Protect Yourself Against Fraud

Occasionally, someone from Financial Partners may reach out to you about your account. To be sure that the call or email is really coming from us, please follow these guidelines:

• No one from Financial Partners will ever ask you for your eBanking or Mobile Banking passwords! Never provide your Financial Partners passwords to anyone, no matter how legitimate the call or email may sound.
• If you have any doubts about whether a call is genuinely from Financial Partners, get the caller’s name, hang up, and call us back at 800.950.7328. If the call is really from us, we’ll have no problem connecting you with the original caller.
• If you have doubts or questions about an email you received, don’t click on any links. Call us at 800.950.7328 and we can tell you if we sent the email.

Here are some other ways you can protect yourself against fraud:

Watch out for Phishing

“Phishing” emails, texts, and phone calls are designed to look like official communications from a financial institution, government agency, or other trusted source, which try to trick you into disclosing personal information. For instance, an email may purport to be from a bank, and link you to a site that asks for your account number and password. Or, it could look like it’s sent from the IRS, threatening legal action unless you make an immediate payment. Similar sorts of scams are sent via text message or phone calls. It’s relatively simple for a scammer to “spoof” a phone number to make the call or message appear genuine. Protect yourself against these types of scams:

• Use your mouse to hover over any links in an email. You will see the link’s destination address. Be sure that the link goes to the website you’re expecting. It’s very easy to have the linked text say one thing but link to a totally different site. Examine the destination address carefully—if the part of the address right before the .com, .org, etc. is not something you recognize, don’t click on the link. Don’t even click on the “unsubscribe” link! Contact the sending company or organization to verify the email.
• If you get a voice message claiming to be from Financial Partners or any other company, make sure you recognize the callback number. If not, call the organization’s main customer service number to verify the call.
• Never download any file or attachment unless you are completely sure you know who sent it and what it does. Malicious software that can steal your information is often disguised this way.
• If you receive a phishing email, call or message from someone purporting to be from Financial Partners, we want to know! Forward the email to social@fpcu.org (do not click on any of the links or include your personal information in the email) or call us at 800.950.7328.

Protect Your Personal Information

Don’t make it easy for criminals to steal your identity or break into your accounts—take steps to safeguard your personal information.

• Be mindful when using social media. With the rise of social media, people are sharing more information about themselves than ever before. That also potentially makes it easier for criminals to discover relevant information, such as date of birth, address, employer, and even potential passwords. Double-check your apps’ privacy settings and ensure you’re only sharing information with friends.
• Shred sensitive documents. Any documents with personal information should be shredded rather than tossed in the trash. Inexpensive shredders are available at most home and office stores, and many organizations offer free “shred days”.
• Use eStatements. Don’t leave incoming or outgoing mail unattended in your mailbox. Almost all billers and financial institutions now offer online statements and bill notifications. By using these types of eStatements, it minimizes the chance that sensitive information could be stolen from your mailbox.

Safeguard Access to Accounts

• Be mindful about who has your passwords. Don’t provide PIN numbers, passwords, or any other identifying information to anyone else unless you trust them and they have a need for the information. Unfortunately, much fraud is perpetrated by family members and friends.
• Evaluate controls. Businesses often allow account access to multiple people based on job function and needs. Businesses should perform a periodic assessment of risks and controls, to ensure that only those with a current business need have access to accounts and sensitive information.

Know Your Credit Report

• You’re entitled to receive one FREE Credit Report from each of the three main credit reporting agencies every year. To get your free Credit Report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Make sure to visit only that website—many sites appear similar but charge for credit reports. 
• Once you receive your reports, read them carefully, and watch for any activity you didn't initiate. Contact the credit reporting agencies immediately if you suspect a problem.

Consider ID Theft protection 

Many services are available to help monitor your credit reports and assist you in the event of identity theft. Financial Partners offers our Identity Theft Protection service, offering credit monitoring and protection for as little as $4.50 per month.