When we make changes in our policies and procedures or if we have an upcoming event you will find it here, under "What's New". Check back often to stay up-to-date with Credit Union information!
New Phishing Scam
May 25, 2010 – The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is reporting recently simulated NCUA email boxes. The fraudulent emails solicit credit union member participation in an Online Survey or Member Survey, and promise compensation of $40 as an inducement to respond to the email.
The emails are fraudulent, and may be an attempt to obtain confidential member information. NCUA does not solicit such information from credit union members. This is a phishing activity with no NCUA activity or approval. If you have received these emails please do not respond. If you have any questions or concerns please email NCUA at pacamail@ncua.gov.
Newsletters for Teens and Young Adults
Most of our members are not aware of the quarterly newsletter that we offer for teens and young adults... It's called Flex Newsletter and can be found under "About Us", "Newsletter" on our homepage or by clicking here. There is lots of great information about financial independence and literacy. It is a great tool for anyone who is just beginning to take control of their own finances. Check it out today!
T-Shirts for Sale - Helping a Member in Need
Our "I Love My Credit Union" t-shirts are still available for purchase at each of our branches! Each shirt is only $7.00 and $2.00 from each sale will be donated to a member in need. Contact any of our branches for more information.
The Basics of Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information to obtain money or items fraudulently. It can involve computer, mail, wire and financial institution fraud.
Fortunately, there are preventative measures that you can take to substantially reduce you're chances of becoming a victim of identity theft as well as steps to recover from any damage if you are a victim.
- How Your Information is Obtained - Thieves use a variety of illegal techniques to obtain identity information, some of those include:
- Take mail out of your mail box.
- Divert your mail to another location by completing a change of address form with the Post Office.
- Go through your trash looking for identifying and financial documents.
- Access your credit reports by posing as your employer or landlord.
- Hack into your personal computer.
- Pose as legitimate companies or government agencies to request personal information via email (called phishing), through the mail or over the phone.
- Steal hard copy or electronic files from your workplace.
- Stand close to you at the ATM, to learn your Personal Identification Number, PIN.
- Work at gas stations, restaurants or other establishments in order to steal money or information from your credit/ATM/debit cards (called skimming).
- How Your Information May be Used - Once thieves get your information they may:
- Charge on your credit accounts.
- Open new credit accounts in your name.
- Use your existing or open new checking accounts in your name and write bad checks.
- Establish utilities in your name (i.e. home/cell phone, power, cable, etc).
- Use your Debit Card number to drain your checking account.
- Take out loans in your name to buy cars and other big ticket items.
- Preventing Identity Theft - There are many ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim:
- Check your credit report annually with the three major credit reporting agencies (scroll to the bottom of this page and follow the link).
- Immediately dispute/report any discrepancies.
- Keep all of your identifying and financial documents in a safe and private place.
- Provide personal information only if either you initiated contact or you know who you are conversing with, you know how it will be used and you're certain that the information will not be shared.
- Make stronger passwords using both uppercase and lowercase, letters and numbers. NEVER use your, your children's, your spouse's or your parent's name, phone number, birthday, address or social security number. Always pick random words that would not be thought of easily when someone thinks of you and your lifestyle.
- Place a hold or forward your mail if you will be on vacation or out of town for an extended period of time.
- Be aware of your work place's security procedures and keep your purse/wallet in a safe place.
- Do not keep your, your children's, your parent's or your spouse's social security card in your purse/wallet regularly.
- Never have your driver's license number printed on your checks.
- If a representative calls you asking for identifying or financial information tell them that you're busy and need to call them right back. Get their number and call them back yourself to ensure that they are claiming to be.
- Only share your personal, identifying and financial information if you are 100% certain of who your are speaking with.
- Credit, Debit and ATM Card Safety - Keep these things in mind anytime that you're using your cards.
- Shred all statements and credit card offers with a cross-shred shredder.
- Be aware of people standing close to you at an ATM or anytime that you're swiping one of your cards.
- If you give your card to someone else to swipe for you, watch them swipe it and promptly ask for it back.
- Know your billing cycles and contact your creditors if your bill has not arrived on time OR switch over to E-Statements for even more safety.
- Examine your accounts and/or statements regularly to ensure it's accuracy.
- If you see something unusual that is attached to an ATM, or if the card swipe is not flush with the machine, DO NOT USE that machine. Call the number on the ATM and/or, if possible, tell the store or financial institution about it. This could be a skimming device that, when your swipe your card or enter your PIN, records all of your information.
- Computer Safety
- Keep your virus, malware and spyware protection updated.
- Be careful of the sites that you conduct financial transactions on.
- Don't download links or software from someone that you don't know.
- Use strong passwords.
- Sign up for Verified by Visa.
Your Money is Safe With Us
Our current economic state has a lot of members calling inquiring about our stability as a financial institution. Many are afraid that they may lose their money. We can assure you, Vision Financial is here to stay! When you see the larger corporations struggling, you may think that Credit Unions are barely hanging on too, but that's absolutely NOT TRUE!
Consider some of these facts:
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NOT ONE PENNY OF INSURED SAVINGS HAS EVER BEEN LOST BY A MEMBER OF A FEDERALLY INSURED CREDIT UNION!
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Credit Unions focus on it's members, not it's profits! We remain a safe haven in the economic storm!
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Credit Union's lend responsibly - we have a more conservative approach to lending. We will not give every member that walks through our doors a loan. What we will do is give them some options and let them know what we can do to help them!
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As nonprofit member-owned cooperatives, Credit Union balance sheets are not affected by the whims of the stock market because we're not involved in it! You, our members, own us and make our decisions not the stock holders who would like a bigger pay check!
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Credit Unions capital is near an all-time high! Capital is defined as reserves plus undivided earnings or worth-to-asset ratio. It is the safety cushion that protects us against any losses. The national average is around 11.4% which is near record highs! We, here at Vision Financial, are proud to say that our worth-to-asset ratio is currently at 13.2%!
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Other financial institutions are cutting back on lending but Vision Financial is still going strong making loans daily, opening new accounts, marketing, adding new promotions and carrying on with business as usual.
We won't let these uncertain times get the best of Vision Financial! Rest assured that your money is taken care of and you have nothing to worry about! That's the Credit Union promise! Follow any of the links below for more information:
For Security Purposes
We will no longer give out any account information over the phone. You can access your account using VisionNet 24, for Online Banking and Bill Pay, or Access 24, for our automated telephone banking service, at 919-471-1210. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Free Credit Reports
As of September 1st, free credit reports are available to residents in eastern states. There is only one official website, phone number and address that you can request this information from. Some sites claim a free credit report but once you accept you will be enrolled and charged for another service or program. If you find an error with your credit report, you should contact the creditor and the credit agency.
We advise that you check your report once every 4 months. There are three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. Each agency will give you one free report per 12 months. You will incur a small fee if you choose to order your credit score.
Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
Toll Free Number: 1-877-322-8228
Mail to: Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 1508281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
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