Preventing fraud starts with you

We genuinely enjoy engaging with our members; however, we will never reach out to request personal or financial details, including account numbers, credit card information, or PIN/PAC numbers. Please refrain from sharing any such information over the phone. If you encounter this situation, here’s what you should do:

• Ask for the caller's name and phone number
• Ask to arrange an appointment with Provincial Credit Union
• Immediately contact Provincial Credit Union by calling your branch

Emails and text messages designed to deceive you into clicking on a fraudulent and dangerous site are known as phishing scams—and they can sometimes bypass junk mail filters. Remember, banks and credit unions will never request your account, credit card, or PIN/PAC numbers via email or text. Always protect your information by avoiding sharing it through email and refraining from clicking on suspicious links. These deceptive messages may seem to come from your credit union or even from trusted friends and family. Here’s how to stay safe:

• Prioritize safety when receiving messages that request your information.
• Watch for poor grammar or spelling, alarming warning messages, and offers that seem too good to be true.
• If you suspect a message is fraudulent, delete it and contact your branch to verify its authenticity.
• Always read the fine print when subscribing to free trials and similar offers.
• Never click on links or open attachments from unknown or unexpected sources.

Identity theft can occur when criminals obtain your personal banking information through deceptive phone calls, letters, emails, or even by searching through your trash. They then exploit this information to access your accounts, open credit lines, make purchases, or borrow money under your name.

Provincial Credit Union takes extensive measures to safeguard your financial and personal information. Here are some common tactics employed by identity thieves:

• Fraudulent phone calls, letters, texts, or emails requesting your personal banking details
• Impersonating landlords, potential employers, and others
• Stealing your purse, wallet, mail, or any other source of personal data
• Searching through your garbage
• Hacking into unsecured websites where you've entered your information
• Phishing messages, as mentioned earlier

Here are some steps you can take to safeguard yourself against identity theft:

• Sign your credit cards as soon as they arrive.
• Properly dispose of personal documents, and consider using a shredder.
• Regularly review your account and credit card statements, and promptly notify your financial institution of any discrepancies (remember, there's often a limited time to dispute transactions).
• Keep your PIN and passwords secure, and never share them with anyone.
• Obtain a free annual credit report from a credit bureau like Equifax or TransUnion.
• If your personal information is stolen, report it to your local police, your financial institutions, the credit bureaus, and any relevant service providers.