Security

Georgia United takes safeguarding your personal information seriously. If you have account security questions please contact us at 888.493.4328. Below are some of the parameters we have taken to safeguard your information.

• Authentication: when you log on to your Online Banking account for the first time or from a device you have not logged on to before, you will be asked to verify your identity and a verification code will be sent to your phone or Authy app.
• Secured Socket Layer (SSL) Connection: when you access your Online Banking account and perform transactions, your activity is encrypted.
• Timeout Session: if you are logged on to your Online Banking account and become inactive for a period of time, a timeout session trigger will automatically log you out. You will have to log back into your Online Banking account to resume your activity.

Georgia United will NEVER initiate via call, text or email to ask for your Social Security number, account number, PIN or Online Banking username or password. When in doubt, hang up and call your local branch or our Member Care Center at 888.493.4328 immediately. NEVER give away your personal information.

Here are a few key tips to avoid fraud:

• Know how to identify suspicious requests
• Call your local branch or our friendly Member Care Center if unsure about the legitimacy of the call
• Check our emails about avoiding fraud situations
• Be mindful of who calls you, fraudsters can falsify the information transmitted to your caller ID. If you don’t recognize the number, don’t pick it up
• Consider how you pay and make transactions. Is the message you received about the transaction the normal way you conduct your financial business?
• Enable biometric sign-in, like Fingerprint or Face ID, to log in to your mobile app. Biometrics is a process that allows the use of unique physical characteristics to verify access to a users account
• Set up alerts within Online Banking to get notified about account activity and transactions
• Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC free scam alerts website 
  

It's especially important during these times that you take extra measures to protect yourself. While we monitor your accounts for suspicious activity, these are several ways you can help keep your finances and identity secure. For more fraud prevention tips, visit our Learning Center.

Fraudsters will request you to send funds through different services like wire transfers, linking separate accounts and money transfer apps like Georgia United's Pay a Person (P2P). These money transfer services continue to be a major target for scammers because your money is sent almost immediately, making it difficult for victims to recover once sent. 

How it works

Fraudsters manipulate and scare individuals into transferring funds by claiming that you may owe a debt to a company, an error occurred within a recent transaction and before claiming a prize you must send a form of currency. By impersonating company personnel and claiming they did not receive payment for service, fraudsters will request to receive payments through money transfer services. They will typically disguise their phone number, email or text messages, pretending to be the company or other service where the activity occurred. In some cases, a fraudster may inform you that the information being discussed shouldn't be discussed with anyone, including other financial center employees. They may even tell you specifically what to state if asked questions when you speak with someone in your financial institution.

Be Cautious Of

• Transactions you did not conduct or authorize on your account
• A call or message received stating that funds should be sent immediately
• Instructions that tell you not to discuss the information with financial center employees
• Instructions that you should purchase gift cards

What Should You Do?

• Remember to only send money to people you know
• Always verify where and to who you are sending money, most services offer two-factor authentication, which helps to verify the person before you send funds
• For services such as Georgia United's P2P always set up a passcode as an additional level of protection, that way if you accidentally type the wrong phone number, the funds can’t be claimed by an unintended recipient
• If you suspect fraudulent activity on your account, call 888.493.4328
• Members who are victims of money transfer service scams should immediately report it to IC3.gov or call the fraud hotline at 833.fraud.1

Debit and credit card fraud occurs when information on your card is stolen to duplicate the card, conduct unauthorized transactions from the card or steal your identity.

What Should You Do?

If you suspect you are a victim of debit or credit card fraud, review your account for any unauthorized transactions, set transaction alerts and contact Georgia United immediately at 888.493.4328.

Tips to Avoid Card Fraud

• Protect your PIN: don't give your personal identification number (PIN) to anyone who asks, and don't keep it stored with your card.
• Consider using a credit card online: this way if there is fraud on your account, the money won't come directly from your checking account which may cause a financial burden for you.
• Check for skimming devices when using gas pumps and ATMs: give the card reader a slight tug or shake to see if any part of it comes loose. If so, do not use it and report it to the owner of the machine immediately.
  

The money order or check scam occurs when you receive a check with instructions for you to send funds back to the sender or someone else. An overpayment counterfeit money order or check is sent to you with instructions for you to send or wire back the overpayment amount after you have deposited the counterfeit money order or check. In some cases, you may be asked to let them know once the deposit has been made. Fraudsters may also deposit checks into your account after asking for your online banking information in regard to proceeds for a loan.

Once you have deposited the counterfeit money order or check and sent the overpayment amount, you will later be informed that the money order or check has bounced because it is fake and you are out of the overpayment amount you sent.

What Should You Do?

• Be cautious of instructions that ask you to send money back to the sender or someone else
• Be cautious of checks you receive unexpectedly
• Do not provide anyone with your Online Banking information

How to Recognize a Scam

• A proposition comes from out of the blue and from someone you do not know
• Often the scheme revolves around a scenario involving a hardship situation, a secret shopper, an online ad or a job posting
• You are sent a money order or cashier’s check for more than the amount that you are selling your merchandise or product
• You are instructed to deposit a money order or check and send or wire back the overpayment
• The buyer does not show much interest in checking out the merchandise or product
• You are requested to share sensitive banking information or open a new bank account
• It sounds too good to be true

Social engineering is a scheme that uses human interaction to trick people into sharing sensitive information about themselves, someone they know or an organization they are familiar with.

How to Recognize Social Engineering?

Social engineering commonly appears in the form of email, phone call and even in person. Often the perpetrator will attempt to impersonate someone you know or an institution that you do business with to obtain sensitive information about yourself, someone you know or an organization you are familiar with.

What Should You Do?

• Be suspicious of unsolicited emails and phone calls
• Never share sensitive information with anyone you do not know or recognize
• If you receive a strange request from someone you know, contact that person through another form of communication to ensure the request is valid
• If you suspect someone of trying to use social engineering to impersonate Georgia United, please contact us at 888.493.4328 

Phishing is a widespread scam that affects banks and credit unions nationwide. Phishing scams target consumers using email, phone calls or text messages. The communications appear to be from someone you know or do business with, such as Georgia United and attempt to trick you into giving away personal identifying information.

How It Works

A message is sent that immediate action is required on your account and asks you to verify personal information. By clicking on a link in the message, fraudsters obtain sensitive personal information or can infect your computer with malware such as a virus.

Phishing scams can look real. These communications are made to seem legitimate by using a Georgia United logo and an email address similar to ours. This message is fraudulent and Georgia United is not associated with these communications. Please do not click on the link to respond and delete the message.

How to Protect Yourself

• Use caution when providing personal information. Georgia United will never contact you out of the blue to confirm your username, password, Social Security number, account number, PIN or other personal information.

• Know how to identify suspicious requests. Check the use of website domains for misspellings or suspicious URLs. Georgia United safe URLs will always begin with "https" and include a closed lock icon.

What Should You Do?

If you think you have been a victim of a phishing scam, we're here to help. Call us at 888.493.4328 to verify that the communication was sent by us. If you receive a phishing email claiming to be from Georgia United, let us know by emailing us or forwarding the phishing email to security@gucu.org. Please do not use this email for account security questions.