Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity! Actors Federal Credit Union is offering a 11-month Certificate Account Special with a 5.37% APY*.
Rates are subject to change without notice*.
Tips
Prevention Tips
A growing trend we are noticing is that members have been receiving scams calls pretending to be from Actors Federal Credit Union and asking for personal and financial information.
If you receive one of these types of calls, please do not release confidential information over the phone. New technology has made it easy and inexpensive to spoof phone numbers you otherwise trust, and fraudsters often build a profile of their victims from data they collect on the dark web.
We want to assure our members that Actors Federal Credit Union would never initiate a call to ask for sensitive information such as social security numbers, account numbers, or passwords. We encourage all members to exercise caution and remain vigilant against any suspicious calls or messages claiming to be from us.
Internet criminals want your personal information—and they go phishing to get it. They send out emails or pop-up messages claiming to be from places you do business with. The message may ask you to confirm, validate, or update your personal information—and may say something serious will happen if you don’t do this immediately. They then redirect you to a website that looks official and ask you to provide personal and sensitive information. Mission accomplished: They get your personal information and their crimes continue.
ACTORSFCU ALREADY HAS YOUR ACCOUNT AND CARD NUMBERS. WE WILL NOT REQUEST PERSONAL OR ACCOUNT INFORMATION FROM YOU ONLINE OR BY PHONE.
If you call ActorsFCU, we will ask you questions to verify who you are before providing any information.
Suggestions to help protect you from "phishers"
- If you get an email or pop-up message asking for personal or financial information, DO NOT REPLY and do not click on the link.
- Don’t email personal or financial information.
- Review credit card and ActorsFCU account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late, call to confirm your billing address and account balances.
- Sign up for eDocs and get your statements securely online. They’ll never be lost or intercepted in the mail.
- Exercise caution when opening any attachment or downloading any files in emails, regardless of who sent them.
- If you're asked to call a phone number provided in an email to update your account or access a “refund” from an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card.
- Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly. Use antivirus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones, can effectively reverse damages, and updates automatically.
- Forward phishing spam to "spam@uce.gov," and to the company impersonated in the email. Please forward spam purporting to be from ActorsFCU to mservices@actorsfcu.com.
- If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov, and visit www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. You may catch an incident early if you order a copy of your credit report periodically.
Prevention
The most important tools for prevention are awareness and managing your personal information carefully.
- Safeguard your personal information
- Monitor your accounts and bank statements monthly
- Check your credit report regularly
- Put passwords on all your accounts, including your credit card, bank, and phone accounts
- Avoid using easily available information — your mother’s maiden name, your birthdate, the last 4 digits of your SSN or your phone number — or obvious choices
The Actors FCU CardNav App can help you protect your account. Turn your card on or off, limit when and where your card is used, receive real-time notifications when your card is used, and more.
Protecting Your Accounts
Security Begins Day One
Proper identification is required of all new applicants and a check credit is performed to verify there has been no fraud or identity theft.
What to Do
Online Security Measures
We work to ensure your personal information is as secure as we can make it.- Firewalls
- Secure logins (User ID and Password)
- Dual authentication and Secure Socket Layers (SSL) technology
- Providing more ways to access and stay on top of your accounts—with eBranch, eDocs, and eAlerts—the best way we help you prevent fraud and identity theft
Protecting Yourself
Every day you give out personal information as you conduct the business of your life. Identity thieves want that information to commit fraud. Consumers targeted by identity thieves usually don’t know they’ve been victimized until collection agencies pursue them to cover debts they didn’t know they had.
Help control risks when conducting business online with ActorsFCU:
Protect your account number
Create a unique User ID instead of using your account number.
Check for the dual authentication picture
After typing in your User ID, a screen should appear with the picture you chose when signing up. If the picture you chose does not appear, do not enter any additional information. Contact ActorsFCU immediately.
Check accounts frequently to monitor for suspicious activity
With eBranch and our apps.
Sign up for eDocs
Access your account information securely online. Documents won’t get lost or intercepted in the mail.
Take advantage of eAlerts
Stay on top of your finances and get the jump on suspicious activity with text or email alerts of specified transactions and balances.
Be informed about your credit
Check your credit report regularly to detect suspicious activity. You can get a free report once every 12 months.
