Protecting your privacy is a promise we take very seriously at Navigator, and the security and confidentiality of your personal information are important to us. That’s why we want to make you aware of the latest scam affecting our Members in Mississippi and Alabama.

It’s called a caller ID spoofing scam, and some Members have already been fooled into thinking they are speaking with their Credit Union when they’re giving their passwords, PINs and other sensitive account information to scammers. This has resulted in thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges and withdrawals from their accounts, and we want to help protect other Members from becoming victims.

Spoofing is when someone deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often spoof a number from a company you already know and trust like your financial institution to gain your personal information.

In these cases, the caller ID displayed Navigator Credit Union, but it was NOT Navigator making the call. We will never call, text or e-mail you and ask for your debit card PIN or online banking password to verify or authenticate your identity. In fact, there is no legitimate reason any financial institution would ever need your debit card PIN or online banking password. For a scammer, on the other hand, it's just what they need to make your money their money.

Here are some ways you can avoid becoming a victim of account fraud:

• Never give out your PINs or passwords! Navigator will never ask for that information. If our Fraud Department contacts you to verify whether a transaction was made by you, all we need is a yes or no answer. Anyone asking for more is unlikely to be from the Credit Union.

  

• Your safest bet, if you're ever contacted and asked to provide sensitive account or personal information, are to hang up and call us directly to verify, unless you initiated the contact. If the caller ID says it is from Navigator, you can let it go to voicemail then return the call by directly dialing Navigator’s toll-free number (800-344-3281).

  

• If you do pick up and at any point feel uncomfortable, hang up and dial Navigator directly.

  

• Program our Fraud Department’s number (877-253-8964) into your saved contacts so you’ll know it’s a legitimate number calling you.

  • Our Fraud Department will only ask you to confirm or deny transactions. We will not ask for personal information.

  

If you do receive a suspicious call, text or e-mail, or notice banking activity you don't recognize, please contact us right away. Navigator Team Members are here to take immediate action to help protect you and your accounts from further exposure.