Fraud Protection

Ventura County Credit Union is committed to informing you of scams or fraudulent activity as soon as we become aware of them. To better protect the privacy of your personal and financial information, Ventura County Credit Union would like to keep you informed of potential online scams. Increased awareness about fraud can help you make better choices online. Visit our Security Tips page to learn more about common scams.

As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain online banking security, we have incorporated Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) into Online Banking, our Internet banking service. MFA is a collection of security processes for Online Banking that helps protect your account from fraudulent transactions. Additional authentication factors, combined with your account number and password, provide additional layers of security. Most of these security enhancements are happening automatically and do not require any action on your part.

Ventura County Credit Union continues to work diligently to keep your account and personal information safe.

As a reminder, Ventura County Credit Union will never send you an e-mail requesting personal or confidential information. If you receive an e-mail requesting this information, please notify the credit union immediately by calling our Member Service Call Center at 805.477.4000 or 800.339.0496.

You can take an active role in keeping your confidential information safe by following these steps:

Step 1

We strongly recommend that you keep your computer software updated with security patches provided by the software manufacturer, as well as install up-to-date anti-virus software.

Step 2

Review the following tips on how to protect your personal information:

• Be suspicious of any e-mail asking for personal information or containing a link to a website requesting that you enter your personal information such as your name, account number, password, PIN or Social Security Number. Companies should not ask you for this information via an e-mail. VCCU will never send you an e-mail containing a link to a website where you are required to "Sign On" to Online Banking.
• Never reply to a suspicious or unexpected e-mail informing you that your account will be closed, shut down or made inaccessible unless you confirm your account information. Do not click any links in the e-mail.
• If you are uncertain about the request, contact the company that sent the e-mail through an address or telephone number you know to be genuine.
• Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial information through a website, look for “https” in the address, an indicator that the information is secure during transmission.
• Review credit card and credit union account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If the statement is late by more than a few days, call the credit card company or credit union to confirm your billing address and account balances.
• Forward suspicious e-mails to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov, and file phishing complaints with the State Attorney General's office or through the Federal Trade Commission.

For details on the latest fraudulent schemes, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer protection website.

Many financial institutions have reported that their customers have received e-mails or text messages claiming to be from their bank or credit union. These communications often state that their account has been disabled due to security reasons, and asks that they provide required personal information to keep their credit card, debit card or online banking account active. These communications typically contain a phone number or link to a fraudulent website that looks exactly like their financial institution's legitimate website. When the recipient clicks on the link in the e-mail, he or she is directed to a fraudulent website asking for sensitive account information such as name, account number, credit or debit card numbers and other personal information to keep the account active. This type of fraudulent activity is known as "phishing."

Another example of a phishing scam is a communication requesting personal information in order to enhance account security when accessing accounts online. Though these may appear legitimate, remember that VCCU will never ask for security information in this manner. If you doubt the authenticity of any communication you receive, do not reply and do not click on any links in the message, then notify VCCU.

The security of your VCCU credit or debit Mastercard is a high priority. If we discover a suspicious transaction on your account, we will send fraud alerts via text message or email. See examples of the texts or email message you we will receive here.

This offers:

• Instant notification if fraud is suspected on your account
• Helpful details including date, amount and name of merchant
• Convenient Y or N reply

If you reply YES, your card will be blocked immediately to minimize fraudulent use and you will be instructed to call our Fraud Prevention service toll-free at 866.518.0213. To request a replacement card, call 805.477.4000 during normal business hours or stop by your nearest branch to have your card instantly issued.

Please note: When using your card to purchase fuel, many gas stations will pre-authorize either the maximum dollar amount ($60 or more) or a small dollar amount ($2.00 or less) to verify your card. This is normal and should NOT be considered fraud. Review the fuel station name and location to verify these purchases.

What to do next?

Help us protect your account by making sure that we have your current mobile telephone number and email address on file. Follow the steps below to verify and update:

1. Log in to your Online Banking account.
2. Click on Profile in the upper right of the screen (Desktop) or upper left menu drop-down (Mobile).
3. Scroll down to phone numbers and make sure that your current number is in the
4. Mobile field. In many cases the main Phone and Mobile numbers will be the same, however to receive text messages the Mobile number field cannot be blank.

How can I verify the text or email is from VCCU?

1. Text messages will only come from short code 215-56 and emails will come from noreply@vccuonline.net.
2. The only information we will ask you to verify via text is your recent transactions. All other information will be obtained on the phone call YOU initiate to our trusted vendor partner who provides 24/7 protection for our credit and debit cards.

If you have any further questions, please call us at 805.477.4000 or at 800.339.0496 (toll-free).

We are committed to protecting your financial and personal information. Using state-of-the-art fraud prevention systems, our dedicated staff constantly monitors your accounts for suspicious activity. Plus, your savings at VCCU are insured by the NCUA to at least $250,000.

Unfortunately, businesses across the U.S. and around the world are seeing a spike in the amount of fraudulent activity and growing sophistication of these scams. Too often, the victims are tricked into helping these criminals.

Fraud can do serious damage to your accounts, and to your good name. We take it very seriously. Although your accounts and personal information are secure with VCCU, anyone can fall victim to fraud. If you believe you may be targeted by fraudsters, VCCU will take steps to protect you and thoroughly investigate every instance.

Should a breach in security take place and an account become compromised, you will not be responsible for any lost funds. VCCU will change your account number and issue any new debit or credit cards as needed. We know how unsettling this experience can be, and we will do everything we can to resolve matters as quickly and painlessly as possible.

How you can help!

We depend on our members to do your part to protect your VCCU account information, such as member account numbers, ATM PINs, usernames and passwords. Please do not share confidential account information with anyone, including friends, relatives and business associates. If you need someone to have access to your accounts, please consider making them an Authorized Signer.

If you think unauthorized access or fraud has occurred with your VCCU Accounts, report such incidents to your VCCU branch or call the Member Service Center at 805.477.4000. When you call in, VCCU will ask for identification in order to protect you and your account.

We will never call you to request your confidential account information.

Useful Online Precautions

• Keep your anti-virus and anti-spam software up to date. Have it scan your computer nightly.
• Enable the firewall on your computer. Internet Service Providers also provide firewall protection.
• Download security patches from your computer's operating system vendor.
• Instruct your children to be careful online.