Internet fraud occurs in many different forms. Credit card fraud, fraud related to online investments, or Internet auction fraud are a few of the most common types of fraud. You can help protect yourself from Internet-related fraud by following some easy to remember precautions:

• When banking online, check the address of any pages that ask for personal account information. Any pages of a legitimate Internet banking website that ask customers to enter their account information will have “https” at the beginning of the website address which indicates that the page is secure. Sites beginning with “http” are not secure.
• Look for, and click on, the padlock found in the lower right corner of your screen. If the page is truly legitimate, by clicking on the padlock you can view a page that lists the security certificate details for the site. A fraudulent website will not provide such details.
• Don't give out your credit card number(s) online unless the site is a secure and reputable site.
• Don't invest in anything based on appearances. Just because an individual or company has a flashy web site doesn't mean it is legitimate.
• Be cautious when responding to special investment offers (especially through unsolicited e-mail).
• Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
• If you bank online with Envision Financial, always ensure that you are transacting on the Envision Financial server by typing in our website address — www.envisionfinancial.ca - yourself.

Phishing

The term "Phishing" (pronounced 'fishing') is a scam that involves e-mails or telephone calls (vishing) that appear to come from a legitimate company. They are designed to deceive recipients into divulging their personal and financial information.

Phishing e-mails usually include links to websites that appear to direct you to a legitimate company. However, these links go to fraudulent websites and any information obtained from you will be used to commit fraud.

If you receive an e-mail or telephone call that appears to be from Envision or any other financial institution know that legitimate financial institutions will not ask you for your passwords, account numbers or personal information in this way.

You can help protect yourself by following some easy to remember precautions:

• Envision Financial (including all its subsidiaries) will never e-mail you a request for your personal passwords, personal information numbers or online access information.
• Legitimate financial institutions do not include links to their websites in e-mail communications with their customers.
• Never disclose your passwords (including your Personal Identity Number (PIN) and/or your Personal Access Code (PAC) to anyone via e-mail or any other way. You must be the only person that knows your password(s).
• Do not set your e-mail program to “auto-run” attachments. Always check that emails you have received do not contain viruses by running your anti-virus software when the e-mail attachment is received.
• If you are unsure of the authenticity of an e-mail, delete it and call your branch to find out if an e-mail was distributed.
• Do not choose the 'save password on this computer' option.

If you suspect that you have been a victim of a phishing scam, please contact your branch right away. You should also report the incident by e-mail to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.

For more information about phishing fraud, click here.

Trojan Horses

Fraudsters have successfully found a way to extract banking information from computers without the user even knowing it.

The fraudster creates a computer program that can capture the data you enter on your computer keyboard. This program, called a Trojan Horse virus, can be downloaded without the user even knowing it by opening an email attachment or visiting the wrong website.

The program will lie dormant in your computer, monitor your activity and then activate if you visit a targeted website, such as an online retailer or a financial institution. The program then records keystrokes such as usernames and passwords and sends them to the creators of the Trojan Horse without the user’s knowledge.

Ensuring that our member-owners' accounts are secure is of top priority to Envision and we take many precautions to ensure your information is safe. Our website has many security measures in place so that your personal and financial information is protected.

However, as Envision cannot protect your personal computer from viruses, the best way to protect yourself from this type of fraud is to ensure that your computer has up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, web browser and firewall. As new viruses are created each and every day, be sure to update your anti-virus program on a regular basis, update anti-virus definitions daily, scan all download files, programs, disks and attachments and only accept files and programs from a trusted source.

Here are a few more tips:

• Install patches and updates to your operating system and applications as they become available from the manufacturers.
• Don't use a public computer to conduct financial transactions.
• Always log out of an online transaction session or any secure website and clear the cache of your browser. This will help ensure that no one else can view any confidential information you may have entered.
• Change your password for any secure site, including your online banking password, on a regular basis. Ensure your passwords are not obvious and do not share your password with anyone else, including family members.
• Make sure that you regularly check your Envision account and report any suspicious transactions to your branch immediately.

If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud where it pertains to your account(s) with Envision Credit Union, please contact your branch right away.

 

Top »

Privacy | Disclaimer | Site map | All contents are copyright © 2008 by Envision Financial