REMEMBER: REPUTABLE ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION (NCUA), CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CUNA), CARDHOLDER SERVICES AND WESTCONSIN CREDIT UNION, WILL NEVER CONTACT YOU BY PHONE OR EMAIL TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION. If you do receive a suspicious email, phone call or letter, please do not respond – contact your local authorities. If an item appears to come from WCU, contact our Service Center at (800) 924-0022 to verify the validity of the inquiry.

Sharing Your Personal Information: It’s Your Choice

Companies, marketers and government agencies may use your information simply to process orders you place; they may also use it to tell you about products, services, or promotions, or they may share your information with others. More organizations are offering people choices about how their personal information is used. For example, many let you "opt-out" of having your information shared with others or used for promotional purposes.

The three major credit bureaus - Trans Union, Experian and Equifax - may have different requirements on how to opt-out, and offer a toll-free number that enables consumers to opt-out of all pre-approved credit offers with just one phone by dialing (888) -5-OPTOUT-(888) 567-8688.

If you receive a phone call in which you are asked your credit card or account numbers, social security number or any other personal or financial information, stop! Remember, a company you do business with should already have this information on file and should not need to ask you for it. To protect yourself, simply say, "This isn’t a good time. I will call back." Then hang up the phone and contact the institution from which the caller said he or she was from to see if there truly is an issue with your account. Find the company’s phone number from the phone directory, a current statement or the company’s official website.

If you receive an email that contains an urgent message about an account, stop! Do not click on the link, delete the email immediately, and contact the institution from which the email appears to have come. Find the company’s phone number from the phone directory, a current statement or the company’s official website, not the number that may be listed in the suspicious email.

The Federal Trade Commission website has information on protecting yourself, what to do if you fall victim, and a sample opt-out letter.