HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As we welcome 2020, we can learn from our past, appreciate our present, and plan for our future together! We look forward to serving our members this year, and for many years to come. :)
Scammers are taking advantage members looking for love, please be careful!
Millions of people, including credit union members, look to online dating or social networking sites to meet someone. But instead of romance, many unknowingly find a scammer. The median loss of romance / sweetheart scams as reported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is $2,600 and for people over 70 was over $10,000.
Scammers continue to fake online dating profiles using photos or other people to lure their victims. The scammers strike up a relationship with their targets to build their trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. They quickly profess their love and tug at the victim’s emotions with fake stories and their need for money.
Scammers can ask for gift cards, account-to-account transfers, Western Union, MoneyGram, etc. They often provide the victim with a fraudulent monetary instrument, or deposit, which can take up to 60 days to be returned as unpaid.
A few red flags of these romance / sweetheart scams:
• String you along but never want to meet in person • Scammers often say they’re living / traveling outside of the United States • Hint they’re having money trouble and ask for money, personal info, or account number • Often need money for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel.
Please take a few important steps to protect yourself. • Slow down and talk to someone you trust – don’t let a scammer rush or bully you into something. • Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person - never wire money, put money on a gift or cash reload card, or send cash to an online love interest. • If you think it is a scam, report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Be sure to notify the website or app where you met the scammer, too.
Apple IPhone users - READ!
IMPORTANT
Due to Apple's recent version update, users are experiencing trouble logging in to online banking. A temporary work-around is as follows: go to settings, scroll down to safari, open, scroll down to request desktop website, open, slide bar to select all websites.
You will be able to log in through safari. You will not be able to log in to the website through google/chrome, at this time. We will update you as as soon as a solution becomes available.
Joining the credit union is easy! We simply need a minimum deposit of $25, valid photo i.d., and proof of current residence. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in the Girard / Lake City area; also immediate family or household members of current members are eligible to join. Stop in and see us at your convenience, we'd love to serve you too!
For your convenience, we have installed an after hours drop box, located at the back of the building. Please put your deposit, loan payment, note or form in an envelope, and drop in the metal slot in the blue door in the back. Your envelope will drop into a secure box inside.
To report a lost or stolen debit or credit card, you may contact the credit union directly during our business hours. During non-business hours, please call
Our sincere thanks to the readers of the West County News Journal for naming us #1 credit union in the west county! We have been serving the local area since 1948, originally as the Toymakers FCU, and look forward to serving our members and the community for many more years to come!