Ensuring Account Safety Online

The security of your accounts and personal information is something we are serious about at DCU. Since we introduced PC Branch in February 1996, we have made countless security enhancements and we will continue to do so in the future. Our results have been and continue to be successful.

What Members Do Affects Security

Beyond the control of any financial institution is how well its members or customers protect their own personal information, PINs, and passwords. Internet criminals have attacked this vulnerability through phishing and planting software without the permission of the computer user.

Phishing scams are attempts to collect sensitive information from consumers and businesses through official-looking emails and web sites. Thieves ask for account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, or other information that could be used to access financial accounts or steal an identity. If you've received an email asking about an account you supposedly have at an institution you've never had a relationship with, you've seen a phishing attempt.

Illicitly planted software is often called "spyware" or "keystroke logging software." These sinister programs record the keystrokes a person makes on the computer, including account numbers, passwords, and the sites they visit, and sends them to the criminal without the person's knowledge. In both cases, the criminal may end up with enough information to break into online accounts or make fraudulent credit card purchases.

You can prevent this from happening to you by:

Never giving out personal information over the Internet or phone unless you initiated the contact. Remember that DCU employees will never call or email you to ask for information we already have, such as member numbers and account numbers. DCU employees do not have access to and will not ask you for PINs.
If you receive a suspicious email, do not reply to it or click on any links. Instead, call us at 800.328.8797 to report it.
Make sure your home or office computers are equipped with up-to-date Internet security software including a firewall, virus protection, adware protection, spyware protection, and privacy protection.

Enhanced Security

Over the next few months, DCU and all other financial institutions will be implementing enhancements to help prevent anyone who obtained personal information illegally from consumers or businesses from accessing accounts online. This is a way to stop criminals from benefiting from information they collect through phishing or keystroke logging. Criminals who obtain information in these ways will attempt to use it from their own computers. In DCU's solution, PC Branch will prevent access by recognizing only the computers you've told it you regularly use. If you or anyone else attempts to log in through a non-registered computer, there will be additional questions to answer in order to gain access.

Watch for More Information

As we get closer to implementing this additional security, we'll provide more details on how to use it and when it will start at dcu.org. In the meantime, make sure you are keeping your personal information secure. Visit the Privacy Protection and Fraud Prevention portion of the StreetWise section of our web site for additional information.

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Digital Federal Credit Union
220 Donald Lynch Boulevard
PO Box 9130
Marlborough, MA 01752-9130
508.263.6700 • 800.328.8797