New Credit Cards Coming June 25th

We are excited to announce Wauna Credit Union’s next step in ensuring we offer our members only the best products and services. In June, we are updating our credit cards to provide an enhanced experience to thank those who continue to support local business by banking locally.

Our new cards introduce contactless payment, and have increased security protections to keep your identity and your money safe. You will continue to have the benefits you’ve grown accustomed to, like Mobile Wallets, Visa 3D Secure, and Account Updater. The new cards even have an updated look designed to evoke the beauty of the natural world around us.

Next Steps

Be on the lookout for your new card, which will be arriving in your mailbox in early June. The new cards have a different design than existing WCU cards. If you have a WCU Rewards Visa, your new card will be green with eagle feathers. If you have a WCU Platinum Visa your new card will be grey with eagle feathers.

Simply follow the instructions on the card when you get it in the mail, update your automatic payments to your new credit card number, and you’re ready to go. Your payment date, credit card rate, terms, and limits all remain the same. We’ll even transfer any rewards points you have over to the new card.

Timing

Remember, you will first need to call the number on your card’s sticker to activate it. Please activate on Sunday, June 25th (cannot activate early). Once you have activated your new card, ensure it is in working condition by making a transaction. Please use your current card through Saturday, June 24th, which is the last day you can do so.

If you have any questions for us about your new cards, please call us at 800-773-3236, use the chat function in U banking, contact us with Wauna CU Now, or visit your local branch.

Identity Theft: A Survivor’s Guide

Identity theft is a crime with many faces: from the thief who your skims your card info at the ATM, to the hacker who assumes your persona and opens accounts in your name.

Today is Data Privacy Day. And though most if not all of us will experience identity theft, we are all able to survive it.

Unfortunately, rectifying identity theft damage can be like untangling a wet knot. You can do it but it will require patience and perseverance. There is hope!

Start by committing yourself to becoming and remaining organized. Keep copies of letters and emails. It doesn’t hurt to maintain a verbal correspondence and/or other logs. File paperwork immediately and store everything in a safe, accessible place.

Step One: Creditors and Financial Institutions

If accounts are abused or opened illegally, contact your creditors ASAP. Ask for fraudulent transaction documentation as you’ll likely need to file a police report. Add “non-guessable” passwords to replacement cards and all existing accounts.

If a collection agency attempts to collect on a fraudulent account, explain (in writing) that you are a victim of identity theft and not responsible for the debt. Ask they confirm in writing that you do not owe and that the account has been closed.

For checking account fraud, contact your financial institution to place stop payments on any outstanding checks that you did not write. Report the crime to check reporting agencies. If the fraud is extreme, consider canceling your checking and savings accounts. Obtain new account numbers and passwords. Monitor all future account statements carefully.

Step Two: Legal and Government Agencies

Report the crime. File a report with your local police or sheriff’s department (or wherever the identity theft took place). Request a copy of the report. Additionally, keep the phone number of your investigator handy.

Create an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This is the combination of the Identity Theft Affidavit. You’ll file this with the FTC, and the police report. For additional documentation you may pursue a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation.

Notify your local postal inspector if someone else has used your address. The social security administration should be alerted if your social security number has been fraudulently used.

Step Three: Credit Reporting Bureaus

The most arduous task in this process may be ensuring that your credit report lists only factual information. Obtain your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (if you are married, your spouse should also check their report).

If the fraudulent information hasn’t yet appeared on your credit reports, be proactive. Report the crime now. Contact one of the bureau’s fraud departments to request an extended fraud alert be added to your file for seven years rather than the normal 90-180 days. Confirm that the bureau you’ve filed the fraud alert with will contact the other two bureaus and to place the fraud alerts.

Write a victim’s report. This is a brief statement describing the details of the crime. Send your report to the bureaus. The first credit reports with fraud alerts are free and are sent automatically. Next, check your credit report every three months to ensure accuracy.

Healing the wounds of identity theft will take time and work. The sooner and more aggressively you deal with the problem, the faster you will see results. Remember, Wauna Credit Union is also a fantastic resource and we are here for you!

The Capitol One hack: What you need to know

Unfortunately, we live in a world where data security simply isn’t as secure as it should be. And this week, we’ve learned of yet another major breach. A hack at Capital One has exposed the information of millions of consumers in the U.S. and Canada. The hack represents another in a long list of data leaks over only a few years. Luckily, there are things you can do to protect yourself.

