Account Security - Protect Yourself

Local Scams, Tips to Protect Yourself

The credit union has seen an increase in scams within our community where consumers are being contacted through phone, email, craigslist ads, social media and dating websites by scammers asking for gift card numbers, money orders, wires, Bitcoin and other funds transfer technologies. The scammers may be asking for the funds with promise of employment, compensation or companionship and sometimes even blackmail.

Often, scammers come up with fake dilemmas as to why they need the funds urgently, for example, stating that they are stuck in another country without access to their own funds or stating that they have a family member with a medical emergency. They can be very persuasive, persistent and rush consumers to try and catch them off guard.

Please be aware of these scams and be cautious when someone requests money.  Scammers are always finding new ways to deceive others and may even deposit money into your account.  Please do not accept these funds. In most cases, the funds or account information may have been stolen or may be part of the scam.  When cashing checks or other means of funding the account, the funds may not clear and be returned.  In these cases, the scammer works with the victim to have the money sent to them before the clearing process.  Please do not share your account information including online account access information and that you keep this information in a safe place.

If you believe that you may be a victim of a scam, please do not hesitate to contact the credit union either by stopping into the branch or contacting our call center at 518-583-2323.

Quest Diagnostics & LabCorp

June 2019

Please be advised that the credit union was notified of a data breach at American Medical Collection Agency, a billing collection service that is utilized by LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics. The breached data reportedly consisted of consumer credit and debit card information. The credit union is working diligently to identify members who may have been impacted by the breach and contact those members to have their cards reissued. Members are encouraged to reach out to the credit union, either by stopping into the branch or contacting our call center at 518-583-2323 if they have any questions or concerns about their account.

Please find more information on the breach on the links below which lead to Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp’s websites: 
Quest Diagnostics
LabCorp

Sonic Drive-In Breach

October 2017

Fast food chain Sonic Drive-In reported a data breach affecting consumer credit and debit card information.  Members who potentially may be affected by the data breach will be contacted to reissue new cards as a precaution.  If you have any questions about your account please give us a call to review recent transaction history.

Text Scams

October 2017

Please be advised scammers are now utilizing text messaging to obtain sensitive information from consumers and the community.  A recently reported scam will attempt to concern the consumer that their debit card is on hold and to contact the number provided in the text.  If the consumer calls the individual answering the phone pretends to be from the financial intuition and will ask questions to gather additional sensitive information from the individual.  If for any reason you receive a contact supposedly from the credit union that you were not expecting please call us directly at 518.583.2323.  Do not call the number provided in case it is a scam.  Please always call the credit union or the phone number on the back of your debit or credit card.

Pizza Hut Data Breach

October 2017

Pizza Hut recently reported to consumers a breach that affected customer personal information.  Please contact us if you have been affected by the breach and review your account history for any fraudlent transactions.

Equifax Data Breach

September 2017

Equifax recently reported that millions of consumers may have been affected by a recent data breach.  News reports indicate cybercriminals may have stolen information including names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, address and some driver’s license numbers.  In addition, credit card data was also exposed for a group of approximately 200,000 consumers to date.

Details & Information
Equifax has developed a website, https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/ to inform consumers of the breach and answer and verify if you have been impacted.

This information is being provided for informational purposes only.  Saratoga’s Credit Union is not making any recommendations of action or inaction, it is important for you to consider what is the best option for you.

ACH Phishing Alert from NACHA

The notice below was received from NACHA and is being forwarded as a courtesy.

Random individuals and/or companies may have received a falsified e-mail with the subject title “Rejected ACH Transaction.” This e-mail appears to be from NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association telling them that there is a problem with an ACH transaction they have originated. The e-mail includes a link which redirects the individual to a fake Web page which appears like the NACHA Web site and contains a link which is almost certainly an executable virus with malware. These e-mails did not originate from NACHA, the Web site is not that of NACHA and you should not click on the link. See sample e-mail below.

If you have any questions about a falsified email please refer to the NACHA website at www.nacha.org.

E-Mail SCAM - Don't Get Lured In by Phishing Scamsters!

Hundreds of consumers have found themselves the victims of an e-mail scam known as "phishing." It involves high-tech fraudsters who pretend to be a legitimate financial institution or credit card company. Hiding behind the anonymity of the internet, the fraudsters send out "official looking" e-mails designed to trick consumers into divulging financial and personal information such as account numbers, passwords, user names, Social Security Numbers, and other sensitive data. In most cases, the e-mail claims there is an account problem or warns of a possible account fraud threat. Either way–the whole idea is to convince the consumer there is an immediate need to update their financial information.

If you receive an e-mail from Saratoga's Community Federal Credit Union requesting financial information or any other personal or sensitive data:

  • Treat the e-mail with suspicion.
  • Do not reply to the e-mail or respond by clicking on a link within the e-mail message. Saratoga's Community Federal Credit Union will never ask you to provide any kind of confidential or financial details via an e-mail or text mail request.
  • You should review credit card and credit union account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If the statement is late by more than a couple of days, you should call the credit card company or credit union to confirm your billing address and account balances.
  • You should report suspicious activity to the FTC. Send the actual spam to uce@ftc.gov. If you believe you have been a victim of a fraudulent scheme, you should file a complaint at www.ftc.gov, and visit the FTC’s Identity Theft website (www.ftc.gov/idtheft) to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from the identity theft. You should also contact Saratoga's Community Federal Credit Union as soon as possible to report the suspicious e-mail. You can reach us by calling (518) 583-2323.