How You Can Protect Yourself
Greater Kinston Credit Union knows the significance of protecting members’ confidential and personal financial information. You should never disclose your private personal or financial information (e.g., Social Security number, account or card information, user IDs and passwords) to anyone, either in person or over the phone, computer or mobile device unless you know and trust the individual and you initiated the call or transaction.
GKCU will never call to ask for your personal or financial information. If you receive a call, text or email asking for information, do not respond and notify our branch office immediately at (252) 527-4002.
Secure Your Computer
- If you are using Windows 7 or older operating systems, upgrade to a more current operating system, such as Windows 10. Microsoft is no longer providing product support, including security patches, for Windows 7.
- Use a firewall, install anti-virus, anti-spyware, and ad protection software on your device, and check for regular updates
- Never download software presented in pop-ups or emails from unknown senders
- Set your operating system, security and application software (such as Microsoft Office) to automatically check for updates
- Review our site recommendations and use only recommended browsers and browser configurations when signing on to Connect GKCU
Secure Your Online Account Access
- Commit your user ID and password to memory - do not store it in a place where someone can easily find it or use password memory/management programs
- Do not use the same user ID and passwords on multiple sites
- Change your password frequently
- Always sign off Connect GKCU sessions
- Do not sign on to Connect GKCU from a public/shared computer
- Do not reply to suspicious emails, texts or voice messages on your computer, tablet or phone
- Only use trusted third-party sites
- Safeguard your user ID and password. Sharing your online credentials with another individual, application, or company provides that party with the ability and authorization to access your accounts. GKCU will not be liable for loss resulting from you sharing your online credentials with a third party, except as applicable law requires.
- Monitor your accounts. You are generally not liable for online transactions you didn’t authorize that occur through the use of our online services. If you fail to notify us promptly, you may not get back all the money you lost. Contact our branch immediately at (252) 527-4002 if you notice any suspicious or fraudulent activity.
Secure Your Identity
- Have your photo placed on your debit and credit cards
- Never share personal information by telephone, unless it is with a trusted entity with whom you initiated the call
- Secure items that contain personal information in a safe place, and shred any unneeded documents containing personal information
- Pay attention to billing cycles and contact creditors if bills do not arrive
- Review all financial statements regularly for fraudulent activity
- Review credit reports annually (free credit reports are available at Annual Credit Report.com)
- Do not carry your Social Security card or excess credit cards unless absolutely necessary
Be Cautious: Learn More About Potential Scams
- Remember to use caution when checking your email or searching for popular key words and videos online
- Be cautious when selling items online or on social media. Scammers will pay for items by sending you fraudulent checks in amounts higher than the selling price and then requesting you to wire the difference back to them.
- Only use peer-to-peer (P2P) payments to send money to trusted family and friends—P2P payments are not reversible once sent
What to Do if You Are a Victim of Identity Theft
- Contact one of the three major credit bureaus immediately to request a fraud alert, which places a notice on your credit report that you may have been the victim of fraud or identity theft. This alert encourages creditors to take extra steps to confirm your identity before completing a request for credit. One bureau will report the information to the other two, and your credit report will be mailed to you for review. The renewable fraud alert will be placed in your credit reports for one year.
- Contact GKCU, and any other financial institutions where you hold accounts, and immediately close all accounts that have been compromised
- Contact local law enforcement authorities and file an identity theft report
- Check with your local post office to see if any unauthorized change-of-address requests for you have been filed
- Visit the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft website for more detailed information on how to recover from identity theft, visit.