Protecting Yourself Against Fraud

Get the tools you need to fight fraud.

There are times when a Financial Partners team member will contact you about your account. To ensure the call or email is legitimate, please follow these guidelines. 

• No one from Financial Partners will ever ask you for your Digital Banking password. Never provide your Financial Partners passwords to anyone, no matter how legitimate the call or email seems.
• If you have any doubts about a call, 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 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 and sound like official communications from a financial institution, government agency or other trusted source. The point is to trick you into disclosing personal information. For instance, an email may seem 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 and phone calls. It's relatively simple for a scammer to spoof a phone number to make the call or message appear genuine. Here's how you can protect yourself against these types of scams:

• Use your mouse to hover over any links in an email to see the link's destination address. Be sure the link goes to the website you're expecting. It's easy to have the linked text read one thing but link to a completely 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 you don't, call the organization's main customer service number to verify the call.
• Never download any file or attachment unless you are certain you know who sent it and what it does. Criminals often use this tactic to disguise malicious software that steals your information. 
• If you receive a phishing email, call or message from someone claiming to be from Financial Partners, please tell us! 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 on social media. People are sharing more information about themselves than ever before. That 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 sharing information only with friends.
• Shred sensitive documents. Any documents with personal information should be shredded rather than thrown in the trash. Inexpensive shredders are widely available and many organizations offer free "shred days" when you can drop off your documents to be destroyed in a secure setting. 
• Use eStatements. Don't leave incoming or outgoing mail unattended in your mailbox. Take advantage of online statements and bill notifications from your billers and Financial Partners. Going digital 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 PINs, passwords or any other identifying information to anyone unless you trust them and they need the information. Unfortunately, family members and friends are frequently behind fraudulent activities. 
• 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 only those with a current business need have access to accounts and sensitive information.

Know Your Credit Report

• Every year, you're entitled to receive one free credit report from each of the three main credit reporting agencies. Request your free reports at 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 look for any activity you didn't initiate. Contact the credit reporting agencies immediately if you suspect a problem.

Consider ID Theft protection

Financial Partners offers an Identity Theft Protection service that provides credit monitoring and protection for as little as $4.50 per month. You'll also receive assistance if you're a victim of identity theft.