Safe-Banking Tips

1. Create a strong password. Make sure it’s unique to our site, and use a mix of characters and symbols to make it harder to crack. Read more about how we keep your online 5Point account safe here.
2. Always check the source. 5Point will never send you a text or email asking for your login information. If you receive a communication claiming to be from 5Point that asks for this kind of privileged information, please report it immediately. For more email fraud prevention tips, click here.
3. Read the fine print. When you receive mail about your 5Point loans, make sure it was actually sent by 5Point. Click here to view an example of mail fraud attempting to look like it was sent from the 5Point Mortgage Department.
4. When you check your account online, make sure you’re using a secure location. Use a computer that’s exclusive to you, or use a computer or network you know and trust. Always log out when you’re finished.
5. Check your credit report annually.
6. Monitor your postal mail, and shred documents containing personal information before discarding.
7. Beware of telephone scammers. These thieves often target the elderly, posing as telemarketers or employees of an organization and asking for a “good faith” payment for a real product or company. In this way, they receive credit card numbers and sometimes passwords. Click here to read about scammers pretending to call from the Social Security Administration in order to get your Social Security number. 
8. When traveling, be aware of “skimming.” Local thieves are known to rig ATMs with tiny hidden devices that record and transmit card data. You can avoid this by checking an ATM for a Bluetooth signal (often a network named Free2Move). If you detect one, move on to another ATM.
9. Never let anyone you don’t know use your account for any purpose. A type of thief known as a “card cracker” offers to pay you for the use of your bank account. He or she asks you to deposit checks, often through remote deposit or ATM. These checks are unfunded, but once the other party has withdrawn the money from your account, you are liable for these counterfeit checks when they are returned.

Fraud Information Resources

Click here for a list of commonly used fraud tactics.

The National Credit Union Administration offers tools to help the elderly manage money and protect themselves against fraud. NCUA's Pocket Cents financial literacy website includes an entire section on issues of particular interest to older Americans. NCUA also has a video explaining how certain financial scams specifically target older Americans and how to avoid being victimized. The agency’s Consumer Assistance Center is available to answer questions or handle complaints. Click here to read about a recent Medicare scam explained by the Federal Trade Commission.
 
The MyCreditUnion.gov website contains tips on handling personal finances and protecting against frauds and scams aimed at older adults.