Georgia’s Own will never call and ask for personal information over the phone (Social Security Number, PIN, account number, etc.). If you feel you’ve responded to a phone scam and provided any confidential account information, please notify us as soon as possible at 800.533.2062.
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Business Deposit Account Interest Rate & Fee Disclosure
Business Deposit Capture Agreement & Disclosure
Credit Card Agreement
Electronic Disclosure Agreement
Flex Rewards Terms and Conditions
Member Services Guide*
Mobile Deposit Terms and Conditions
Online Banking Terms and Conditions
Overdraft Services Disclosure
Truth-In-Savings Savings/Checking/Money Market Disclosure
Truth-In-Savings Savings Certificate/IRA Disclosure
Truth-In-Savings Fee Schedule
Visa Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver Disclosure (All Credit Cardholders)
Visa Personal Identity Theft Disclosure (Platinum Cardholders)
Visa Travel Accident Insurance Disclosure (Platinum Cardholders)
Visa Extended Warranty Protection (Platinum Cardholders)
Regulation D Facts (Savings and Money Market Accounts Transfer and Withdrawal Limitations)
*(Privacy Disclosure / Membership and Account Agreement / Funds Availability Policy Disclosure / Electronic Fund Transfers Agreement & Disclosure)
New Year’s Day – January 1, 2019
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 21, 2019
Presidents’ Day – February 18, 2019
Memorial Day – May 27, 2019
Independence Day – July 4, 2019
Labor Day – September 2, 2019
Columbus Day – October 14, 2019
Veterans Day – November 11, 2019
Thanksgiving Day – November 28, 2019
Friday after Thanksgiving – November 29, 2019
Christmas Day – December 25, 2019
One of the biggest scams that we are seeing this year at Georgia’s Own Credit Union is the car wrap or car advertising scam.
Here’s how the scam operates:
You receive an email asking if they would like to make some money by having their car wrapped in a well-known brand logo (e.g. Oral B, Dr. Pepper, or Rock Star Energy Drink). The offer sounds good, especially since there is the option of removing the wrapped sticker after a number of months. Once the offer is accepted, the scammers will send a check for a large amount of money, according to the length of time the member wants to be a “mobile advertiser”.
The instructions for cashing the check indicate that a certain portion of the money is to be kept as the member’s payment and the rest is to be sent via wire transfer to the company who will supposedly wrap their vehicle. After wiring the money, the original check will be returned and the total amount of the check will be debited from your account.
Keep in Mind / Ways to Recognize this Scam:
• Remember, no major brand would hire just anybody to wrap their cars with advertising. It’s great to get paid to advertise on your car, but corporations are very careful about their image and typically have large marketing departments in-house.
• The scammers steal images from websites belonging to reputable companies that do professional car wrapping and make the email recipient believe it’s their business.
• Delete the email, not every online job opportunity that comes your way is real. If you receive a counterfeit check, please shred or you can contact ERM Security at [email protected]
SIM swap fraud is a kind of fraud where the fraudster manages to issue new sim card from your mobile service provider on your behalf.
This enables the fraudster to use your mobile data, call and messages including your bank OTP required to make money transfers.
How to protect yourself:
• Check with your operator if your number unusually stops working
• Do not share your 20 digits SIM number mentioned on the back of your SIM with anyone
• Do not display your mobile number on social media platforms
• Register for instant bank alerts with your bank
• Never respond to unknown emails or calls asking for your account details or mobile number
• Never share your banking credentials or OTP to anyone or any scam websites
• Do not install apps from unknown sources and use good antivirus
Check your bank statements on a weekly basis (your online banking can help you do that easily).
Look for suspicious activity and, if any, alert your credit union or bank, change all passwords related to that account and make sure to activate every security measure available.
Financial malware lurks just around the corner, but if you keep your accounts in check you can save yourself from a big cyber security hassle.
Although we joke about our phones being glued to our hands, the fact is they’re not. When our phones (or other devices) are not in our hands or within sight, there’s always the risk of unauthorized access. That’s why it’s so important to: 1) always know where your phones, laptops, and/or tablets are physically stored and 2) never leave them unlocked and unattended. If you haven’t already, set a password/passcode on all of your devices (bonus points if you also set up fingerprint ID or similar). Don’t make it easy for anyone to access your digital life.
