Member Alerts
At Queensland Country your security matters to us
Which is why we partner with ORION, to ensure the security of your card is maintained 24/7. Orion is a renowned fraud management service who monitors activity on your card, scanning for any transactions that may be suspicious. If they come across anything out of the ordinary, they alert us immediately so that we can get in touch with you. You can relax knowing your money is safe with Queensland Country.
CU Online and other outages
Scheduled maintenance occurs on our website throughout the year to keep our online banking operating efficiently. These scheduled maintenance outages are booked in at times when online traffic is at its lowest, to minimise the inconvenience for Members. We also advertise maintenance outages through our website to make sure Members know when to expect them.
Safety online
Queensland Country Credit Union is urging Queensland consumers to keep safe when shopping online.
Shopping online is easy to do and a great convenience. But it’s important to remember to take steps to ensure you are protecting your personal information, and not allowing yourself to be vulnerable to fraud or online criminals.
When you shop online, make sure you are smart about the whole purchasing process: know who you are dealing with, what you are buying, be confident you will get what you have paid for, and ensure that your account and credit card details are being dealt with safely.
Most shoppers know the warning signs to look for when buying something in a shop – and the same applies to shopping online.
Be wary if:
- The website looks suspicious or unprofessional;
- The website is offering bargains which look too good to be true; or
- If you are not confident about the use of your information or that you will get what you pay for.
Remember, when making a payment online:
- Only pay via a secure web page (one that has a valid digital certificate) - look for the https at the beginning of the address bar and a locked padlock in the browser;
- Use a secure payment method such as PayPal, BPAY, or your credit card (avoid money transfers and direct debit, as these can be open to abuse);
- Never send your bank or credit card details via email - only via a secure web page; and
- Always print and keep a copy of the transaction.
For more information, hints and tips on internet safety and security, go to: www.staysmartonline.gov.au an Australian Government initiative from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
COMPROMISED CREDIT CARDS
Queensland Country Credit Union receives advice from our card monitoring service, Orion, when there has been a possible compromise of any Queensland Country Cards. We also have open communication with our Members who sometimes report suspicious transactions or experiences.
As soon as we receive any alerts, we contact our Members to notify them of what has happened and what needs to be done to make sure their accounts stay secure. The card monitoring service is also in liason with the appropriate authorities to alert them on the matters.
When the possible compromise is considered to be a HIGH risk alert (where an unknown third party may have access to your card details), we cancel your card, effective immediately.
Your local branch are notified straight away if this happens and will get into contact with you by phone, as soon as they can, to avoid any inconvenience. This also provides you with an opportunity to arrange a replacement card straight away at no cost.
If you choose to replace your Visa, we encourage you to make sure you provide your new card details to any companies you have previously organised regular payment arrangements with - just to ensure bills/direct debits continue to be paid (e.g. insurance, pay TV, phone bill) and you don't suffer any defaults.
We also recommend to those affected by HIGH RISK alerts that they peruse their account and statement to verify transactions. If you detect any fraudulent activity in your statements, please contact your local branch to arrange a return of the funds.
Like other financial institutions in the region, Queensland Country Credit Union's fraud monitoring systems have recently detected an increased number of cards at ‘high risk’ of being compromised. Where that is the case, we have contacted our Members and arranged for replacement cards to be supplied at no cost.
It is common practice for us to regularly remind Members and the public to be aware of the security of their Credit and Debit cards and to contact their financial institution if they believe their account may have had unauthorised transactions. We have issued several alerts to the media already this year.
There have been a number of telephone and email scams circulating in Australia since July 2010. Suspected skimming of cards at certain businesses in the north has also been reported recently in the media.
PHONE SCAMS
A recent scam which has hit regional Queensland starts with a phone call from someone alleging to be from your financial institution's head office or from the office of fair trade.
The general statements are that they are calling in regard to overpayment of fees and charges and the reimbursement of these funds. They then ask for Membership and credit card numbers and follow up with a call the following day to reassure you of the validity of the transaction.
In an attempt to appear authentic the scammers have claimed to represent various and supposedly trustworthy entities and departments including:
- Your own financial institution
- The Australian Taxation Office
- The Department of Fair Trading or
- A fictional Government department
How does this scam work?
These scams can be broken down into the following steps:
- You receive an unsolicited phone call advising that you are eligible to reclaim several thousands of dollars in overcharged bank fees.
- The caller claims to be from a trustworthy entity or department including those referred above.
- Caller requests an upfront payment of a few hundred dollars, typically referring to it as an administration fee or tax. They will ask for this payment to be sent overseas via a wire transfer service.
- To further convince that they are authentic, they may provide a reference number and a return phone number, and in some cases, an Australian address. They may even have a supervisor on hand to speak to.
- The caller will offer to deliver a cheque to your house or transfer the funds directly to your account – only after the advance fee has been sent, of course.
What should you do if you receive a scam call?
- Hang up immediately. If you are unsure if it was a scam, you should ‘independently’ locate contact details for the organisation the scammer claimed to be representing and telephone to directly verify if the call originated there (don't use any website addresses or phone numbers they have provided to check authenticity.
- Be suspicious of anyone offering thousands of dollars in refunds.
- Never provide or confirm personal information, or send money to someone unless you are absolutely certain of who they are.
If you think you may have been affected, report it to your local police and branch immediately and phone the ACCC Infocentre direct on 1300 795 995 during normal business hours to report the scam.
SKIMMING
Queensland is currently on alert with reports a debit and credit card skimming ring is operating across the state and the Australian Federal Police are investigating these possible fraudulent activities. Skimming is where a device is placed into an ATM or EFTPOS facility to skim or copy the details stored on the magnetic strip of your card. Using chip cards helps alleviate this risk. We also encourage you to be vigilant in checking to see if any device you use had been tampered with. All of our ATMs are checked on a regular basis for skimming devices and unauthorised cameras. Skimming is separate to compromised card alerts we receive through our security monitoring service. The credit union places the utmost importance on the privacy and security of our Members' information. Should you have any concerns in this regard, please don't hesitate to call your local branch.
Changes to the Financial Claims Scheme (Government Deposit Guarantee)
The Federal Government recently announced changes to the Deposit Guarantee arrangements (the Financial Claims Scheme).
The deposit guarantee scheme was introduced in October 2008 to cover deposits up to $1million for a period of 3 years. The Deposit Guarantee will become permanent to a maximum $250,000. A transition period is in place for existing deposits.
Australia has one of the strongest banking systems in the world, and credit unions must meet the same exceptional high standards and rules set by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) as any other bank or building society. Our Members can be assured that Queensland Country meets all of APRA's regulatory requirements.
For more information, please download the fact sheet from Abacus (the industry body representing Australian mutuals) or visit the APRA website at www.apra.gov.au.
