Protect Your Information Online
- Online Policies
- Internet Security
- Protecting Yourself
Get Notified of Activity on Your Account
We strongly recommend enabling Alerts on your online accounts as an effective safeguard to improve your security and provide added peace of mind. You will receive convenient confirmations of your own account activity, and be informed of potential unauthorized transactions.
As a member you have the option to receive notifications by email and/or text message for the following:
- When a new payee added – you will receive an email and/or text confirmation if a payee was successfully added.
- When your Personal Access Code (PAC) has been changed – you will receive an email and/or text confirmation if your personal access code (PAC) has been changed.
- When you've been locked out of online account services – you will receive an email and/or text confirmation if your online account has been locked.
Simply go into your online account services to set up these helpful alerts.
Protect Your Information Online
- Do not send personal information by email or instant messages. Once sent or shared, the information is no longer under your control and could be intercepted and stolen.
- Strictly limit any personal information you post on the web and restrict who can access it. Consider deleting old posts that include personal information.
- Unless you personally know and trust the sender, do not open files, download programs or click links in emails or instant messaging. Phishing scams often use these “click bait” techniques to steal and abuse identities and may even gain remote control of your computer.
Be smart about your passwords and your Personal Access Code (PAC).
- Use strong passphrases that are difficult to guess and include combinations of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
- Ensure your passwords are always unique and never reused on different sites or accounts. You may need to select a trustworthy password database to keep them secure
- Keep your PAC confidential and do not share it with anyone.
- Never disclose your PAC in a voice mail or email, and do not disclose it over the phone.
- Ensure no one observes you typing in your PAC.
Protect Your PIN
Your debit card and PIN are the keys to your account(s). They are both required to complete a transaction so you should keep them in a safe place and never lend them to anyone. Even if criminals get access to your card, they need the PIN to get access to your money – so remember to protect your PIN.
*Please note: All fraud related reports connected to a financial loss will be thoroughly investigated by FirstOntario Credit Union. Any confirmed failure to protect your password or PAC/PIN information will result in non-reimbursement of funds.
Check your account and credit card statements regularly to ensure all transactions are legitimate.
Protect yourself by regularly checking your credit score to make sure there are no unusual transactions or credit activity reported in your name (Equifax or TransUnion).
Contact FirstOntario Credit Union immediately if you suspect someone has gained knowledge of your password (PAC)/PIN, or if you suspect any loss, theft or unauthorized use of your account.