How to avoid becoming a scam victim
Golden Plains will never contact you and ask for sensitive information, codes or online banking credentials. Don't allow the scammer to pressure you into thinking you will lose your money. If you feel pressure, hang up and call us directly at the number on your member statement or our website at gpcu.org. Don't rely on caller ID or an email address to know who you are speaking with as they are easily spoofed. By calling us directly, you can verify who you are talking to. Never give out sensitive information over the phone, online or via email unless you initiate contact.
We encourage you to sign up for the GPCU Card’s app and the GPCU Mobile banking app. You can be proactive by monitoring your account ensuring transactions are accurate, setup account alerts and more. Fraud prevention starts with awareness.
Fraud Prevention
Your security is our top priority. Knowledge is a powerful defense against fraud, and knowing what GPCU will ask you—and what we will never ask you—is an important way you can help keep your money safe.
Scammers are constantly finding new ways to steal money. Common ways include impersonating your financial institution through phone calls, texts, and emails.
Be Proactive
Golden Plains has many ways to help protect your accounts. Many of the helpful tools to keep your account secure are available through Golden Plains Online Banking. When you register for Golden Plains Online, you have anytime, anywhere access to your accounts.
Through Golden Plains Online, you can:
- Monitor your account(s) regularly for unusual transactions.
- Ensure your contact information is up-to-date so we can contact you directly in the event of suspicious activity.
- Set up alerts to stay informed about activity on your accounts. You can set up alerts for when your cards are used and set transaction alerts for specific dollar amounts, merchant categories, or geographic locations.
- Manage your Debit and Credit cards using our GPCU Cards app, where you can lock or unlock your card.
- Enable biometrics like facial recognition and fingerprint sign-on for the GPCU Mobile and GPCU Cards app.
- Sign up to receive e-Statements to help reduce the risk of identity theft from stolen paper documents.
Protect yourself from becoming a fraud victim
Your security is our top priority. Knowledge is a powerful defense against fraud. We recommend you take the following preventive steps for your protection.
- Create strong passwords for a solid defense against hackers. An ideal password should use a combination of special characters, numbers, and capital and lowercase letters. And do not use information easily available on social media—like a pet’s name or your birthday—as part of your password.
- Always log out of Golden Plains Online, GPCU Mobile and the GPCU Cards app when you are not using it. Do not save your login credentials on any public computer.
- Review your credit report annually from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
- Visit annualcreditreport.com for a free copy of your credit report. You can request this free copy once every 12 months.
- Shred important papers like statements and credit card offers before throwing them away.
- Before entering your PIN at an ATM, look around for unusual items around the machine and shield the PIN pad before entering your information.
- Keep your devices (phone, tablet, and computer) up to date with the latest browsers and operating systems.
Click here to read about current scams so you can spot them and avoid becoming a victim.