What we know

  • A 33-year-old Seattle resident, named Paige Thompson, gained access to over 100 million Capital One accounts and credit card applications
    • Thompson worked for Amazon Web Services, the cloud hosting company that Capital One was using
  • 140,000 Social Security numbers, 1 million Canadian Social Insurance numbers and 80,000 bank account numbers, in addition to an undisclosed number of people’s names, addresses, credit scores, credit limits, balances, and other information, have been compromised
    • Thompson was able to gain access by exploiting a misconfigured web application firewall
    • She was arrested on 07/29/19
  • Capital One said the hack occurred March 22 and 23, 2019 and includes credit card applications as far back as 2005
  • The company says it has repaired the exposure and that it is “unlikely the information was used for fraud or disseminated by this individual”

What you can do

  • If you hold or have ever held an account with Capitol One, watch for alerts
    • The company is reaching out to consumers they know have been impacted
    • Do not reply to any emails or phone-calls relating to this breach as they may be phishing scams
    • Contact Capitol One directly
  • Sign up for a credit monitoring service
  • Set up fraud alerts on all of your credit and debit cards and accounts
  • Check all of your financial statements regularly
  • View our Identity Theft Toolkit: http://bit.ly/2wO6Dy0
  • Capital One has set up a dedicated web page at https://www.capitalone.com/facts2019/ for information regarding the recent breach

How it happened

  • Thompson claimed to use a special command to extract files in a Capital One directory stored on Amazon’s servers
  • The FBI believes Thompson tweeted that she wanted to distribute Social Security numbers along with full names and dates of birth
  • Someone who saw the information online notified Capital One of the leaked data
    • Capital One notified the FBI, who then searched Thompson’s residence on 07/29/19

The safety and security of our member accounts and personal information is the highest priority at Wauna Credit Union. Keeping member accounts safe and secure is also a shared responsibility. It’s important for members to review their periodic account statements when received and report any suspicious activity immediately to the Credit Union. Working together, we can increase the opportunities to protect the financial interests of our members and the Credit Union.

If you have additional questions or concerns about the security of your information, you are always welcome to contact us at your convenience.

Scam alert: Important info regarding my mortgage?

Mysterious postcards are showing up in mailboxes all over the country and they’vestarted hitting home. This “time-sensitive” matter has many of us scratching our heads and saying, “huh?” Well, guess what? They’re 100%, for sure, mortgage scams.

So, what the heck are they?

Let’s address the elephant in the room and put to rest that these did NOT come from Wauna Credit Union — in fact, they did not originate from any financial institution. Recipients are urged to contact a toll-free number (after doing some digging, these postcards have listed 855-901-9227, 800-230-8750, 888-405-0963, and 855-549-212) regarding a recently closed WCU mortgage.

Where are they coming from?

Whether or not you have indeed recently closed on a WCU mortgage (congratulations if you have!) companies from all over the world have the ability to purchase your information if it has been publicly listed (sometimes even if it hasn’t been!) But your first giveaway should be that the Mortgage ID number provided is bogus.

Often times, scammers will pull what’s called the “phantom help” maneuver, where they’ll encourage you to reduce or even stop your mortgage payments while they work to lessen your costs (for a moderate fee, of course). Unfortunately, by the time you realize you’re being taken advantage of, the phantom helper is long gone.

If you look reeeeeeally closely in the bottom right-hand corner of the examples we’ve provided, you’ll see a “All information provided by H.W.C.” and a “Not affiliated with…” disclosure. Problem is you can grow old searching for information about H.W.C. and come back with nothing solid. We’ve also seen loandepot.com, Heritage Warranty Company, and Mortgage Protection Services, only none of these are legitimate businesses.

Conduct a quick online search for “Mortgage Protection Services” and you’ll find they have an ‘F’ rating with Better Business Bureau, hundreds of thousands of complaints on Ripoff Report, and even have Cease and Desist orders from several states, including Illinois and Massachusetts.

We called the number!

Image result for mortgage scam postcardsDarn right we called the number. In fact, we tried all the numbers we were able to find. Some connect to a live person, others are recordings, and one dialed directly to an automated system. Regardless of which number, we were eventually probed for personal information. Funny enough, these fraudsters refuse to give out any information about themselves, or even the actual company they are working with.

To be clear: Wauna Credit Union will NEVER ask for your social security number, passwords, or other sensitive information via postcard or over the phone.

So, how do I protect myself against these postcards?

It never feels good to be the target of a scam, but unfortunately it happens to us all. Should one of these end up in your mailbox, recycle it. Do not call the number. Do not play their games. Toss it and forget it. Remember, Wauna Credit Union will not send you notifications like this. If you are ever uncertain, contact us right away.

Onto protecting you from the next scam!

Warrenton ATM Skimmer

On Sunday 07/22 at 1:05 pm, a member of the public discovered a suspicious device on the outermost WCU ATM at our Warrenton Branch. Warrenton Police were notified and established the device to be a card reader (ATM skimmer). It is estimated the card reader was placed on the ATM at approximately 10:00 pm on Saturday 7/21.

Police are in possession of the reader. At this time, we believe the reader did not have the capability to transfer data wirelessly and was never retrieved by the culprit, and therefore no member information was compromised.

Members should closely monitor their accounts and statements for any suspicious activities and immediately call 1-800-773-3236 if there are unauthorized charges, withdrawals, or even deposits.

If it is determined that any member’s information has been compromised, we will immediately take action to ensure card/s are replaced and any other potential issues are secured.

It is our practice to audit all WCU ATMs multiple times daily for card readers. This is the first incident of an ATM skimmer found on a WCU ATM, but it does happen with regular frequency throughout the country.

For more information on skimmers and other fraudulent activity, we recently posted a blog about skimmers https://waunafcu.org/blog/fraudsters-and-skimmers-oh-my/.

A picture of the actual card reader is below.

Warrenton ATM Skimmer
A picture of the actual device

 

Fraudsters and skimmers, oh my!

Related imageSkimmers are sneaky little devices, which fraudsters affix to ATMs or other machines that accept credit or debit card transactions. The skimmer then secretly swipes your card information whenever you slip your card into the affected machine. These pesky gadgets have been around for years. But thieves are continually improving them and their usage doesn’t seem to stop!

Recently, a credit union in Washington reported an increase in card fraud because of a skimmer thought to be located at a nearby gas station. Wauna Credit Union can take steps to prevent and detect skimmers placed on our own ATMs and ITMs. But it is impossible for us to protect all of our members from skimmers elsewhere.

However, we won’t let you face the skimmers of the world unarmed. So, here are some tips and tricks on how you can take extra precaution when using your card at an ATM or other machine and avoid these irksome skimming devices:

  • When you can, use ATMs, ITMs, and gas pumps that are familiar. The more routine the visit to the machine is, the more likely someone has been checking regularly to detect potential issues.Image result for skimming device
  • Look for evidence of tampering! For example, some gas pumps will place a security seal over the portion of the gas pump that controls the card reader. A broken seal a strong indication that the card reader has been tampered with.
  • Is the gas station unfamiliar to you? try comparing the card reader at your pump with card readers at other pumps. If there is a discrepancy, pay inside, use a different pump, or find a different gas station. An extra minute or two could save you a huge headache.
  • When possible, run the transaction as a credit transaction instead of a PIN transaction.
  • If using an ATM that is located inside of a convenience or grocery store, look for evidence of tampering. Ways to detect a skimmer include lightly pulling on the card reader and pin pad to ensure neither easily detach from the machine and by paying attention to colors and graphics on the machine that appear to be different than what should be expected.
  • Pay attention to anyone who appears to be loitering or otherwise hanging around a machine with no visible purpose. If this is the case, use a different machine. Report the suspicious person to the business. Always ensure you are covering the PIN pad when typing in your PIN number.
  • Regularly monitor credit card and account statements and look for discrepancies. By keeping an eye on your statements and creating alerts in online banking for unusual activity, you proactively fighting fraud. Contact us right away if something seems out of the ordinary.

Making sure that you are aware of how to detect skimming devices can go a long way towards keeping you and your finances safe.

U-Banking: What you need to know

Dear Valued Member,

In our efforts to bring you the best possible online banking experience, Wauna Credit Union is upgrading our online and mobile banking solutions. The new system, U-Banking, will be available on Monday, May 14th.

With this enhancement comes more flexibility, reliability, and control for you, but it also comes with important changes that will temporarily affect the way you use online and mobile banking. We’ve summarized these key points below and suggest that you keep this summary on-hand for quick future reference.

So, what can I expect?

  • The upgrade means that Online and Mobile Banking access will be unavailable starting at 6:00 am PST on Friday, May 11th until service is restored by 9:00 am on Monday, May 14th. The WaunaCU mobile app will be available in Apple and Google Play app stores same day.
    • On May 14th, you will need to download a new mobile app, which can be found by searching “WaunaCU” in your app store.
  • Bill Pay will be unavailable May 10th through May 14th. Not to worry! Your payees will transfer over and we will ensure all scheduled payments are paid during the conversion.
  • If you use the Account Alerts feature, this will need to be set up in U-Banking. These alerts might include: balance updates; scheduled transactions; large deposit; low balance; large withdrawal; check cleared; loan payment due reminders; loan payment overdue reminders; personal messages; or maturity date reminders.
    • Any notices (delinquent loan, overdraft, or certificate of deposit maturity) that you were receiving in online banking will now be mailed.
  • When you first log in to the new U-Banking service, you will no longer use your current password. You will initially enter your Account Number as the login ID, and then the last 4 numbers of the primary account holder’s Social Security Number as the password. Once you complete this initial login, you will be prompted to create a new login ID and password.

NOTE: If you have trouble logging in to online banking with the information provided and have also not logged in to online banking within the last six (6) months, you will need to contact us at (800) 773-3236 to receive login information.

NOTE: If you are the primary user and have a joint owner on your account who would like to use U-Banking, we recommend the following: After the primary member is set up and you are inside U-Banking, there is a new feature under “Additional Services” called “Share Access with Others”. The primary can permission the joint owner to use U-Banking, which will send an email to the joint owner with a temporary username and password. The joint owner may then log in to U-Banking with their temporary username and password where they will be prompted to change their username, password, and multifactor authentication credentials.

  • If you already have pre-scheduled transfers/payments prior to May 10, these will continue to transfer as usual. You will not see these items within online banking, though they will continue to transfer to our core processing system. Once U-Banking is live on the 14th, all future scheduled transfers and payments will need to be set up in U-Banking.
    • If you would like to see and manage your scheduled transfers in U-Banking, contact our Virtual Branch at (800) 773-3236.
  • Quicken® and QuickBooks® download history will be turned off and no longer available starting May 10th by 7:00 am. You will receive a separate letter with instructions on how to connect Quicken® or QuickBooks® to U-Banking.
  • The “memo” option for transfers will be unavailable – although we may continue this service in the future.
  • If you are a Money Desktop (MX) user, all information stored in MX will not convert during this upgrade and you will need to start over in U-Banking.

What actions should I take prior to May 14th?

  • Ensure that we have your current contact information on file so you do not miss any important reminders or notifications.
  • If you have bills due while Bill Pay is unavailable from May 10th to May 13th, be sure to schedule those bills for payment prior to May 10th to help ensure that they are paid on schedule. However, rest assured that we have systems in place to confirm any bill payments you have pre-scheduled to post during this timeframe will be paid on schedule.
  • Visit waunafcu.org/about/u-banking.shtml to troubleshoot and learn more about U-Banking.

While we are confident that this new service will greatly enhance your overall online banking experience, we apologize for any short-term inconvenience the upgrade may cause you. We are here to answer any questions, so please contact us at (800) 773-3236.

Sincerely,

Robert Blumberg Signature

Robert Blumberg, President & CEO
Wauna Credit Union

Wauna Credit Union is now serving cannabis-related businesses

We are now offering compliant, transparent banking services to cannabis-related businesses within our field of membership.

So, what does this mean?

It means that we have a responsibility to ensure that our services and practices are in-line with the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People.” We looked at the 25,000 members in multiple communities across a swath of cities and counties that we now serve, and knew that cannabis-related businesses are now established in all. By allowing cannabis-related businesses to have legitimate financial services, we are helping improve the safety and security of our members and the areas in which they live are.

Cannabis-related businesses often deal in cash-only transactions and so generally have large amounts of cash on-hand. Such circumstances can lead to an increase in crime or other dangerous activities. That being said, offering legal and compliant banking solutions to these businesses just makes sense to us – we are getting that cash off the streets and into a safe place.

“Serving the CRB industry, we become part of the solution and not part of the problem. The CRBs have difficulty forming banking relationships due to the limited number of credit unions and banks serving this industry. Providing banking services to this industry legitimizes these businesses. It also adds an element of safety and security to all of us that live and/or work in the community, which is in all of our best interests.”
— Robert Blumberg, CEO and President of Wauna Credit Union.

In addition, cannabis-related businesses are now legal businesses in Oregon and Washington. Those who choose to work in this field deserve to be treated fairly, and not required to hide the source of their money.

But it doesn’t mean we are taking this decision lightly. The cannabis industry possesses unique banking challenges. Cannabis is still illegal on a federal level and so Wauna Credit Union must adhere to many strict state and federal laws and policies.

