Years ago people had A credit card... one, uno.  Rarely did people carry around two, four, six, ten, twenty plus cards in their wallet or purse.  Today, people do carry that many cards and don’t even realize it.  Take a look at all those card slots in your wallet. They’re full aren’t they?  Debit cards, credit cards, discount cards, membership cards, rewards cards, gift cards, and access cards.  I’m sure there are others, but that’s just a quick look through my Card Cubby.  Yes, I said ‘Card Cubby’. 

I have an official organizer for all of my cards and oh yes, they are alphabetized.  It’s a great invention and I receive complements all the time on what a great idea it is.  It’s an easy way to track all of my cards and a quick way to find out if I have a gift card to a store or find my discount card in line at the supermarket.  (Everyone behind me in line probably doesn't want to wait for me to dig through my Mary Poppins purse to find that little 1x2 inch card so I can save a few dollars.) 

Reviewing the transaction activity on your cards is just as important as knowing where your cards are.  Did you know that fraudsters can steal your card number and use it without actually having the card?  Logging into your online banking and credit card websites regularly, or at a minimum, reviewing your monthly statements can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in fraudulent charges. 

If you carry a zero balance on your credit cards, it’s still important to see if there has been any activity.  If you don’t have a balance that means there is more spending money available for the fraudsters.  (If you don’t recognize a merchant name, do a search online because it might be a parent company.)  It is important to contact the merchants where the fraudulent transactions are coming from and explain that they are fraudulent transactions.  Also, It is extremely important to contact your bank or credit card company to close your card.  Without closing your card and getting a replacement with a new number, fraudulent charges can continue to hit your account.

I login to my online banking and credit card websites weekly.  Last month I had $4,000 in fraudulent charges in Texas on a credit card I rarely use and was in my possession.  WOW!  I contacted the merchants and called my credit card company right away.  Because I didn’t wait to notify them, I’m not liable for the charges.  If I would have waited days, weeks, or months, I could have been liable for some or all of the $4,000.  When you notice fraud, don’t wait to take action.  The longer you wait, the more time fraudsters have to take your money. (And the greater chance you’ll have to pay for it.)

Having and using these cards make our lives on-the-go easier and more convenient.  We don’t have to worry about carrying cash; just swipe, earn rewards points, and go.  I couldn’t live without my debit card and don’t intend to stop using it any time in the future, especially with all the rewards points I earn.  And yes, I cash those points in for more gift cards to keep in my Card Cubby. 

We're serious about doing all we can to protect you from debit card fraud. MutualBank customers can call 800-382-8031 to report any instances of fraud or suspicious calls.

When you shop online do you know where you’re shopping?  According to the National Consumers League, online shopping is #3 for overall scams and #1 for Internet scams.  That would imply that online shopping is a very risky activity.  However, there are ways you can still shop online in a safe manner.

Following these guidelines can make your online shopping more secure:

• Use a low limit credit card for online shopping.  Your liability is $50 on fraudulent charges using your credit card.
• Know with whom you’re shopping.  Be leery of unknown or obscure shopping websites.
• Stick with well-known shopping sites from reputable retailers.
• If it’s too good to be true…it probably is.
• Look for the padlock.  Secure online shopping sites should use the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology for securing online transactions.  You should see a padlock icon at the bottom or top of the browser status bars that you are using.
  
• Use anti-virus / anti-malware software on your PC.  This can prevent a virus infection if you happen to end up on a bogus shopping site.
• Make sure you use online banking to check your shopping activity and don’t wait for your statement to verify online shopping activity.
  (Side note: Have you signed up for MutualBank’s online banking?  Sign Up today!)

Remember that you are the best defense against online shopping fraud!  If you suspect that you have been scammed please call the MutualBank customer support at 800-382-8031.

Also please report any online fraud to Internet Crime Complaint Center. 

What is social engineering? 

CSO Magazine defines Social Engineering:

“Social engineering is essentially the art of gaining access to buildings, systems or data by exploiting human psychology, rather than by breaking in or using technical hacking techniques. For example, instead of trying to find a software vulnerability, a social engineer might call an employee and pose as an information technology (IT) support person, trying to trick the employee into divulging his password.”
– CSO November 2011

Social Engineering can take on many forms and fraudsters can be very successful using this method since it is very low tech and costs very little (if any) money to do. When it comes to banking online, it's even more important to understand the risks and how to keep your information safe and secure.

Here are some common methods of social engineering: 

• Posing as a bank employee and calling you to trick you into divulging your personal financial information.
• Posing as a relative calling you to say that your nephew, cousin, aunt, etc. has been stranded in Europe and needs money wired to them in order to get back home.
• Facebook or Twitter scams such as free gift cards, phony charities, “watch this amazing video” are all used to trick people into again divulging private information to steal identities.

Protect yourself from social engineering:

• MutualBank will not call or email you asking for personal, financial, or username and password information.
• If you are suspect of a call you’ve received, insist on calling back with the published phone number of MutualBank or in the case of a relative the number that is known to you.
• If it’s too good to be true…it probably is. Be very leery of extremely cheap or free products / services advertised on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites.

At MutualBank, we strive to keep you educated of new scams or frauds.  For more information about protecting yourself visit our Alerts and Security information.  
Visit our Alerts anytime at bankwithmutual.com and click on "Alerts and Security". 

MutualBank customers can always call 800-382-8031 to report any instances of fraud or suspicious calls. Together we're working with you to keep your information safe.

You’ve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday gift exchanges, holiday dinners, family gatherings, post-holiday sales, gift returns, refunds, exchanges and you ask yourself now what?  Well, there’s no doubt that during all of the holiday festivities that you have most likely used your MutualBank debit cards, credit cards, and checks.

You’ve probably used your MutualBank financial tools more over the last several weeks than the previous couple of months put together.  This means unfortunately there are more opportunities for fraud to occur during the holiday season.  Fraudsters and hackers are always attempting to get bank account information, especially during the holidays. One of the most important resources MutualBank has are our customers. That's why you will see us continue in the fight to protect consumers against fraud. 

You are part of our front line defense against consumer financial fraud.  Our job is to make sure that our customers, like you, are informed to protect their financial assets against fraud.  A simple first step is to make sure that you know your spending habits.  The easiest way you can do this is to carefully review your bank and credit card statements that cover the holiday time period.

Tips on reviewing your holiday spending:

• Use your statements or MutualBank’s Personal Online Banking…are you signed up for eStatements yet?  
• Look for extra charges from retailers that you visited.
• Pay close attention to your online purchase listings. 
• View your cleared checks to make sure that they were not altered in any way to change the payees or dollar amounts.
• If you see any debits or charges on your statements that look suspicious please notify our Customer Support area immediately by email or by calling 800-382-8031. Additionally, we welcome you to stop by any of our locations!

If you are a victim of online fraud you should also file a complaint at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. 

Like what you read today? Stay tuned. At the beginning of every month, we’ll provide you with new security tips. Just one more way we’re trying to help you live a better life!