Privacy and Security

Please Select a Privacy and Security Issue to learn more.

FBI Fraud and Scam Questions

If you can answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you could be involved in a Fraud or about to be Scammed!

• Check Is the CHECK from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc?
• Check Is the amount of the CHECK more than the item's selling price?
• Check Did you receive the CHECK via an overnight delivery service?
• Check Is the CHECK connected to communicating with someone by email?
• Check Is the CHECK drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
• Check Have you been informed that you were the winner of a LOTTERY, such as Canadian, Australian, El Gordo, or El Mundo, that you did not enter?
• Check Have you been instructed to "WIRE", "SEND" or "SHIP" MONEY, as soon as possible, to a large U.S. city or to another country, such as Canada, England, or Nigeria?
• Check Have you been asked to PAY money to receive a deposit from another country such as Canada, England, or Nigeria?
• Check Are you receiving PAY or a COMMISSION for facilitating money transfers through your account?
• Check Did you respond to an email requesting you to CONFIRM, UPDATE, OR PROVIDE your account information?

Identity Theft

Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

• Remove mail promptly from your mailbox and never use your mailbox for outgoing mail.
• Thieves raid mailboxes for credit card offers and statements.
• Destroy pre-approved credit card offers before you throw them out. It's best to shred financial statements, receipts, old cancelled checks and anything with personal information on them before discarding. You can delete your name for five years from many direct mail lists by sending your request in writing to: DMA Mail Preference Service, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
• Never leave a store or ATM without your receipt. Do not throw them into public trash cans.
• Block your ATM transaction with your body to prevent someone learning your PIN.
• Account for all new checks for your checkbook when you receive them in the mail.
• Memorize all passwords and PIN numbers so no one can find them. Don't be obvious when selecting a password by using the last four digits of your social security number, address, birth date, phone number, or any format that can be decoded by thieves.
• Keep your birth certificate and social security card in a safe deposit box and only carry them with you when needed. If your social security number is used as your driver's license number or appears on another I.D. card, ask for a new card with a different number. Do not have it put on your printed checks.
• Do not give out your social security number, PIN, or credit card numbers over the phone unless you initiated the transaction.
• Limit the number of I.D. and credit cards that you carry and review your credit report each year.

Credit Report

You can obtain a free credit report once a year from each of the credit reporting agencies below or online at Annual Credit Report or (877) 322-8228

• Equifax: (800) 685-1111 or www.equifax.com
• Trans Union: (800) 888-4213 or www.tuc.com
• Experian: (888) 397-3742 or www.experian.com

What To Do If You Are A Victim

• Call all three credit bureaus above to let them know your identity has been stolen. Have them put a fraud alert on your file stating no new credit without your approval.
• Contact your credit card companies, financial institutions and close your accounts. FBI suggests putting a password on any new accounts you open. (Not your mother's maiden name)
• Call the Social Security Fraud Hotline: (800) 269-0271
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission theft hotline: (877) 438-4338
• File a report with the police and get a copy of the report in case you need proof later.

Phishing and Pharming Scams

Phishing attacks are "spoofed" emails and fraudulent web sites designed to fool consumers into divulging personal financial data such as account user names and passwords, social security numbers, credit card numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known financial institutions, online retailers, and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince up to 5% of recipients to respond to them.

Avoid Phishing Scams

• Check to see that your browser is up to date and security patches are applied.
• Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. Read mail only from senders that you know and don't open suspicious attachments.
• Don't use the links in an email to get to any web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic.
• Regularly log into your online accounts and check your financial institution credit and debit card statements to make sure that all transactions are legitimate.
• Make sure you are using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your web browser.
• Report "phishing" or "spoofed" emails by forwarding the email to the following groups:
  • Anti-phishing network
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI

Pharming Is A Twist Of Phishing

Pharming attempts to fool online users through a virus that alters the behavior of internet browsers, by redirecting users to a fictitious site when they attempt to log on to their financial institution's website.

This is done by changing some of the address information that internet service providers store to increase the speed of web browsing. Some ISPs and companies have a software bug on their computer servers that permits fraudsters to hack in and change those addresses.

Consumers can protect themselves by making sure they land on special secure web pages that use encryption to protect data transfer, a standard practice for any financial website. Always look for the lock icon to confirm that the site with its secure. The lock is a little lock (that is locked) displayed in the lower right corner of your browser. The absence of this icon is a clue that something is wrong.

FYI – PHISHING ALERT

Here are a few tips to remember that will help you avoid Phishing Scams:

• Highway Alliance Credit Union will never ask for personal information or passwords through email or by sending a link for you to click.
• Always be extremely cautious to any requests for personal information or passwords/PIN whether it is from your financial institution or another person or business.
• If you are uncertain as to who you are talking to or if the email is legitimate, discontinue the conversation or email and contact the business through a trusted phone number or directly through that businesses website.

Phone Scam Issues

Telemarketing Fraud is cheating consumers out of over $40 billion a year by offering phony prizes, cheap products and high-pressure sales by phone.

1. Don't be pressured into acting if you are told an offer is good "today only."
2. Be aware if someone asks for your bank account, credit card, or Social Security Number.
3. Don't buy tickets in foreign lotteries. It is a violation of U.S. law to buy lottery tickets by phone or mail.
4. If you are told you have won a prize but must pay an upfront fee, shipping charges or taxes forget it. The prize won't be worth the money you send to claim it.
5. Ask for written information. A legitimate company will be glad to send information.

