Secure Your Accounts and Reduce Fraud
NIHFCU uses advanced fraud prevention technology to monitor accounts for fraudulent activity 24/7/365. Systems like our 2-factor authentication process provide your accounts with even more security. For more protection, review the suggestions below to reduce your risk of fraud.
One of the easiest ways to protect your accounts is by using a strong password. To create a highly secure password, combine upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special symbols into a random sequence that is at least 12 characters in length. Avoid any obvious words or personal details. For more information on resetting your password, watch our short tutorial video.
Enable two-factor authentication: Turn on two-factor authentication on all of your important financial accounts. This ensures that each login attempt is verified a second time by another method, like a text message. Pro Tip: for maximum protection, download an authenticator app, like Google Authenticator which generates a random code for your two factor authentication.
Set up account alerts: Account alerts can warn you of possible fraudulent activity on your accounts, empowering you to respond quickly and shut down access. Visit our Account Alerts page to learn more about setting up alerts on your accounts.
Never share your online banking login information with anyone. NIHFCU employees will never ask you for your login information.
Never reuse passwords among multiple accounts. If one password is compromised, then malicious actors can gain access to multiple accounts.
Enable biometric login, like fingerprint or facial recognition on your mobile device. If your device is ever lost, this extra layer of security will make it more difficult for anyone to access your personal information or to log in to online banking.
Keep your contact information up-to-date with the credit union. In the event that we detect a security threat, one of the first things we do is attempt to contact you. Take a moment to review your contact information in online banking to ensure it is up-to-date.
Only download apps and software from authorized sources (e.g Apple app store, or Google Play store) for your phone, tablet and computer.
Keep all of your operating systems, browsers, software and apps up-to-date with the latest versions and updates. Setup auto-updates wherever possible, so all updates are downloaded and installed automatically as soon as they become available.
Be very careful when using your phone, tablet or computer on a public wifi network. If you must use public wifi, consider installing a reputable VPN software or app to mask your device’s IP address. And never use a public computer or public wifi network to log in to online banking or any of your other important financial accounts.
Setup your mobile devices and computers to automatically lock after several minutes of inactivity so you never leave your device unprotected.
Make sure to always check your browser for the secure padlock icon next to the URL before ever entering any sensitive data into a web page.
Enroll in paperless statements to reduce your risk of identity theft through mail fraud.
Today, many popular apps and websites require that you provide access to your bank or credit union accounts by entering your password and user name for online banking. Whenever you do this, you are giving these companies full access to your account and personal information. If you choose to do this, it’s important to be aware of a few things:
The terms and conditions posted by these companies should contain information about how they protect and use your data, and if they will share your data with any other parties. Please read these carefully and only share access with organizations that you trust.
Many organizations will continue to access your data even if you are not using their software or have deleted their app. Make sure you understand what you need to do to terminate their access when you no longer use their products. One easy way to terminate access for any third parties to is to change your online banking password.
If you think that an unauthorized user has access to your account, follow these steps immediately.
Secure all of your devices by downloading the most recent version of their operating systems, browsers, and antivirus software.
Run a complete virus/spyware scan on all of your mobile devices and computers, and remove any malicious software that is detected.
From a mobile device, or computer that you know is uninfected, log in to your NIHFCU accounts and other important financial accounts and change all of your passwords.
Monitor your NIHFCU accounts and report any fraudulent transactions to the credit union immediately.
Scroll down for additional resources to help you safeguard against fraud and ID Theft.
Checkout our one stop shop for useful links and resources to better help protect against fraud:
What to do if you’re scammed – Federal Trade Commission
Fraud and Scams – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
How to report Identity Theft– Federal Trade Commission
Understanding Online Privacy and Security– Federal Trade Commission
What To Do If Your Identity Has Been Stolen: 5 Crucial Steps
How to Protect Your Identity from Identity Theft
NIHFCU members are encouraged to stay on top of their credit score and report. Unusual changes may help identify if you have been exposed to ID Theft. Please consider NIHFCU’s My Credit Rx system, providing access to your score and report, and other credit management tools.
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