Fraud Prevention

CUETS Financial Survey Practices: making you aware to protect yourself

 

Bulletin Summary from CUETS Financial:

-CUETS Financial regularly conducts 3 different types of cardholder satisfaction surveys.

-Surveys are issued by authorized third-party market research agencies with call centres based in Canada.

-While CUETS may occasionally collect general demographic information, at no point in their surveys will the       vendor ask a member to provide personal or financial information.

 

Please be aware of CUETS practices so you can recognize a fradulent telephone scam. If you suspect a fradulent call scam, please make Crossroads Credit Union aware of the calls as soon as possible.

CUETS - August 18, 2011

 

 

Security Warning against Mint: MemberDirect users please read

 

 

Phone scam targets Sask. residents with home computers
Leader Post - July 12, 2011

 

 

Payment Card Best Practices

 

With summer and holiday travel quickly approaching, it is a good time to remind members of sound cardholder transaction practices to reduce the risk of card skimming. 

Before getting into the tips, let's see how you fare with our skimming quiz:

  • When dining out, do you hand your credit card to the server and wait at the table for your receipt? 
  • When fueling up, do you hand your card to the pump attendant and wait for your receipt in your comfy vehicle? 
  • In an ATM lobby where two of three ATMs have "out of order" signage, would you proceed to use your card at the third apparently functional ATM?
  • Would you use a merchant PIN pad terminal bearing a "Press Hard" sticky note?

 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you are at a greater risk of being skimmed sooner rather than later. 

The following card usage best practices will help you enjoy your summer travels and reduce your risk of being skimmed year round.

  • Be alert - keep your card in your sight at all times during transactions to ensure your card is not swiped through a foreign device.
  • Protect your PIN - shield it with your body, free hand, or both.
  • Check your receipts - ensure they display the correct amount, date, time.
  • Review statements regularly - report unauthorized transactions to your credit union immediately.

 

Debit card users are protected by the Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Debit Card Services which states that innocent victims of counterfeit debit fraud will be reimbursed by their issuing financial institution. 

 

For more tips on keeping your debit card and PIN safe, visit Interac's website at: http://www.interac.ca/consumers/security_protect.php.

 

 

 

 

 

Is someone giving you a generous gift? Think again!

 

Deceptive Prize Notices

 

What You Should Know About Telemarketing

Fraud Awareness Facts for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Protecting Yourself From Fraud

Crossroads Credit Union wants to provide you with all the tools possible to keep you protected from fraud. The following information can be used as a reference tool to ensure you are protected.

Bulletin - Fraud Protection Reminder for Global Payment Cardholders
(4 February 2011)

During a time when card fraud and identity theft is prevalent, cardholders can follow these simple steps to further protect themselves from identity theft and fraud:

- Treat your payment cards like cash. Do not leave them unattended.
- Sign the back of new cards as soon as you receive them.
- Shred personal information such as bills, bank statements, and payment card offers before you recycle them.
- If you have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) on your GLOBAL PAYMENT MasterCard card, memorize it. Do not write it down or disclose it to anyone, and never leave it in your wallet with your card. When selecting your PIN, do not pick the obvious like your birth date, SIN, or phone number.
- Keep your GLOBAL PAYMENT MasterCard receipts and check them against your monthly statement to make sure no one else is using your card. Report unauthorized transactions or discrepancies immediately to your credit union.
- Report lost or stolen cards immediately by contacting your credit union or calling toll free at 1-800-LOST-111 (1-800-567-8111), or collect at 306-566-1276 if you are travelling outside of North America. Most fraudulent use of payment cards occurs within hours of the card being lost or stolen.
- Do not provide your GLOBAL PAYMENT MasterCard card number over the phone unless you have made the call and you know the company is reputable.
- Destroy unwanted cards immediately so no one else can use them.

 

 

Protecting Yourself from Online Banking Fraud

Additional information about keeping your computer secure can be found by clicking here

 

For general information on personal computer protection, click here

 

 

Bulletin - Protecting Personal Information (28 May 2010)

CUETS Financial is reminding members not to disclose personal or financial information over the phone or on the Internet. Recently several CHOICE REWARDS cardholders were contacted in a telephone scam. The cardholders were told they had won a free trip through the CHOICE REWARDS program. These calls are fraudulent - please be advised that you should not to disclose any personal information (personal information includes things like date of birth, 3-digit security code on the back of the card, password, mother's maiden name, etc).

 

Please note there is currently a CHOICE REWARDS direct mail campaign offering selected customers a free companion ticket when they set up recurring payments, but eligible cardholders will be contacted through direct mail only - cardholders will not receive calls from CUETS Financial promoting the campaign.

 

If you receive a fraudulent call stating you have won a free trip, please contact CUETS Financial Resolution Management with any details you have about the call.

 

You can help protect yourself and your members with these simple tips:

 

- Report a lost or stolen card as soon as you notice it is missing. CUETS Financial will cancel your card and issue  you a new one.

 

- Make it a habit to regularly check your transactions online or on your monthly statement. If there are any charges that you didn't make, report them to CUETS Financial right away.

 

- Never give out your card number over the phone or Internet unless you know you are dealing with a reputable company.

 

- Protect your Personal Identification Number (PIN): don?t share it with anyone or write it down, memorize it. Sometimes scammers will try to trick people into revealing information about their credit cards over the phone or through e-mail. It's important to know that CUETS Financial would never call to ask for personal information like your credit card number, expiry number, PIN, or the security number on the back of your card.

 

For more tips on how to safeguard your money, please visit the Canadian Bankers Association website at http://www.cba.ca/en/component/content/category/42-safeguarding-your-money.

 

The Canada Revenue Agency warns Canadians of mail scam

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning taxpayers to beware of a recent scam where some Canadians are receiving a letter fraudulently identified as coming from the CRA and asking for personal information. The letter is not from the CRA. A PDF version of the letter is available on the CRA Web site at www.cra.gc.ca/alert.

The letter claims that there is 'insufficient information' for the individual's tax return and that in order to receive any 'claims,' they will have to update their records. The letter attaches a form specifically requesting the individual?s personal information in writing, via fax or email, including information on bank accounts and passports. This letter is not from the CRA and Canadians should not provide their personal information to the sender.

All taxpayers should be vigilant when divulging any confidential information to third parties. The CRA has well established practices to protect the confidentiality of taxpayers? information. 

The CRA has notified the proper law enforcement authorities of this scam.

For information about this and other similar scams, or to report deceptive telemarketing activity, visit www.phonebusters.com, send an email to info@phonebusters.com, or call 1-888-495-8501.

Mail Scam
(November 2009) There is a mail scam circulating in Western Canada.  The promotional letter wrongfully associated with INTERAC notifies the customer that they have won a large cash prize. A seemingly legitimate cheque is enclosed along with instructions to use the cheque to pay clearance fees on the prize.
Interac has posted a warning on their website about the letter. The website notice can be found at: http://www.interac.ca/consumers/security_fraud.php#mailfraud 

Phishing

Phishing, also call brand spoofing, is a form of Internet fraud in which e-mail messages are used to lure the unsuspecting to web sites that are replicas of sites used by legitimate businesses. These web sites are used to trick users into divulging credit card numbers, bank account information, and passwords that will be used to commit fraud. For more information on phishing please click here


Travel Scams- Don't be a Victim

Avoid Travel Fraud


SCAM ALERT!

The following are common types of frauds that you should be aware of: ScamAlert.pdf

For more information on fraud and how you can protect yourself, visit:

Consumer Measures Committee

Competition Bureau of Canada

Phonebusters- The Canadian Anti-fraud Call Centre