How to Prepare Your Members for Fraud Threats During the Holiday Season

It’s hard to believe, but that time of year is here again – the time to visit with family, eat too many calories and celebrate the season. It’s also fraudsters’ favorite month. This year for the first time ever, online shopping will exceed in-store shopping, so it’s essential that credit unions give members the guidance they need to protect their information from fraud. Nothing is much worse than checking your monthly statement and seeing that someone has decided to steal your information to do their own holiday shopping.

Here are several ways in which credit unions can help members keep their information safe:

1. Encourage them to sign up for account alerts. When a large transaction occurs or the account balance is low, members should be notified immediately. Of course, your credit union has fraud detection and tracking measures in place, but your members need to know the resources available to them. Advise your members to opt in to text messages or emails with account updates.
2. Warn them to be wary when responding to emails. Although email is a great way to keep your members in the know, it’s also a common way for fraudsters to extract confidential information. Let your members know that they should never have to send payment information in an email, or expect an email from your credit union asking for account information. Sensitive information should be discussed over the phone after verification, or better yet, in the branch.
3. Make sure their information is up to date. Credit unions need to make sure they have the correct information on file should a member need to be contacted about suspicious account behavior. The sooner you can contact a member, the better. Remind your members to update their information regularly in case you need to reach them.  
4. Educate them on the danger of phishing scams. Phishing scams remain prevalent in online shopping. Members need to know that although a website may look legitimate, it may not be. Buying from trusted retailers is the way to go. Members just need to be sure they are on the correct website – it should have a secure domain for payment, indicated by https://, and no random letters or typos. If something on a website looks off, it’s best to follow your instinct and look elsewhere for gifts.
5. Credit cards are preferable. Although debit cards aren’t necessarily an unsafe option – especially if your credit union has proper anti-fraud protocols in place –  credit cards are a more prudent choice for shopping online. Debit cards provide direct access to a members’ funds, which can be dangerous. Your credit union can use this as an opportunity to educate your members on the credit card options you provide.
6. Don’t let them treat their wallet or purse like an information vault. These items can easily be lost or stolen, so members should only carry what they need – birth certificates, social security cards, voter registration cards, PIN and extra credit cards should be left at home. Additionally, members need to know what is in their wallets so they can contact the appropriate providers if they are missing. Maintaining a list at home with numbers for who to contact is good practice, as it dramatically increases the efficiency of response to these situations.

Our industry is all about serving others and looking out for the interests of our members and communities. Help your members keep the season happy and bright by protecting them from the risks of fraud.

EPL, Inc.