Protect Yourself

FRAUD

Learning how to recognize fraud is the first step to protecting yourself. Here are some scenarios to watch out for:

Phone, text or email requests for banking details, including your PAC or PIN, are fraudulent. Don’t respond!
Links or attachments in an email or message should always be treated as suspicious and never clicked on
Phishing scams will often order you to “unlock” or “verify” your account. Coastal Community will never ask you to do this
Reputable businesses or government agencies will never threaten, coerce or ask to be paid by wire transfer, e-transfer or gift card

Never reveal your Personal Access Code (PAC) or ATM Pin
Change your passwords frequently
Use strong and unique passwords
Update your security questions and select answers that can’t be found on social media or guessed by an attacker
Do not write your passwords down
Do not store your passwords in a file on your computer. Use a password app on your smartphone instead

Back up all your important data
Update your anti-virus and anti-malware protection regularly
Do not disable your firewall
Always update to the latest operating system, security patches, software or app upgrade
Use a modern browser and do not install unknown software or apps
Physically protect your mobile devices (do not leave them in your car or on a table)
Set up a short timeout to auto-lock your mobile device

Use tap payment technology wherever possible. This reduces attempts at spying on your info or skimming your card
Sign out of online banking after each session
Monitor your account activity frequently — set up banking alerts
Sign up for Coastal Community account activity alerts to monitor for unusual activity
Set up AutoDeposit to avoid wondering if that Interac e-Transfer you received is legitimate

Protect yourself from fraud