5 Ways to Avoid Being Phished

Phishing scams are prevalent and growing rapidly. Here are a few tips to help you avoid getting "hooked" by one.

1. Do not respond to any unsolicited e-mail that asks for personal or account information. Don't reply to it or click on any links contained in the message.
    
2. If you doubt a message's authenticity, verify it by contacting the organization itself using a phone number or e-mail address you know to be correct.
    
3. Avoid bogus sites by entering web addresses directly into the browser yourself or by using bookmarks you create.
    
4. Look for your passmark. If you're a Home Banking user, Enhanced Authentication helps protect you from revealing your username and password to scammers. A fake site won't present you with the image and phrase you have previously chosen.
    
5. When prompted for a password, supply an incorrect one first. A bogus web site will accept it, but a legitimate one won't.

REMEMBER: Virginia Credit Union will never ask you to provide, update or verify personal or account information through unsolicited e-mail, such as:

• Social security number
• Member number
• Credit or debit card numbers
• Personal Identification Number (PIN)
• Home Banking Logon ID or password

You can report a suspicious e-mail that uses the Virginia Credit Union logo or name by forwarding it to reportabuse@vacu.org.

Please contact us if you have questions or we can help you in any way.