Doing business online is becoming more prevalant every day, but we must be diligent to protect ourselves from fraud and identity theft. Please review the following articles about how to protect yourself online. Click here to review TTCU's Privacy Policy regarding how we use personal information we collect. 

Be Aware of Malware Viruses  A new identity theft scam has been identified; A computer malware virus that can infect a user’s computer in order to obtain sensitive personal information. In many cases, this virus has been known to get past even fully updated anti-virus software. The malware will infect a system and wait until the user accesses one of the predefined banking URLs listed in the malware code. Once the site is accessed, the login information is sent to the criminals for later processing. It can also modify in a user’s browser, the genuine web pages from a bank or other financial institutions web servers to ask for personal information such as credit or debit card numbers, pins, passwords, etc. If you receive an unsolicited pop-up while signing onto a website or secure account, please close the window and do not enter any personal information it asks for. If you suspect your system has been infected with this malware virus, it’s important to take steps to search and remove the malware before proceeding.

Update: There is a virus called the Zeus Bot which is targeting financial institutions with the intention of obtaining credit card information. This virus can infect your computer and has the ability to modify pages, modify transaction content or insert additional transactions, all in a fashion invisible to both you and to TTCU. In addition, the web address that you will see when infected by this virus will appear to be completely legitimate. If your computer is infected, when you log into the Virtual Branch, the virus will take over the information sent to the computer's browser. You will see a page with the message "We do not recognize the computer you are using" in red text followed by a request for detailed credit card information. Click here to view an image of the page you will see.

Useful Contacts for Preventing Fraud:

Lost or Stolen Visa Check Card:  During Business Hours call TTCU 918-749-8828. After 5:00 p.m. call 800-791-2525

Lost or Stolen Credit Card: Visa Card lost or stolen: 800-237-6211

Email to Report Suspected Fraud to TTCU

Report ID Theft

Free Annual Credit Report

It's the Weekend... Your Wallet is Stolen, Now What Do You Do?   Do you know what to do if you lose your TTCU credit card, Visa Check Card or checkbook? Here are the contact numbers to call if this happens to you after normal TTCU business hours.

Credit Card: If your TTCU Visa Credit Card is lost or stolen, contact the Lost/Stolen Department at 800-299-9842 - 24 hour a day.

Visa Check Card: If your Visa Check Card is lost or stolen after regular business hours, please contact 800-791-2525.

Checkbook: If your checkbook is lost or stolen it is not necessary to close your account. You can simply request a stop payment for the lost checks. Please contact us at 918-749-8828 to request a stop payment.

Phishing  "Phishing," is the practice of sending an e-mail that appears to be from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial institution. The e-mail will typically warn you of a serious problem that requires your immediate attention. The e-mail will then encourage you to click on a link to go to the institution's "website" in order to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes: your Social Security Number, account number, PIN or password, credit card information, or verification information such as your mother's maiden name or place or birth. The goal of phishers is to persuade you to share this sensitive information that can be used to commit fraud or identity theft against you.  If you feel the e-mail may be legitimate, please contact the company or financial institution directly through a listed telephone number, but never through the link provided in the e-mail you received. TTCU will never ask you to verify sensitive or private information in an email. Please be aware that you have already given legitimate companies (like TTCU) the information they need to do business with you. If you have any questions regarding the legitimacy of an email, contact the institution you received it from by phone. Click here to review a comprehensive brochure from the NCUA about how to fight identity theft.

Fraud Watch   Fraud Watch is a new program offered by TTCU to protect against fraudulent use of your Visa Check Card. With Fraud Watch, your card usage is monitored 24 hours, seven-days-a-week. If we detect unusual activity on your card, we will call you to verify that you authorized the charges. If you ever get a call from "Fraud Prevention Services" on behalf of TTCU Credit Union, know that we are attempting to prevent potential fraudulent use of your card. Fraud Prevention Services' toll-free number is 866-842-5208. If calling from out of the country, you can call collect at 701-461-2551.

Multi-factor Authentication   All financial institutions are required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) to establish a higher level of security called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) by the end of 2006. TTCU has already made these improvements and you can enroll to take advantage of them today. When you login to our Virtual Branch you will be re-directed to a page explaining our new security solution. From that page, you will have the opportunity to enroll in MFA and enjoy a higher level of online security for your TTCU accounts. Please feel free to contact Member Services at 918-749-8828 if you have any questions or click here for more information.

FALCON Credit Card Protection   TTCU is enhancing your credit card to include extra protection against fraud. A credit card representative may call you to verify a purchase if it is outside your normal spending. TTCU must have correct contact numbers on file to provide this protection. If the information on your statement is incorrect, please update it by calling 800-234-8828 Ext. 2215.

Vishing   A scam dubbed "vishing," mimics phishing by trying to trap you into divulging your account numbers over the telephone. With vishing, instead of being phished in an e-mail message, you may receive a telephone call from an automated random dialer, and the voice on the other end of the line may tell you your credit card has been used illegally. You are then asked to dial a fake 800 number with another voice that asks you to confirm your account details and credit card number. If you give the information, you can count on your accounts being drained. Read the following tips on how to avoid being vished:

• If you get a phone call and someone asks you to give or confirm credit card or personal information, hang up. Then call your credit union or the financial institution that issued the card by using the phone number on the back of the card or on your statement and report the attempt.
• If you get a call from someone who claims to be from a financial institution you do business with, and who knows your credit card account number but wants the three-digit code on the back of the card, immediately hang up. 
• If you get an e-mail message asking you to call a toll-free number to verify account information, delete the e-mail. Never provide personal information or account information based on an e-mail request.
• Don't be fooled by the fact that the caller's phone number appears to be a regional telephone number--it could have been spoofed.
• Be suspicious of any phone or e-mail contact that doesn't use your full name.
• Never dial a call return number--or reply to an e-mail--regarding any financial matter.

The NCUA said vishing is attractive to criminals because Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is fairly inexpensive, especially for long distance, making it cheap to make fake calls. Also, because it's Web-based, criminals can use software programs to create phony automated customer call center service lines. It also exploits the public's trust in landline telephone services.

What To Do If You Suspect Identity Theft    First, contact your financial institution(s) immediately and alert them to the situation. To report suspected fraud to TTCU, click here to email us. Next, contact the three major credit bureaus and discuss whether you need to place a fraud alert on your file, which will help prevent thieves from opening an new account in your name. Here's the contact information for each bureau's fraud division: 

Major Credit Bureaus

Equifax:  800-525-6285, P.O. Box 740250, Atlanta, GA  30374

Experian:  888-397-3742, P.O. Box 1017, Allen, TX  75013

TransUnion:  800-680-7289, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA  92634

 Click here to report all suspicious contacts to the Federal Trade Commission online or by calling 877-IDTHEFT.

Reversing Your PIN at an ATM Will NOT Summon the Police  You may have received an email telling you that if you are ever in a dangerous situation (i.e. kidnapping or robbery) at an ATM (Automated Teller Machine) that if you enter your P.I.N. # in reverse, that it will summon police. This is false information. Financial institutions within the United States have not deployed this technique despite several well-circulated email chain letters that have misstated this fact.

Email TTCU Securely!  Would you write your debit card number and PIN on a postcard and mail it? That’s what sending email containing sensitive information is like. Do you realize that someone other than the intended recipient can easily read your email? That's why TTCU is now offering a secure way to contact us electronically, Secure Email. When you sign up for Secure Email, you can include sensitive information such as social security numbers and passwords when corresponding with us. Click here to go to our Contact Us page and sign up to communicate with TTCU securely via email.