Don’t take the bait
Phishing scams continue to pop up at alarming rates – and what’s worse is that they’re more and more difficult to spot. Understand how to recognize a phishing attempt and keep yourself safe with these quick tips:
1. You’ve Got Mail! — As holiday sales continue to migrate online, the risk for shipping notification and phishing scams are increasing. Though malware is a year-round risk, since many people do their holiday shopping online, consumers are more apt to click on a shipping notification or phishing e-mail because they think it is legit.
2. Deceptive Advertising — Everyone is searching for steals and deals during the holidays. Keep your eyes peeled (and your wallet in check) when online shopping for this season’s most coveted products. Dangerous links, phony contests on social media, and bogus gift cards are just some of the ways scammers try to steal your personal information and ruin your holiday cheer.
3. Chilling Charities — ‘Tis the season for giving. During the holidays, many consumers give back by donating to their favorite charity. Sadly, no good deed goes unpunished. Be wary of fake charities that could reach you via email, or are shared virally through social media.
4. Buyer Beware — There are just some scams that you can’t help but fall victim to, unfortunately. Point of sale malware that leads to exposing credit card information falls into this category. Make sure you check your credit card statements vigilantly and stay on top of breaking news to be aware and prepared.
5. iScams — New mobile apps for Android and iOS devices are added every day. Thanks to the ongoing advancement of technology, your mobile device can control the temperature in your house, keep you connected to social media and add cool filters to your holiday photos. Even the most official-looking or festive apps could be malicious and access your personal information.
6. Getting Carded — Digital e-cards to spread the holiday cheer are fun, easy and most importantly, thoughtful. While you may want a loved one to send you “Season’s Greetings,” hackers are looking to wish you a “Merry Malware!” Well-known e-card sites are safe, but be wary of potential scams that cause you to download malware onto your device.
7. Holiday Travel Scams — With travel on the rise during peak holiday times, online scammers are ready to take advantage of the fact that consumers often become less vigilant about their safety. Fake online travel deal links are bountiful, but there are also risks that exist once you arrive at your destination including spyware that can access your information through logging onto infected PCs onsite.
8. Bank Robocall Scam — When holiday spending increases and consumers are aware of the abuse to their bank accounts and credit cards, hackers use this as an opportunity. In most cases, consumers receive a fake phone call from one of these institutions from an automated (or not) “security agent” stating that the user’s account has been compromised and requesting personal information including the account password, to make changes.
9. ATM Skimming — During the holiday season, you need cash and are usually in a rush to get it. Criminals can access your information at ATMs by installing skimming devices to steal the data off your card’s magnetic strip and either using a video camera or keypad overlay to capture your PIN. A simple solution: look carefully at your ATM for anything suspicious and cover the keypad when entering your PIN.
10. Year in Review Traps — Many news services capitalize on the holidays by developing “Year in Review” articles. Companies should warn their employees about the risks of clicking on these types of links from their work emails. Links from phony sources could infect and compromise the security of company devices.
11. BYO…Device — With an increase in travel, activity (and bubbly!) over the busy holiday season, people are more likely to forget their smart phones in public places. While inconvenient for them, it is also way for hackers to access sensitive personal information and business data if the appropriate security measures are not in place.
12. Bad USB Blues — During the holiday season, you may see an increase in gift baskets from vendors who want to continue doing business with your company in the upcoming year. One of the most popular items in these baskets includes branded USBs. Beware of allowing your employees to use these, as undetectable malware is sometimes pre-installed on them.
As part of the member protection and education initiatives of Georgia’s Own, we felt it vital to share with our members information regarding the latest attempts by criminals to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. Through the delivery of this information, it is our goal to help our members protect their financial well-being.
Cybercriminals focus on making a fast buck with e-mail, texting and phone frauds designed to capture consumers’ account numbers. Several new cybercrime trends are developing, some offering new twists to old scams.
Fake political survey. A multi-choice “political survey” is taking advantage of consumers during the election year. The scam involves telephone calls to consumers. After answering the survey, they are told they have won a free cruise to the Bahamas. The caller, after providing a website address to “prove legitimacy,” requests the “winner’s” e-mail address for notification purposes and credit card information to cover port fees. The website has limited information, with photos, testimonials, and “Caribbean Line” banner.
