SECURITY ALERT
Security Alert
You may have received an unsolicited e-mail regarding an online security device, possibly under the name GuardUno. THIS IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR KINGS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ANYTIME ACCESS. Do not give out your User ID and Security Code to this or any other web site! If you have already done so, immediately change your User ID and security code in the Personal Options section of Home Banking. You may contact the Support Services Department at 559-582-4438, ext 106 if you need assistance with this change. It is important that you do not disclose personal information to unsolicited web sites. Doing so may put you at risk of identity theft.
“Fight Identity Theft”
Your financial institution is excited to announce
AlertMe, a new credit-monitoring service designed to help members “fight
identity theft” which is a growing problem that affects millions of
Americans. AlertMe gives early warning of activity on your credit report.
Since credit report activity can be a sign of possible identity theft, early
detection can help you catch problems quickly to minimize losses.
AlertMe monitors your Experian credit file daily. New accounts, credit cards
over the credit limit, and address changes are just a few of the items AlertMe
monitors. If an activity occurs, AlertMe will send you an email alerting
you to the activity. You can log into the AlertMe Web site to read
details about the activity and determine if it is suspicious. AlertMe will also
send an email to remind you to order your annual free credit reports.
The AlertMe cost is $4.25 month.
Quarterly and annual plans are available at a reduced rate. To enroll or learn
more, simply click on AlertMe on the left side of the Virtual Branch login
page.
Click on the Alert Me image above
to enroll.
Don’t
Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam 
Internet scammers casting about for
people’s financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims:
They go “phishing.”
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam
or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers,
bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive
information. According to the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to
be from a business or organization that you deal with – for example, your
Internet service provider (ISP), credit union, bank, online payment service, or
even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to “update” or
“validate” your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if
you don’t respond. The message directs you to a Web site that looks just like a
legitimate organization’s site, but it isn’t. The purpose of the bogus site? To
trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal
your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
KINGS
FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WILL NOT SEND YOU AN E-MAIL ASKING FOR YOUR PERSONAL OR
ACCOUNT INFORMATION.
The FTC, the nation’s
consumer protection agency, suggests these tips to help you avoid getting
hooked by a phishing scam:
· If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct Web address. In any case, don’t cut and paste the link in the message.
· Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.
·
Review credit card and bank account
statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any
unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days,
call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and
account balances.
·
Use anti-virus software
and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm
your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.
Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting
such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for
troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses
as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that
updates automatically.
·
A firewall helps make
you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized
sources. It’s especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband
connection.
·
Finally, your operating
system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software “patches” to close holes
in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
· Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
Report suspicious
activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward
it to spam@uce.gov.
If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov,
and then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from ID theft. Visit www.ftc.gov/spam
to learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam.
Rates and Policies are subject to change
without notice.