Fraud Protection
As technology evolves, so do the methods used by scammers. Our goal is to support our members and community with reliable fraud prevention information, practical tools, and trusted contacts you can use whenever you need them.
Protect Your Identity
Protecting you from fraud is our top priority! Health Advantage Credit Union is committed to ensuring the safety and security of your information! Never disclose any personal identifying information if requested from an unsolicited email, text message or phone call that may seem like it’s been sent from or calling you from Health Advantage Credit Union. They may seem reasonable to answer, but Health Advantage Credit Union never requests information in this manner.
- Account information
- Social Security Number
- Mother's maiden name
- Online Banking Access Code
- Account Access Code
- ATM Card PIN
- Credit Card Number, Expiration Date or PIN
Exception: We have 24x7 monitoring systems for our credit and debit cards. You may receive a phone call from these monitoring systems to verify that you performed a transaction that they consider suspicious or unusual for you. However, when they do contact you they will never ask you for any personal identifying information.
Health Advantage Credit Union Warns About Impostor Scams
An impostor scam starts with someone pretending to be an organization or individual that someone recognizes in order to obtain information or money. So, it is no wonder why scammers oftentimes like to pretend to be a financial institution to try to weasel money away from their victims. Health Advantage wants to make sure you are educated on what to look out for and what to do when it comes to these impostor scams that may pretend to be Health Advantage Credit Union.
The scammer may contact you through:
- Text Message
- Phone Call
The scammer's message creates an URGENCY to act without thinking:
- Your account was compromised
- Your debit/credit card was compromised
- Verify this transaction _________. Y or N
- Did you conduct this __________ transaction? Y or N
What should you do if you receive a message like this?
- Do not respond immediately if you do not recognize a transaction in a message.
- Do not click on any links in a message as this could take you to a spoofed (or fake) website.
- Check your accounts through Online/Mobile Banking, how you normally would do so to review your account activity, or call Health Advantage to see if the message reflects accurate information.
- Call Health Advantage directly by dialing (989) 791-7070 to confirm the message; do not click a link in a message to call our phone number.
If Health Advantage contacts you on your account, we will NEVER ask you:
- For your multi-factor authentication “security code” sent through text message or email
- To conduct a “test” transaction
- For full card numbers, full social security number or other full personal identifying information
- To keep a transaction or case secret from other Health Advantage representatives
- To let us remotely log in to your computer
- To click a link sent to you to log in to Online/Mobile Banking
Remember Scammers:
- Can spoof phone numbers to appear that they are the phone number you may expect
- Want your Online/Mobile Banking Credentials, Personal Identifying Information, Card Numbers and/or Account Numbers to take your Money
- Practice, practice and practice some more; this is their full-time job, and they have their script down
If you ever feel like you may not be talking with a Health Advantage representative, HANG UP and CALL (989)791-7070 or visit your local branch immediately.
Online Safety
Protect Your Personal Information
- Make passwords long and strong: Combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols to create a more secure password.
- Unique account, unique password: Separate passwords for every account helps to thwart cyber-criminals.
- Write it down and keep it safe: Everyone can forget a password. Keep a list that’s stored in a safe, secure place away from your computer.
- Own your online presence: When available, set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit who you share information with.
- When in doubt, throw it out: Links in email, tweets, posts, and online advertising are often the way cyber-criminals compromise your computer. If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source, it’s best to delete or if appropriate, mark as junk email.
- Get savvy about Wi-Fi hotspots: Limit the type of business you conduct and adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your laptop or cell phone.
- Protect your money: When banking and shopping, check to be sure the site is security enabled. Look for web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://”, which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information. “http://” is not secure.
Online Safety and Privacy Basics
Safe Mobile Banking
Be proactive in securing the mobile device itself, use face or fingerprint recognition as your first line of defense. Depending on what other security options are available on your device, create a "strong" password (consisting of unusual combinations of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols) or PIN (with random numbers instead of, say, 1234 or the last four digits of your Social Security number) and periodically change it.
- Be careful about where and how you conduct transactions. Don't use an unsecured Wi-Fi network, such as those found at coffee shops, because fraud artists might be able to access the information you are transmitting or viewing.
- Don’t send account numbers or other sensitive information through regular e-mails or text messages because those are not necessarily secure.
- Check with your wireless provider in advance to find out about features that enable you to remotely erase content or turn off access to your device or account if you lose your phone.
- Research any application ("app") before downloading it. Just because the name of an app resembles the name of your credit union — or of another company you're familiar with — don't assume that it is the official one of that credit union or company.
The best place to download an app is from the official Web site of the credit union or company that you are doing business with or from a legitimate app store. Note that the business will often direct you to an app store.
Common Scams
Legal Disclaimer: The content of this webpage provides general information meant for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice or guidance. This information may include links or references to third-party resources or content. Health Advantage Federal Credit Union does not endorse the third-party resources or guarantee the accuracy of this third-party information. There may be other resources that also serve your needs.
