’ve covered the tips, let’s look at what you should do if you do suspect fraud.
Identifying and Stopping Fraud
Many unscrupulous people still try to take advantage of honest consumers—but you don’t have to be a victim. Look for these warning signs to avoid fraud:
• You are asked for your bank account or credit card number.
• Someone you don’t know offers you the chance to receive a credit card, loan, prize, lottery, or other valuable item, but asks you for personal data to claim it. • The solicitation looks like a government document and suggests that contest
win-nings or unclaimed assets are yours for a small fee. (The government doesn’t so-licit money from citizens.)
• Someone you don’t know asks you to send money or money orders to claim a prize, lottery, credit card, loan, or other valuable offer.
• An unknown caller claiming to be a lawyer or in law enforcement offers to help you get your money back (for a fee).
• The deal is only good “for today” or a short time.
• A “repair person” suddenly finds a dangerous defect in your car or home. • You are given little or no time to read a contract.
• A sale item is suddenly unavailable, but a “much better item” is available for slightly more money.
• Someone is trying to scare you into purchasing credit protection plans.
If something seems suspicious or you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
One last note: If you are an Aspire member, remember to keep your contact in-formation up-to-date. We use that to contact you if anything looks suspicious in your account.
About Aspire FCU
Aspire Federal Credit Union, originally known as FAA Eastern Region Federal Credit Union, was founded in 1948 to serve a small group of Civil Aeronautics Administration employees (currently the Federal Aviation Administration).
Our Credit Union has come a long way since those humble beginnings, which in-cluded seven people who pooled together shares of $5.00 each to initiate the original charter. Today, Aspire FCU is a $178 million dollar credit union, serving over 20,000 members within many diverse employee groups throughout the northeastern United States. Aspire FCU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, which means all earnings at the end of the year are returned to our members in the form of better, low-cost fi-nancial services.
The decision to change our name to Aspire Federal Credit Union was made because we serve more than just the employees of the Federal Aviation Administration. The name Aspire means to "soar," which is a reflection of our heritage, while at the same time represents our members’ dreams and aspirations.
As our tag line states, "Your Dream. Our Purpose," the employees at Aspire FCU are dedicated to helping make your financial goals and dreams a reality. The cornerstone of our existence continues to be our "member first" philosophy. Whatever it is that you aspire for, we want you to believe you can get there and we’re going to help you along the way.
