Member Awareness!!!

Moonlight Credit Union – Member Awareness

Every year more and more people are having their identity stolen and the staff and management at Moonlight Credit Union want to assist you by giving the information you will need to help protect yourself.

Moonlight Credit Union cannot guarantee that you will not have your identity stolen but we will never request personal information from you by email, or text messages. Listed below are several steps to help protect you against identity theft.

1. Opt out of pre-approved direct mailings and telephone solicitation of credit cards. Check out how by clicking “NEWS/LINKS” (top right of our home page) & then “HELPFUL LINKS”. Go to “Stop the Junk Mail Credit Card Offers” and click on the link to opt out.

2. Check your Moonlight Credit Union statements regularly, making sure you authorized all activity. (If you sign up for E-Statements, you can pull and review your statements whenever you want. If you have a credit card, you also have access to current and past statements through the online banking when you click on Credit Card.)

3. Do not share your personal information over the telephone, mail, or the internet. Never give out your social security number unless you know the individual requesting the information is who they claim to be.  

4. Protect all your financial information, PIN numbers, and passwords. Store your personal information in a secure place and always shred old statements and receipts. NEVER EVER give out any of this information over the phone when someone calls you.

5. Monitor your credit reports. You are entitled to one free credit report from each agency yearly. (CURRENTLY, you may obtain a free credit reports weekly.)

Credit Reporting Agencies:

Debit Card Protection:

DO NOT give out your debit card numbers over the phone or use on the internet. 

There is no stop payment on these types of transactions. Always use a prepaid card or credit card, Moonlight preferably. Never give your pin or let your card out of your possession at any time. If your card is lost or stolen, call (724) 297-3084 immediately or call 1 (833) 337-6075 after business hours.

Credit Card Protection:

Verified by Visa and Mastercard Secure Codes are private codes for your debit and credit cards that give an added layer of online shopping security. When you make a purchase you have to enter a PIN number or sign a receipt to validate the transaction. Verified by Visa mimics the validation process over the internet by providing a digital receipt which you sign off on by using your own personal password. Also, make sure you check your statements every month and verify all transactions. Report immediately to your credit union or fraud department if you find unauthorized transactions. If your card is lost, stolen, or to report fraud call (724) 297-3084 immediately or after business hours at 1 (800) 991-4961.

Use our SecurLOCK app to keep your Moonlight card LOCKED until you are ready to make a purchase. You can set the rules as to where you can use your card, put spending limits, shut it down, and see current transactions. You can set up alerts to let you know when and where your card is being used. You can also restrict locations or types of places that you do not want the card to be used.

Cybercrime

Cybercrime includes more than fraudulent e-mail messages and fake websites. A cybercrime might involve tactics using ransomware, while criminals lock you out of your files until they receive a ransom or phony phone calls such as pretending to be from a tech company.

Precautions to take to stop cybercrime:

1. Use a firewall to protect your computer.

2. Encrypt your home Wi-Fi network.

3. Create strong passwords.

4. Back up your files regularly.

5. Don’t respond to spam e-mails.

6. Download with caution.

7. Monitor your financial accounts regularly for fraudulent activity.

8. Don’t visit suspicious sites or follow links to sources you don’t trust.

9. Keep antivirus software updated.

10. Turn off your computer when not using it.

11. Don’t give control of your computer to an authorized third party.

PHISHING

Internet fraudsters impersonate a business to trick you into giving them your personal information. Example user names or passwords. Legitimate businesses will not ask for that type of information over insecure channels.

1. Don’t select links in e-mails.

2. Do not open unexpected attachments.

3. Delete suspicious messages even if you know the source.

SMISHING

Phishing via SMS or Smishing uses cell phone text messages or SMS(Short Message Service) to trick you into providing personal and financial information. Smishers may use URLs or an automated voice response system to try and collect your information.

Tip:  In some cases, criminals used malicious software in their text message solicitations. Prevent security issues by completely removing unsolicited text messages from your phone. This could be a two-step process-delete the text then completely remove it.

VISHING

Phishing by voice or vishing exploits a trust in landline telephone services. The member is often unaware that Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) allows for caller spoofing, providing anonymity for the caller. Do not provide any information to the caller, the member should verify the call by contacting the financial institution or credit card company directly.    

REPORT SCAMS

If you think you may have been scammed and need to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, register on the do not call list, or report identity theft go to – ftc.gov outside of the US - econsumer.gov. Or call the identity theft hotline at (877) 438-4338.

Report scams to your state Attorney general. Visit naag.org.

If you get unsolicited email offers or spam, send the messages to spam@uce.gov.