Members Exchange will never solicit private account information via email.  These requests may be attempts to gather information that could be used to defraud you by gaining access to your personal accounts.  Should you receive one that claims to be from Members Exchange Credit Union, please contact us immediately.  These type of e-mail requests are called "phishing", pronounced "fishing".

Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information.

Unless the email is digitally signed, you can't be sure it wasn't forged or 'spoofed.'

Phishers typically include upsetting or exciting (but false) statements in their emails to get people to react immediately.

They typically ask for information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, date of birth, etc.

Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information.

You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secure website.

Always ensure that you're using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser.

Phishers are now able to 'spoof,' or forge BOTH the "https://" that you normally see when you're on a secure Web server AND a legitimate-looking address. You may even see both in the link of a scam email. Again, make it a habit to enter the address of any banking, shopping, auction, or financial transaction website yourself and not depend on displayed links.

Phishers may also forge the yellow lock you would normally see near the bottom of your screen on a secure site. The lock has usually been considered as another indicator that you are on a 'safe' site. The lock, when double-clicked, displays the security certificate for the site. If you get any warnings displayed that the address of the site you have displayed does NOT match the certificate, do not continue.

Remember not all scam sites will try to show the "https://" and/or the security lock. Get in the habit of looking at the address line too. Were you directed to PayPal? Does the address line display something different like "http://www.gotyouscammed.com/paypal/login.htm?" Be aware of where you are going.

Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help protect you from known fraudulent websites. These toolbars match where you are going with lists of known phisher Web sites and will alert you.

The newer version of Internet Explorer version 7 includes this tool bar as does FireFox version 2.

EarthLink ScamBlocker is part of a browser toolbar that is free to all Internet users - download at http://www.earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar

Regularly log into your online accounts o don't leave it for as long as a month before you check each account.

Regularly check your credit union statements and credit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate. If anything is suspicious or you don't recognize the transaction, contact us and all card issuers.

Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied.

Notify The Internet Crime Complaint Center of the FBI by filing a complaint on their website: www.ic3.gov/

For more information about how to protect yourself, go to: 

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)

What to do if It Happens to You at http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm.

Read the Department of Justice's recent whitepaper "Special Report on Phishing" at http://www.antiphishing.org/DOJ_Special_Report_On_Phishing_Mar04.pdf

Tips to Conduct Financial Transactions Over the Internet Brochure

For more information on how to protect your identity, click here to visit out Fraud Awareness Center.