Security Breaches: What You Need to Know

The card services department at SIU Credit Union takes retailer security breaches very seriously and gives priority to the security of your account information.

Recently, several retailers have been in the news regarding potential card data breaches. One company, Home Depot, has confirmed that a data breach occurred on their payment systems in their stores in the United States and Canada and dates back to April 2014.  Because the Home Depot breach could include a large number of cards and may impact many SIU Credit Union members, we wanted to share some facts and provide tips on how to be proactive in protecting yourself.

If your SIU Credit Union debit or credit card has been affected by the Home Depot breach, we will be mailing the account holder a letter explaining when your current card will automatically be shut down and when to expect a new card. If you can, we recommend calling us as soon as possible to shut down your current card to avoid any fraudulent activity.

How Can I Be Proactive in Protecting Myself?

• Keep your information current: If we detect fraud on your account or are notified that your account has been compromised, we will contact you immediately. Make sure that we have your current address and phone number on file. The easiest way to do this is by updating your contact information through Online Banking.
• Monitor your accounts: Go online and confirm your debit and credit card transactions every day. Keep an eye out for any unauthorized charges and report them immediately.
• Choose tough passwords: Create passwords that contain numbers, letters, and symbols and are more than six characters. Get in the habit of changing passwords regularly, logging out of password-protected sessions, and setup passwords to access your mobile devices.
• Question everything: When major retailers experience data breaches, scammers try to take advantage of the situation. If you get any official looking emails, letters, text messages or phone calls asking for personal information, it is likely not from a legitimate source. A good tip is to go to the website to make sure the information online matches the correspondence you received.
• Check your credit report: Federal law requires each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to give you a free credit report every 12 months if you ask for it. Visit annualcreditreport.com to request your free copy and check that the information on your credit report is correct. Another great idea is to set a calendar reminder to pull a different one every four months so you can be sure to keep on top of things.

We’re working for you. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your accounts, please call us at 618-457-3595 or toll free 800-449-7301.