While we do everything we can to protect your information, there are things you can do to help! Did you know that simply signing up for eStatements is a quick, free, easy way to protect your information? Think about it, the mailman might deliver your mail at 10am, but you don’t get home until after 5pm. That’s over 7 hours of your statement sitting there for a thief to grab it and go.
Another great way to protect your identity that is quick and easy is to add a password to your account. Adding a password is a great free way to protect your account. One of our member service representatives can help get that set up.With eStatements, you get an email notification from us that your statement is ready to view, typically by the 3rd day of the new month. You’ll just need to log into your online banking (on a computer) and you’ll be able to view the past 16 months of eStatements. This also makes it easy when you need to see past statements, they’re all in one place and you can access them 24/7. And the best part, they’re not sitting in your mailbox for anyone to take!
You probably hear this all the time, but we can’t emphasize it enough– never give your passwords or personal information to anyone. If you did give your password to someone, change it and make sure it’s a strong password that cannot be guessed. Remember, that some of your personal information cannot be changed, so if you do have to give your information, make sure whoever you are giving it to is reputable.
Adding alerts to your accounts can give you a heads up in the event something happens. You can set alerts through our Online Banking system for a variety of things, from notifying you when a check clears, when a deposit is made to when your account balance goes below a specific dollar amount. For members who use our Personal Financial Management System, FOCUS, there is also an option to add alerts through that system.
VISA also offers purchase alerts on their cards. This is a free service that is offered to VISA card holders. In 3 simple steps, you can add an extra layer of security to your credit and debit cards. First, you need to check to see if your card is eligible, then you’ll register your mobile number and email address on the VISA website and finally, set the notification that meets your needs. We have more information on VISA purchase alerts on our blog.
In addition to eStatements and a password, we can’t emphasize enough the importance of making sure your contact information is correct. In the event that something does happen, we need to contact you! Making sure that we have the correct information can help speed up the process when we need to contact you for any reason.
In addition to taking these few steps to help protect you, we’re making some upgrades too. In the next few months, you’ll notice a new look to our mobile app. We’re updating our app to better serve you! Watch for more detailed updates as the process unfolds.
As always, we’re here to help! Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or if something seems odd. We would rather you use caution and be safe and make sure your information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands!