EDGELEY JUNIOR/SENIOR SUPPER/FINANCIAL EDUCATION A SUCCESS!!
On Tuesday, April 10th Dakota Plains Credit Union held their Annual Junior/Senior supper to present financial education for the Juniors and Seniors to help them prepare for their eventual transition from High School to their next choice in life. Supper was served to the students and their parents to congratulate the students on their achievements. Information was presented on savings, how to handle a checking account, debit and credit cards, loans and current scams. Students were told that how they handle their finances from here on out will determine their rate on loans, insurance premiums, whether or not they can rent an apartment and so on. The difference of paying more then the minimum payment on any type loan and to just "Live Within Their Means!" We had over 30 students/parents in attendance. Door prizes were given away. Michael B was the winner of a Samsung Galaxy tablet and Beau D won the $50 Amazon gift card.
SCAMS: PHISHING, PHARMING AND LOOK-A-LIKE WEB-SITES: BEWARE!
Crooks are continually finding ways to compromise your personal, account and card information. Three of the most common ways to compromise this information is through pharming, phishing and look-a-like web-sites. Do you know the difference? If not, below are explanations of each.
Pharming - Is a hacker's attack aiming to redirect a website's traffic to another "bogus" web-site. This is done by either by changing the hosts file on a victim's computer or by exploitation of a vulnerability in DNS server software. DNS servers are computers responsible for resolving Internet names into their real IP addresses.
Phishing - Is an attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card information and bank account information. This is done by masquerading as a trustworthy site such as eBay, PayPal and online banking. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail spoofing or instant messaging and it often directs users to enter details at a fake site. This is where look-a-like web-sites come into play. The criminal is able to disguise the bogus site with the same look and feel as the original site. Two key items to keep in mind. Make sure you always see a gold padlock at the end of the IP address and that the https - always has a "s" at the end. Many fake sites start out as "http", no "s".
Diligence is the key to protecting your information and not allowing others access to your information.
VISA CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD TRAVEL PLANS
Remember that when you are travelling outside your normal area or spending outside your normal spending pattern your VISA credit or debit cards may be declined as a precautionary fraud prevention. Please notify the credit union of either change to your normal usage or travel plans so we can prevent any unnecessary inconvenience for you. We have in place what is called "Falcon Alert". They are a 3rd party vendor that we use to monitor for fraudulent activity. If such activity is suspected on your account a "temporary" block will be put on your account until the activity can be verified. They will attempt to contact the cardholder and the credit union to have the activity verified. As a convenience to you you may want to keep their phone number in your cell phone contact list in the event you are declined while travelling. This number is only for suspected activity not if you are over your established credit limit. The number for VISA credit cards is 1-800-437-9392 and for VISA debit cards, 1-888-241-2440. For further questions please contact any branch of Dakota Plains Credit Union.
DOUBLE YOUR REWARDS POINTS.....HOW?
Here at Dakota Plains Credit Union we have a "Deal" for you. Transfer your balance from another credit card and you can DOUBLE CUE REWARDS POINTS. Points can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards and travel. There is no balance transfer fee and your transfer will be handled locally by the trusted and friendly staff at Dakota Plains Credit Union. Rates starting as low as 5%. Check out our "Deal" and earn double points for balances transferred and find out for yourself what a "GREAT" VISA credit card program we offer. Contact one of our offices in Edgeley, Ellendale or Enderlin.
Find a credit union that is right for you! Credit unions are non-profit financial institutions. They offer many of the same products and services as banks—including savings and checking accounts, loans, ATMs and online banking—but there are also big differences that can save you money. Credit unions are owned and controlled by their members, not profit-driven shareholders. That means the average credit union can offer better rates and lower fees. To learn about joining a credit union today and "A Smarter Choice" click here.
Your savings are insured up to $250,000
Your savings are federally insured up to $250,000
by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF),
an arm of the NCUA. For more information click here.
FOR CURRENT FRAUD UPDATES AND BLOCKS CLICK HERE.