We are covering our bases. We’ve assembled a specialized department to handle all due diligence and account opening for these accounts. An Oregon attorney is working with us to guarantee this program and the businesses with CRB accounts are fully complying with state law. Wauna Credit Union has zero tolerance for any type of deception or illegal activity. Accounts not complying with state and federal regulations will be closed immediately.

A safe community is a sound community, and Wauna Credit Union will continue to do what we can to see that we are contributing to bettering the places where we live and work. This sometimes requires making difficult decisions, sacrifices, and other changes. But if that means making things safer for the people we serve, then we are making the right decision.

Inquiries regarding Wauna Credit Union’s Cannabis Business Solutions account applications and opening procedures can be made at 800-773-3236.

Media inquiries may be directed to our Chief Marketing Officer Debi Smiley at 503-728-6116.

Wauna Credit Union Announces New Board of Directors

Every year Wauna Credit Union celebrates our members, and the community formed when people are the main focus of a financial institution.

This year was extra special for us, as it was the 50th time Wauna CU has met in such a way. While 50 years is definitely an accomplishment, and something we are proud of, the highlight of the meeting was announcing the results of the elections for our board of directors. This year three members of our community were elected to the board. We’re lucky enough to have two returning board members Bill DeJager and Lester Kahr, who have already done so much to help Wauna Credit Union continue to serve the residents of Clatsop County, Columbia County and Western County in Oregon and Pacific County in Washington. We are also very excited to announce one new member of the board Erick Holsey. The 2016 Board of Directors poses

About the Elected Members

  • William “Bill” DeJager
    Bill has served on the WCU board for five years. He is a lifelong resident of Oregon. He attended Clackamas High School, Oregon State University and earned a PHD in Economics from Portland State University. He is married to Sheila, a high school classmate, and has two daughters and three granddaughters. He is retired from the Air Force and Air National Guard. Sheila is a retired CPA, and both enjoying retirement, tending their farm and active in volunteer activities. He currently serves on the Columbia County Planning Commission, and previously served on the Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District Board, the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council Board and the Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District Board.
  • Lester Kahr
    Lester has been on the Wauna Federal Credit Union Board for 12 years, acting as 1st Vice Chair, 2nd Vice Chair and the following committees: Policy, CEO Evaluation, Finance, Security, Buildings and Nominating. He has completed 30 Credit Union National Association (CUNA Volunteer Achievement Program modules and attended Credit Union Association of Oregon Educational Conferences. He previously served as AWPPW Local #153 Shop Steward, Executive Board member, Trustee, Vice President and Bargaining Board.
  • Erick Holsey
    Erick is a longtime resident of Clatskanie, a graduate of Clatskanie High School, US Army veteran and currently employed at Clatskanie Fire District. He has a Bachelor of Science in Fire Service Administration with a minor in chemistry from Western Oregon University and A.A.S degrees in Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Technology Paramedic, and Oregon Transfer Degree from Chemeketa Community College. I have been awarded approximately $900,000 dollars in federal grants to include a new fire engine for our community. He has served on the Clatskanie School Board as a director and on the budget committee, a member of the Clatsop County Advisory Board for Fire suppression and EMS programs, the Columbia County Fire Investigation Team, and the Lower Columbia Regional Training Association. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

We also celebrated a bit of our past. In attendance was Roland Ray Triplett, one of the seven founding members of Wauna Credit Union Roland Ray Triplett and our first employee Eileen Cheuvront. While we are always looking towards the future – making sure our feet are always planted in the present – Wauna CU would not be where we are today without the contributions from these (and other) important people.

Bill Pay moving to Single Sign-On – Now in Online Banking!

computer hugger billpay

Bill Pay is now one step easier to access!

Great News!

Beginning November 16, 2016, Bill Pay users will no longer be required to use an extra Login procedure to access the Wauna Credit Union Bill Pay service!

Instead, on that date, Bill Pay users will simply login to their personal Online Banking page — and then click the Bill Pay service option (located in the left-side menu bar).  That’s it!

Important Note:

Any “Favorites” bookmarks created in an Internet browser (to access the Bill Pay service login page) will no longer connect users to Bill Pay. Instead, simply change the bookmark to the Wauna Credit Union website address and then access Bill Pay directly through the Online Banking service.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Wauna Credit Union representatives during regular business hours.

 

PLEASE NOTE: We have been running tests on the new Billpay for some time, please be patient if there are any minor issues when we go live on the 16th. Thank You!

Wauna Credit Union