At White River Credit Union, security is our priority. We are committed to protecting your financial information with diligence and care. Below, you’ll find essential resources to help protect yourself from identity theft, phishing scams, and more. If you’re ever in doubt or need assistance, don’t hesitate to call or text us at (360) 825-4833
Protecting your accounts
How White River Credit Union protects you
WRCU uses advanced measures to ensure the security of your accounts, like:
- Advanced encryption: We employ the latest encryption technology to protect your personal and financial data during all online transactions.
- Monitoring: Our systems constantly monitor for suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts so we can act quickly if necessary.
- Regular security updates: We perform routine updates to our systems, ensuring they stay ahead of emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
Articles on identity theft, security, and more
Stay informed with resources that are accessible anytime, anywhere.
How to know if WRCU is contacting you
It’s essential to recognize legitimate communication from us. White River Credit Union will never request sensitive information—like your Social Security number, password, or account numbers—via email or phone. If you receive an unexpected phone call, text, or email requesting this information, be suspicious and contact us immediately to verify its authenticity.
Identity theft protection
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information to commit fraud. Thieves can use high-tech methods, like hacking, and low-tech methods, such as searching your trash. Items they often target include:
- Wallets or purses containing ID, credit, or debit cards
- Bank statements or receipts
- Credit card statements, checks, tax documents, or pre-approved credit card offers
- Information stored on home computers or obtained from offices where you are a customer or employee
Protecting your personal information
You can take simple steps to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Regularly review your credit reports.
- Use strong, secure passwords and PINs.
- Safeguard personal information at home, especially when employing outside help or hosting roommates.
- Monitor for missing bills or statements—this could indicate mail theft.
- Deposit outgoing mail at the post office or in postal collection boxes.
- Avoid using obvious passwords, like your birthdate or consecutive numbers.
- Minimize the number of credit cards you carry.
- Only provide personal information to trusted contacts and secure websites with privacy policies.
- Shred sensitive documents before discarding them.
- Order a free copy of your credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com. Make sure it includes only those activities that you’ve authorized.
Phishing & Vishing: What you need to know
Recognizing phishing & vishing scams
Phishing, phone fraud, or email fraud can be a major problem for unsuspecting Internet users. Claiming to be sent by one of your financial services providers, these phone calls or emails ask members to reply with personal information, such as their credit card number, social security number, or online User ID and password. These deceptive phone calls or emails are called “Spoof” emails or phone calls because they fake the appearance of a popular Web site or company in an attempt to commit identity theft. Email and phone phishing is occurring more frequently throughout the online world.
Vishing, or “voice phishing,” is a form of telephone fraud in which criminals use automated recordings or live callers to target victims over the phone. These calls aim to obtain personal information, such as bank account numbers or Social Security numbers, that can be used for identity theft or other criminal activities. Vishing attackers will often claim to be from a legitimate institution, such as your bank or credit union, and will usually offer incentives if you provide them with the requested information.
Protecting yourself against phishing & vishing
Follow these simple steps to stay safe:
- Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether over the phone or online. Scammers can create emails, phone calls, and websites that look exactly like legitimate ones, even including fake padlock icons to mimic secure sites. If you didn’t initiate the contact, do not provide personal information.
- If you believe the contact may be legitimate, initiate the communication yourself by contacting the financial institution directly. Use phone numbers or websites from official monthly statements, or look them up in a trusted directory like a phone book or official online resource. The key is to use the contact information you have verified independently.
- Never provide your password or sensitive account information in response to unsolicited requests. Legitimate financial institutions, including WRCU, would never ask you to verify account information online.
- Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are accurate. If your statement is late, contact your financial institution to investigate the delay.
If you think you’ve been targeted by a phishing or vishing scam, contact us immediately at (360) 825-4833 or email us at email@whiterivercu.com.
Steps to take after identity theft
1.
Contact WRCU for assistance and guidance.
2.
Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov.
3.
Notify your creditors and request fraud alerts on your accounts.
4.
Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports for further suspicious activity.
We’re here to help, so don’t hesitate to call us if you need support in handling any aspect of identity theft.
Member security resources
At White River Credit Union, we offer several tools to help protect your identity and financial information:
MyCardRules
Monitor your debit and credit card transactions as they happen. Immediately block your card if you notice suspicious transactions.
My Credit Score
Monitor your credit score with ease.
IdentityTheft.gov
A comprehensive resource for dealing with identity theft.
Security terms and definitions
- Malware: Malware is short for malicious software. It is the most common form of cyberattack among businesses and organizations. Malware is designed to disrupt computer systems, such as mobile devices.
- Phishing: Phishing is a form of fraud that involves contacting victims through email, telephone, or text to trick them into sharing personal information. Typically, phishing scams aim to persuade victims to transfer money, reveal financial information, or share system credentials.
- Smishing: Smishing, derived from “SMS” and “phishing,” is a type of cybercrime that uses deceptive text messages to manipulate victims into divulging sensitive personal information such as bank account details, credit card numbers, and login credentials.
- Social engineering: Social engineering occurs when a hacker gains a person’s trust and then exploits this trust to gain access to data or systems. For example, a malicious character may pretend to be an organization’s IT team member to access the network’s username and password.
- Spoof (or spoofing): Spoofing is when cybercriminals disguise their identity as a trusted source to exploit an unassuming user. For example, someone may pose as a legitimate website to steal usernames and passwords or use a fake email address to appear legitimate.
- Virus: A virus is a malicious program that infects computers without user knowledge or permission. Viruses can replicate themselves and spread to other computers.
- Vishing: Vishing, short for “voice phishing,” is a phone-based cyberattack in which cybercriminals exploit the phone as a tool. During a vishing phone call, a scammer may get you to share personal information and financial details, such as bank account numbers and passwords.
