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It has been brought to our attention of an increase of theft in U.S. Postal carriers.. Criminals are robbing the carriers trying to get access to the master keys of the blue USPS mailboxes. They want to find checks that can be altered or sold online. Also, some of our members have been victims of mailbox theft. A gentleman was taking checks out of their mailboxes and altering the checks. We have a few tips on how to decrease your risk of checks being stolen:

• Pay bills online or using the credit union’s bill paying service.

• Mail checks inside the Post Office lobby rather than using blue mailboxes.

• Log into credit union accounts frequently to review transaction history – looking for unfamiliar transactions.

• Report unfamiliar and unauthorized transactions immediately to the credit union.

Golden Circle Credit Union is now working with Fraud Protection Center to monitor debit card activity. If the Fraud Protection Center suspects fraudulent activity, they will block the card and contact the card holder. Please make sure the credit union has current phone numbers for you. The Fraud Protection Center will leave a case number if no one answers, and the phone number to call them back is: 1-877-253-8964. Please have your case number available when you call, if you do not have a case number, you will need to verify your name and zip code. They will be the ones unblocking your debit card if there is no fraudulent activity. It is not necessary to give your card number over the phone.

The Canton Regional and Greater West Virginia Better Business Bureau offer tips and advice for consumers to avoid fraudulent practices.

The Concern

You see a classified ad for a late model luxury used car, but the advertised price is less than what you’d expect to pay. When you call the seller, he says his family has large medical bills or credit card debt and he needs cash quickly.

You jump at the bargain, meet to inspect the car, transfer the title at the motor vehicle office and pay him the cash and you drive off in your new car. All seams well until the police knock on your door and inform you that the car you are driving is a stolen car.

You have just lost your cash and your car and joined the ranks of victims of the growing scam called vehicle identification number (VIN) cloning

The Facts

Motor vehicle offices require a VIN to register a vehicle, and the number is also recorded on the vehicle’s title. A VIN cloner takes the unique identification number from a legally owned or junked vehicle and uses it to forge documents for a stolen vehicle of a similar make and model.

CARFAX estimates that more than 225,000 of the 1.5 million vehicles stolen each year end up with VINs from a legally owned vehicle and are resold.

How the Scam Works

VIN cloners steal VIN’s from high-end vehicles and expensive SUV’s because they can get a higher price in the used car market than standard makes and models. (VIN’s are found on the driver’s side dash, driver’s side door jam, engine, or rear wheel well.)

Once the VIN is obtained, the thieves find a similar vehicle and steal it; create new documents, sometimes even create a new VIN tag and replace the one on the dash. The vehicle is then sold or traded in.

Avoid the Scam

To help prevent falling victim to VIN cloning, the Better Business Bureau suggests the following:

If you have questions about the validity of the vehicle’s VIN, obtain a comprehensive history report.

If you think you may be a victim of VIN cloning, contact the police.

With Virtual Branch Home Banking you can have Internet Access to your credit union accounts, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywhere in the world. BankIT Home Banking is free for anyone who has a checking account with Golden Circle Credit Union. If you just have a savings account, the cost of the service is just $1.95 a month if the account drops below $500.00 any time during the month.

With PayIT Bill Payment Service (includes BankIT), our bill paying service, you can pay almost any bill through your account, at any time. You can pay an unlimited number of bills each month. PayIT is a free service with any Golden Circle Credit Union checking account.

** PayIT requires a checking account that is set up with Courtesy Pay or qualify for a no cost, low interest, overdraft line of credit loan.

Stop in any of our offices for an application. (Application is required prior to accessing your account.)

Golden Circle Credit Union is pleased to announce our new Credit Re-builder Loan Program!

This loan is specifically designed to help members with credit scores below 620 re-establish responsible credit. For members who want to rebuild their credit, this program will offer interest rate rewards on both new and future loans, and will help improve their credit score.

Call today for more information: