Dear Members,

Recently we have received many more reports than usual about different fraudulent e-mails appearing to be from Virginia Credit Union. These e-mails have been reported by both members and non-members.

Phishing is a global problem affecting financial institutions, government agencies, other businesses and of course, consumers. We appreciate the many members who spotted these fraudulent e-mails and reported them to us.  

These criminals are devious and use many different approaches to trick you into giving out your personal information. For example, these e-mails may be surveys offering money for responses or notices that your account has been deactivated or compromised. They could also be e-mails saying you have a message and to use a link in the e-mail to log into Home Banking to retrieve it.

As soon as the credit union becomes aware of a fraudulent e-mail with a link to a bogus web site, we work with internet security specialists to have that site shut down. We also post phishing updates and scam alerts on our home page at vacu.org.

If you receive an e-mail appearing to come from Virginia Credit Union that you feel is suspicious, please forward the message to us. If you think you may have entered your account information in response to a phishing e-mail, please contact Member Services immediately so we can help you take appropriate precautions and steps.

Unfortunately, we cannot stop criminals from sending fraudulent e-mails. We can however continue to do as much as possible to shut down their web sites and educate our members. Educated and alert consumers are the best defense against scam artists.

Thank you for your support as a member of Virginia Credit Union and for being alert and vigilant to avoid these and other scams.

Sincerely,

Chris Saneda
Sr. Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Virginia Credit Union

Please visit our online Security Center for additional information about phishing, including tips about how to recognize e-mail scams. Call us for assistance.