Security Tips

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Security Tips

At Long Beach City Employees Federal Credit Union, keeping your money and data safe is a responsibility we take very seriously. At the same time, we want to provide you with the tools and knowledge to help you guard against fraud and other suspicious activity.

Protect Your Personal Information

Don’t make it easy for criminals to steal your identity or break into your accounts. Take steps to safeguard your personal information.

Be mindful when using social media

With the rise of social media, people are sharing more information about themselves than ever before. That can make it easier for criminals to discover relevant information, such as date of birth, address, employer, and even potential passwords.

Shred sensitive documents

Any documents with personal information should be shredded rather than tossed in the trash.

Use eStatements

Don’t leave incoming or outgoing mail unattended in your mailbox. Using eStatements, minimizes the risk that sensitive information could be stolen from your mailbox.

Password Safety

Hackers can now easily crack just about any six-character password. The longer and more unique you make your password, the harder it is for bad guys to guess it. Here are some guidelines for creating effective passwords:

  • Make your password long and unique. The longer your password, the better, but it should be no shorter than eight characters. For maximum security, your password should contain a mixture of upper- and lower-case, numbers, and special characters.
  • Stay away from common words and personal information. Your birthday, your pet’s name—most of these types of passwords can be easily deduced from your social media posts or other online information. It’s best to make your password completely random.
  • Don’t re-use passwords. With all the sites that require logins, it can be a real challenge to create a unique password for each. However, at the very least, you should maintain unique passwords on your email accounts and online banking sites.

Multifactor Authentication

In addition to verifying your password (something you know), multifactor authentication (MFA) adds an additional layer of verification by asking for something you have.

  • "Something you have" can include an authenticator app or a confirmation text on your phone or a scan of your fingerprint or face.
  • Users who enable MFA are significantly less likely to get hacked, so whenever available, opt in.

ATM Safety Tips

Before you use an ATM, look around and survey the area to make sure it's secure.

  • Only use well-lit ATMs and avoid ATMs in secluded locations.
  • For night-time ATM transactions, bring a friend with you.
  • If you notice anyone who looks or acts suspicious at an ATM, leave immediately and go to a different ATM.

Debit Card Travel Tips

  • Notify the Credit Union before traveling internationally to help ensure that legitimate purchases are approved.
  • Make sure your Debit Card will not expire while you are away.
  • Keep your Debit Card number and the lost/stolen customer service telephone number (LBCEFCU- 800-595-4725) in a safe place, separate from your wallet or handbag.
  • Use Card Controls, available through the Credit Union's mobile app, to turn your card on and off, set spending limits, restrict certain types of merchants and set alerts.

Online Banking

Online and Mobile Banking are a go-to resource we use every day. Make sure you stay vigilant.

  • Don’t reveal your password to anyone else. Your password is designed to protect the privacy of your account information.
  • If anyone else is likely to use your computer, clear your memory cache or close and re-open your browser in order to eliminate copies of recently viewed pages.
  • Use anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware programs on your computers to protect your information and your computer from use by unwanted users.
  • Avoid using a public computer to access your personal information. There could be potential risks, including computers that are infected with viruses and/or malicious software that captures entered and viewed personal information.

Responding to Identity Theft

If you believe your information has been compromised or someone has gained unlawful access to any of your accounts, take the following steps to respond quickly and decisively...

  • Contact any financial institutions or lenders you use to block criminal access to your accounts.
  • Start a digital and/or paper file of the impacted accounts, actions you’ve taken, and communications you’ve had.
  • File a police report with your local department.
  • Place fraud alerts and credit freezes on your credit reports at www.TransUnion.com, www.Experian.com, and www.Equifax.com.
  • Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to access your credit reports and dispute any incorrect information on the reports while also contacting the companies at which any new unauthorized accounts have been created.
  • File an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission at www.IdentityTheft.gov.
  • Change passwords for any accounts that might have been compromised.