Security & Fraud Prevention

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is observed each October to help people protect their information, accounts, and devices from online threats. It is a national effort led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that focuses on practical habits such as recognizing scams, using strong and unique passwords, turning on multi-factor authentication, and keeping software up to date. Scammers rely on quick reactions. Taking … Continue reading →

Growing up and becoming more independent comes with plenty of firsts: a first job, checking account, credit card, and maybe even a first apartment or student loan. Unfortunately, these milestones can also make teens and young adults attractive targets for identity thieves. Identity theft happens when someone uses another person’s personal information, such as a Social Security number, date of … Continue reading →

With the holidays on the horizon, so comes the onslaught of marketing messages and emails encouraging us to open up our wallets and spend, spend, spend! While the holiday season is more than the gifts that accompany it, as consumers, we tend to swipe and tap our cards more this time of year, whether that be for holiday meals, travel, … Continue reading →

At Montana Credit Union, fraud prevention and protecting our members are always top priorities. As technology advances and scams become more sophisticated, we’re taking proactive steps to ensure our members’ money and information stay safe. To help us do just that, we’ve expanded our Fraud Department with the addition of a BRAND NEW Fraud Specialist role, further strengthening our commitment to … Continue reading →

For Montana residents, you can obtain information from the Montana Office of the Attorney General about steps you can take to avoid identity theft. You may contact them at: Office of the Attorney General Justice Building, Third Floor 215 North Sanders P.O. Box 201401 Helena, MT 59620-1401 Phone: (406) 444-2026 E-mail: contactdoj@mt.gov

You may wish to place a security freeze (also known as a credit freeze) on your credit file. A security freeze is designed to prevent potential creditors from accessing your credit file at the consumer reporting agencies without your consent. There may be fees for placing, lifting, and/or removing a security freeze, which generally range from $5-$20 per action. Unlike … Continue reading →

A fraud alert helps protect you against the possibility of an identity thief opening new credit accounts in your name. When a merchant checks the credit history of someone applying for credit, the merchant gets a notice that the applicant may be the victim of identity theft. The alert notifies the merchant to take steps to verify the identity of … Continue reading →

If you detect any unauthorized transactions in a financial account, promptly notify your payment card company or financial institution. If you detect any incident of identity theft or fraud, promptly report the incident to law enforcement, the FTC and your state’s Attorney General. If you believe your identity has been stolen, the FTC recommends that you take these steps: Place … Continue reading →