Online phonebook. This is a phone book website, where anyone can post other individuals’ information to the site. Through the site, some consumers were verbally bullied or saw uncensored comments and false accusations posted about them. Personal information available on the site included: full name, unlisted cell phone numbers, e-mail addresses, direct links to private Face book accounts, photos and more. The website allows users to anonymously call anyone on the site directly from the Web, as well as track them with a Global Positioning System.
Free credit service website. A website claiming to offer “free” credit services such as credit scores and credit monitoring. Consumers report being charged a monthly service fee. The agreement terms advise that the “free” report lasts only for a limited time. At the end of the term, the website, using financial information the consumer provided charged a monthly membership service ranging from $19.95 to $29.95. The Better Business Bureau has given the website an ‘F’ rating because the numerous complaints were filed against the business.
Text Scams. Occurs when a criminal sends a text message to a consumer’s cell phone under false pretenses to trick the consumer into entering personal information with a bogus phone line or website so the criminal can use the information to raid the victim’s account. Due to increase fraud with consumers’ mobile devices such as cell phones, i-phone or smart phone, major telecommunications carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are offering a new service for consumers who receiving text spams that may involve scams. When consumers get a text they think is a scam, they can forward it to the number 7726. All three carriers use the same number in an attempt to establish a communications industry standard for dealing with scams. To aid in your protection, remember to set up your security systems on mobile devices and add cell phone numbers to the Do Not Call registry.
If you have been a victim of one of these scams and believe your account(s) with Georgia’s Own are at risk, please contact the Security Department at [email protected]
As a reminder, Georgia’s Own advises members to never provide personal financial information, including your Social Security number, account numbers or passwords over the phone or the Internet if you did not initiate the contact.
To learn more about Identity Theft and how it could effect your financial standing please Click here and read an informational brochure on “Phishing”.
GO Financial Education for Consumers
GO Financial Education for Consumers provides free online and interactive videos to get you the financial knowledge you need in a way that’s quick and easy to understand.
GO Financial Education for Small Businesses
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Remember, it’s never too early to start good savings and spending habits. That’s why we’ve designed a program exclusively for our youngest Coindexter Club members.
For our members’ convenience, links are available in this website to allow quick access to other sites that may be of interest. Clicking on a link will take you out of Georgia’s Own Credit Union’s website to an alternative website not operated by Georgia’s Own. The Credit Union is not responsible for the content of the third party website and does not represent either the third party website or the member if you enter into a transaction. Privacy and security policies of the website to which you are linking may differ from those practiced by Georgia’s Own Credit Union.
www.fafsa.ed.gov – free application for Federal Student Aid
www.wiredscholar.com – for information on scholarships, student loans, etc.
www.finaid.org – Great financial aid Web site
www.collegeboard.com – Contains SAT info and resources about finding the right college
www.chronicle.com – Chronicle of Higher Education’s Web site
https://www.scholarships.com/about-us/ – Scholarship search engine
http://www.scholarshipmonkey.com/ – Free way to find available scholarships.
www.fastweb.com – Gives you resources on how to find money for college and how to find your dream school
www.ed.gov – Department of Education’s Web site
www.collegesavings.org – Provides resources aimed at helping you plan for college expenses
For our members’ convenience, links are available in this website to allow quick access to other sites that may be of interest. Clicking on a link will take you out of Georgia’s Own Credit Union’s website to an alternative website not operated by Georgia’s Own. The Credit Union is not responsible for the content of the third party website and does not represent either the third party website or the member if you enter into a transaction. Privacy and security policies of the website to which you are linking may differ from those practiced by Georgia’s Own Credit Union.
For our members’ convenience, links are available in this website to allow quick access to other sites that may be of interest. Clicking on a third party link will take you out of Georgia’s Own Credit Union’s website to an alternative website not operated by Georgia’s Own. The Credit Union is not responsible for the content of the third party website and does not represent either the third party website or the member if you enter into a transaction. Privacy and security policies of the website to which you are linking may differ from those practiced by Georgia’s Own Credit Union.