Be aware of “phishing” emails
Members occasionally receive emails purporting to be from ActorsFCU that warn them of fraudulent attempts to access their account. These emails are attempts to collect plastic card information. REMEMBER: ActorsFCU already has your account and and card numbers; we will NOT call or email you to request this information from you. Learn more about Fraud and ID Theft.
Additional Tips
- Before revealing personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared with others.
- Read the privacy policy on websites directed to children or that knowingly collect information from kids under 13. They must post a notice of their information collection practices.
- Put passwords on all your accounts (credit card, bank, and phone). Avoid using easily available information for the passwords.
- Minimize the identification information and number of cards you carry. Don’t put all your identifying information in one holder in your bag.
- Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Tear or shred anything with your personal information to thwart identity thieves who pick through trash or recycling bins.
- Use a secure browser when shopping online. When submitting your purchase information, look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar.
For more information visit ftc.gov.
Known Scams To Avoid
When it comes to scams, a general guideline to keep in mind is that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Another guideline to keep in mind: You shouldn’t accept money that you didn’t earn, especially from a person you don’t know.
Wire Transfer Fraud
Never send money via MoneyGram, Ria, or Western Union to someone you haven't met in person. Do not send money to anyone claiming to work for a federal agency such as the FTC, IRS, SSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or a well-known firm. The government will never request that you send money in this manner.
Furthermore, never wire money to anyone who encourages you to pay right away, or who claims that a wire transfer is the only way to pay. Finally, never wire money to anyone who offers to sell you something over the phone. It is illegal for a telemarketer to request payment via wire transfer. (Federal Trade Commission)
Gift Card Fraud
Gift cards are commonly used in fraud schemes. If anyone asks you to send them gift cards (especially if you do not know the person well), please assume that it is fraud. Gift cards are often involved with “IRS” scams, employment fraud, and many, many others. If a transaction or situation seems too good to be true, it likely is. Or if a person is threatening or intimidating you to buy and send them gift cards, please do not fulfill their request. Instead, report the perpetrator to your local police.
Check Fraud
This type of fraud often victimizes people who are trying to sell something online. The fraudster will offer to send you a check in excess of your sale price. They will tell you to keep a certain amount (usually more than you were asking for) then remit the difference back to them. They may ask you to wire the money or to send it in the form of a cashier's check, money order, or gift cards. Typically what happens is, once you’ve sent a portion of the money back to them, their original check will bounce. They will get to keep the money you sent them, while you’re left on the hook for the full amount of their original check.
"IRS" Scam
Fraudsters have been known to make calls, posing as "IRS" agents, to intimidate and cheat people out of money. The fraudster usually instructs the victim to make payment in the form of gift cards to avoid punishment, such as imprisonment. If you receive such a call, please hang up!
Telephone & Email Scams
Telephone scammers will either try to steal your money or your personal information. Telephone scams can happen either by a call from a real person, a robocall, or a text message. The caller will often make false promises. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Rather than false promises, scammers may try to intimidate you into giving them money or personal information. Remember that ActorsFCU, the IRS, or any other government agency will not call you to obtain money or personal information over the phone. If you get a call from a charity requesting a donation, do your own research before agreeing to contribute money. Unfortunately, fraudsters have been known to pose as fake charity organizations to take advantage of a person's generosity.
Employment Posting Fraud / Secret Shopper
Employment posting fraud typically takes one of two approaches. The first approach is that bogus employers will post jobs online with the intention of collecting personal information through job applications and email correspondence. This is a phishing scam. The second approach is that bogus employers will “hire” an individual and pay them with a check. The check will be written in an amount much greater than the salary due. The “employee” will then be instructed to deposit the check into their bank account and return the overpayment back to the “employer” either through a wire, cashier's check, money order, or gift cards. This scam is commonly perpetrated with job postings for Secret Shoppers.
Lottery & Sweepstakes Scams
Lottery and sweepstakes scams are usually perpetrated through email. People will be notified by email that they have been randomly selected as the winner of an international lottery or sweepstakes. They will then be instructed to contact a phone number or email address to claim their winnings. The prizes stated are typically large (e.g. $500,000). The lottery office will then ask the “winner” for an initial fee ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 in order to process their claim. In the end, the “winnings” are never paid and the “winner” loses the money they paid for the initial fee. Bottom line, if it seems too good to be true, it likely is.
Check-Washing
Check-washing occurs when a criminal “washes” the ink off of a legitimately written check. After the washing process, the fraudster is left with a blank check that they can rewrite for any amount or purpose they choose. Checks involved in this type of fraud are usually intercepted in one way or another, such as being stolen from mailboxes. For this reason, it may be safer to pay bills online, either through direct billing or through a service such as ActorsFCU's ePay$ Bill Pay.
Card Skimmers
The magnetic strip on the back of ATM, debit, and credit cards are used to store information such as account number and expiration date. Card skimmers are small devices placed over or within a legitimate card reader to capture the information stored within a card’s magnetic strip. The stolen information can then be used to create counterfeit cards and make fraudulent purchases.
Fraudsters typically place card skimmers on gas pumps, ATM machines, and other payment kiosks. Skimmers can be difficult to spot, even when you know what to look for. One line of defense is to visually and physically inspect the card reader before inserting your card. If the card reader is loosely attached or appears to be tampered with, do not insert your card. A second line of defense is using our CardNav app to gain greater control of your cards.
3 Tips For Financial Literacy
1. Start Budgeting & track your expenses
Using a budgeting app or spreadsheet to track your income and expenses is the best way to get a handle on your finances.
2. Start saving for retirEMENT
Even small contributions can make a big difference when it comes to retirement savings.
3. create a finanCIAL safety net
Having an emergency fund can help you if you're ever faced with an unexpected expense or job loss. Aim to save at least three to six months' worth of expenses in a savings account.
5 Tips For Managing Your Debt
1. Make a list
It is easier to remember what you owe when you write them down. Record your payments and loans to track your progress.
2. make minimum payments
Pay your debt bit by bit whenever you can. This helps shorten the amount of time you have to pay it off!
3. prioritize smaller debts
The less debt you have, the better! Pay off the lowest amounts first to get them out of the way.
4. Have discipline
The right mindset is key. If you are determined to pay off your debt, then you are halfway there!
5. think of the long term
Change does not happen overnight, but little steps lead to big effects over time.
Must Dos Before Traveling
To ensure uninterrupted use of your debit card while traveling—in the U.S. or abroad—please contact us before you go. It is important that we have your current contact information, especially your cell phone and working email address.
To update your contact information, fill out and sign this Personal Information Change Form and return it to us.
Resources
Falcon Alert: Card Member Security
VISA Debit Cards are protected by Falcon Fraud-Detection System. Falcon allows us, or our agent, to contact you when suspicious activity is detected on your VISA Debit Card. On rare occasions, this system may prevent you from making a legitimate purchase that is out of your normal activity pattern. If that occurs, call:
888.241.2440 (U.S.)909.941.1034 (International)
Note: Make sure to store these numbers on your phone and elsewhere.
VISA Debit Card Concierge Service: Fraud Protection
Informing us of your travel plans, domestic and international, allows us to initiate a VIP Authorization Block “Bypass” to decrease the chances of having your debit card blocked or transactions denied while traveling. Our database will retain your name, telephone numbers (especially cell phone), and travel destination(s) with start and end dates, and individualized instructions if desired. Submit or modify this information by calling Member Services before you leave or while away.
If you do not inform us of your travel plans or request the “Bypass,” your card may be blocked for certain types of transactions or limited to a lower dollar amount on those transactions.
Please notify us of travel plans for your VISA credit card by calling 646-867-6906.
Before Traveling at Home or Abroad
- Notify us to help ensure legitimate purchases are approved
- Find out about daily spending or cash withdrawal restrictions
- Memorize your PIN. For security, never write your PIN on your VISA card
- Keep your VISA card account number and lost/stolen customer service telephone number in a safe place (not your wallet or purse).
- Store contact numbers in your phone for easy access
During International Travel
- Merchants overseas may be more familiar with EMV chip cards (embedded chip) or hesitant to accept magnetic-stripe cards. However, VISA requires that magnetic-stripe cards be accepted everywhere VISA is accepted
- If your card won’t work in an automated situation, present your card to an attendant
- A PIN is not necessary at merchant locations, only at ATMs. Bypass the PIN request and click “OK” on the terminal
- If you’re unable to use your VISA debit card at a merchant location, you can still obtain cash from a local ATM
For debit card problems or concerns, contact us during business hours (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST), or contact VISA Global Customer Care Services for the toll-free number appropriate for the country you're in.
