12 HOLIDAY TIPS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION

21 December 2009 12:00 p.m. Eastern
Source: CUNA Mutual Group

As we approach the peak of the holiday season, credit union members will be using a variety of payment methods for their shopping activities. Education and awareness is so important during the shopping season—as so many individuals face financial difficulties in these economic times. Protect yourself from fraud this holiday season with the following 12 tips.

• 1. Ensure that receipts reflect the correct transaction amount.
• 2. When performing PIN transactions, ensure others are not capturing your PIN.
• 3. When using a debit card, you may select "credit", which requires a signature and extends the $0 member liability under the Visa®/MasterCard® association rules. It also allows PEFCU members to earn ScoreCard Rewards bonus points.
• 4. Review all accounts (checking, savings, credit card) activity daily.
• 5. Lower your credit line limit during the holidays.
• 6. When paper checks are converted at a merchant to an ACH, store voided checks safely to prevent counterfeit checks or unauthorized ACH transactions.
• 7. Be suspicious of emails from unknown parties; don't open the e-mails or click links within them.
• 8. Access your credit union's authorized Web site by typing the Web site address into the address bar of your Web browser to avoid "spoofed" Web sites attempting to steal your information.
• 9. Shop online with trustworthy merchants who require security information such as address verification and the CVV2/CVC2 number on the back of your card.
• 10. When shopping in person or using an ATM, be aware of your surroundings and report any unusual activities to your credit union.
• 11. Never leave your purse, wallet or cards unattended.
• 12. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is, so be cautious.