Reduce unwanted calls by joining the No Call lists:

• National Registry: www.donotcall.gov or (888) 382-1222
• Missouri Registry: www.ago.state.mo.us or (866) 662-2551

Important Information

Recently, there have been multiple fraudulent e-mails and telephone calls directed to the general public and credit union members that appear to be from NCUA. False e-mails ask recipients to click on a link to confirm, verify or approve financial account information. If the recipient proceeds, the link directs them to a false website to verify or re-submit confidential information such as account and credit card numbers, Social Security number, password, and personal identification number, or to complete a member satisfaction survey and receive $80.

NCUA does not ask credit unions members for personal information. Anyone who receives an supposed e-mail or phone call from NCUA that asks for account information should consider it a fraudulent attempt to obtain their personal account data for an illegal purpose and should not follow the instructions in the e-mail or phone call.

Telephone Scams

Please be aware if you receive a computer-generated call claiming to be from Highway Alliance Credit Union or any financial institution. The call may claim that your account has been frozen and direct you to call a toll-free number to reactivate your card. The pre-recorded message will ask you to key in your card number, card expiration date and PIN. This is a scam!! Please do not call the number given on the pre-recorded message or give any personal information to anyone until you are sure that who you are speaking with is from FFCU or your other financial institution.

Tips and Characteristics of a Fraudulant Call

• Make sure you, the member, initiate the contact and the institution verifies your identity with questions that only you would know.
• To verify whether a call is legitimate, call your CU or visit its website, using phone numbers or internet addresses from your bank statement or account documentation. Do not call back a number provided over the phone or click on a link in an email.
• Most fraudulent communications will include something that will concern or excite the victim.
• If you have been the victim of a scam, file a complaint with your local law enforcement.
• Notify your financial institution.

 

Please call the credit union when you have travel plans that include using your Highway Alliance Credit Union Debit Card.

Work at Home Scam

On August 5, 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate is hovering at 9.1%. The report showed that 13.9 million people are unemployed and 6.2 million have been out of work for more than six months. Unfortunately, scammers are attempting to take advantage of the unemployed with work at home scams. We recommend calling the Better Business Bureau to check out the companies providing work at home opportunities. Also, the fraud recognition tips below may be helpful.

Fraud Recognition Tips

• Know who you're dealing with.
  The company may not be offering to employ you directly, only to sell you training and materials and to find customers for your work.
• Don't believe that you can make big profits easily.
  Operating a home-based business is just like any other business – it requires hard work, skill, good products or services, and time to make a profit.
• Be cautious about emails offering work-at-home opportunities.
  Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.
• Get all the details before you pay.
  A legitimate company will be happy to give you information about exactly what you will be doing and for whom.
• Find out if there is really a market for your work.
  Claims that there are customers for work such as medical billing and craft making may not be true. If the company says it has customers waiting, ask who they are and contact them to confirm. You can also ask likely customers in your area (such as doctors for medical billing services) if they actually employ people to do that work from home.
• Get references for other people who are doing the work.
  Ask them if the company kept its promises. Be aware of legal requirements. To do some types of work, such as medical billing, you may need a license or certificate. Check with your state attorney general's office. Ask your local zoning board if there are any restrictions on operating a business from your home. Some types of work cannot be done at home under federal law. Look for the nearest U.S. Department of Labor in the government listings of your phone book.
• Know the refund policy.
  If you have to buy equipment or supplies, ask whether and under what circumstances you can return them for a refund.
• Beware of the old "envelope stuffing" scheme.
  In this classic scam, instead of getting materials to send out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to send you money for information about working at home. This is an illegal pyramid scheme because there is no real product or service being offered. You won't get rich, and you could be prosecuted for fraud.
• Be wary of offers to send you an "advance" on your "pay."
  Some con artists use this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your first month's "pay." You deposit it, and the bank tells you the check has cleared because the normal time has passed to be notified that checks have bounced. Then the crook contacts you to say that you were mistakenly paid the wrong amount or that you need to return a portion of the payment for some other reason. After you send the money back, the check that you deposited finally bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate fake. Now the crooks have your payment, and you're left owing your bank the amount that you withdrew.
• Do your own research about work-at-home opportunities.
  The "Work-At-Home Sourcebook" and other resources that may be available in your local library provide good advice and lists of legitimate companies that hire people to work for them at home. You may discover that these companies hire only local people and that there is nothing available in your area.

For additional detailed information, see National Consumers League Fraud Center.

Privacy Policy

Highway Alliance Credit Union understands and respects your personal privacy. We are dedicated to provide you with privacy and peace of mind through all you financial needs. We want you to understand how we collect, retain, and safeguard against your sensitive financial information.

Highway Alliance Credit Union collects "nonpublic personal information" about your from the following sources:

• Information we receive from you on applications or other forms Information about your transaction with us or others
• Information we receive from consumer reporting agency (assuming applicable) We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about your to anyone except as permitted by law.

If you decide to terminate your membership or become an inactive member, we will adhere to the privacy notices and practices as described in the notice.

• We restrict access to your personal and account information except to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you.
• We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information.
• We may disclose nonpublic personal information to those companies that work on our behalf, or those financial institutions that have joint interest in your financial needs.

We do reserve the right to change this policy at any time.

NOTE: This policy will be changed when required by law or regulation.

If you should have any questions after reading this notice please contact us at:

Highway Alliance Credit Union
2010 William St
Jefferson City, MO 65109
573-632-CU4U (2848)