Protecting Your Account and Identity

• R.I.A. FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WILL NEVER CONTACT YOU VIA PHONE, EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE ASKING YOU TO VERIFY CONFIDENTIAL OR SENSITIVE MEMBER OR ACCOUNT INFORMATION. R.I.A. FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WILL ALSO NEVER CONTACT YOU VIA EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE REGARDING YOUR ACCOUNT BEING CLOSED.
• We have implemented both Verified By Visa and MasterCard SecureCode programs to add additional security when using your credit or debit card online for purchases. If you have not registered for these programs, please visit our Links Directory to do so.
• R.I.A. offers you the ability to setup a Phone ID to be used when calling us. Contact your local Branch for details on how to establish yours.
• Secure Internet Account Access. For your protection, our servers require that your web browser uses 128-bit encryption to connect. 
• We now offer Enhanced Login Security for Internet Account Access. This feature requires a second authentication factor to be verified prior to gaining access to your accounts online.
• Signup for E-Statements and you won't have to worry about your statement getting lost in the mail or stolen by a would be thief. You can view your account details when ever you want from the comfort and safety of your home computer.
• Neural Networks are in place on both our Visa Credit Card and MasterCard Debit Programs. These systems track our members purchasing patterns and alert us when any unusual activity occurs.

What You Can Do...

• WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS KNOWN AS "PHISHING," where someone calls or emails you and claims to be from one of your accounts (Financial Institution, Credit Card, Internet provider etc.) and wants to "verify" your information or "prevent account closure or restriction" by requesting that you give them your account number, Social Security number, Credit Card number, etc. — DON'T GIVE OUT THIS INFORMATION TO ANYONE OVER THE TELEPHONE IF THEY'VE CALLED OR EMAILED YOU! Hang up and call the company back using a telephone number you know to be genuine (not one they give you) to check that it was a legitimate inquiry and to notify them of these occurrences.
• FORWARD SPAM EMAILS THAT ARE PHISHING FOR INFORMATION TO ANTI-PHISHING WORKING GROUP and to the company, financial institution, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems.
• IF YOU GET AN EMAIL OR POP-UP MESSAGE THAT ASKS FOR PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION, DO NOT REPLY. AND DON’T CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE MESSAGE, EITHER.Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization mentioned in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct Web address yourself. In any case, don’t cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser — phishers can make links look like they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.
• CANCEL UNUSED CREDIT CARDS.
• LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF IDENTIFICATION AND THE NUMBER OF CREDIT CARDS YOU CARRY.
• When making transactions over the Internet, use only a secure site. LOOK FOR THE "LOCK" ICON on the Web page.
• DON'T LEAVE ENVELOPES WITH CHECKS INSIDE IN AN UNSECURED MAILBOX. Try to use a sealed U.S. Post Office mailbox for your correspondence. If you have an "open" mailbox, make an effort to pick up your mail promptly. Don't leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends.
• COMPLETELY DESTROY OR SHRED COPIES of credit card receipts, statements from financial institutions, tax returns and loan applications before discarding them. Keep the ones you need in a SECURE place.
• LOOK FOR STATEMENTS FROM FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS and verify that the account information is correct.
• NEVER GIVE YOUR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS (PINS) to anyone, for any reason.
• WATCH FOR UNEXPLAINED INTERRUPTIONS IN YOUR MAIL SERVICE. If there is one, contact your local post office and verify that your address has not been changed without your knowledge.
• REVIEW A COPY OF YOUR CREDIT REPORT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See Annual Credit Report Website for details on ordering a free annual credit report.
• USE ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE AND A FIREWALL, AND KEEP THEM UP TO DATE. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically. A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Operating systems (like Windows or Linux) or browsers (like Internet Explorer or Netscape) also may offer free software patches to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
• BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT OPENING ANY ATTACHMENT OR DOWNLOADING ANY FILES FROM EMAILS YOU RECEIVE, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security.
• IF YOU BELIEVE YOU’VE BEEN SCAMMED, FILE YOUR COMPLAINT AT Federal Trade Commission website , and then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft website. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. While you can’t entirely control whether you will become a victim of identity theft, you can take some steps to minimize your risk. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these new accounts are likely to show up on your credit report.