Security
The security of your data is extremely important to us.
Beware of the Tech Support Scam!
You receive a call, email, or pop-up message from someone claiming to be from a well-known company like Microsoft, Apple or software security company like McAfee, or Norton saying they've detected a virus or malware on your computer.
They use lots of technical terms to convince you the problem is real. They may even ask you to open some files or run a scan on your computer and then tell you the results show a problem...but there isn't one.
It's a tactic scammers use to get you to give them remote access to your computer, with the ultimate goal of getting your credit card or online banking information under the ruse of charging you for their "phony" services.
Or worse yet, while they have remote access, they download malware that gives them access to your computer and to sensitive data like user names and passwords.
Protect yourself
- Hang up on (or close out pop-ups from) unsolicited callers offering to fix computer problems. Companies like Apple and Microsoft will not contact you for tech support unless you have requested help, and they will never ask for personal information.
- If you're worried about a virus or malware, call your security software company directly, using the phone number on its website or product package or consult a trusted security professional.
- Do not make a payment, give sensitive information such as credit card details, or allow remote access to your computer to someone who calls out of the blue offering tech support.
Other scams to avoid
The Refund Scam
You receive an unsolicited pop-up or email regarding a possible fraudulent charge on your Amazon account, or other popular online retailers, e.g. PayPal or eBay...
The Romance Scam
You met someone online, maybe through a popular dating site, Instagram, or Facebook...
Star One employees will never contact you to verify or ask for your personal information!
Do not share any personal information—such as card PINs, online banking credentials, or one-time passcodes—with anyone over the phone.
If someone claiming to be a Star One employee contacts you and requests such information, you should immediately call us toll-free and request to speak to that Star One employee or to report the incident.
Recent Fraud Alerts
Beware of fraudulent Google ads!
An ad that appeared recently in some Google searches for "Star One Credit Union" turned out to be a link to a fake website that copied the exact appearance of the Star One home page.
The fake website intended to trick Star One members into entering their Online Banking user name and password. After receiving that information, the website operators could themselves log in on the real starone.org website and steal money from the members' accounts.
Fraudsters have also posed as representatives from financial institutions or a risk-management service to trick you into providing personal information.
Victims reported that they received phone calls that appeared to come from the Fraud or Risk-Management department of their financial institution. The fraudsters then asked them to verify phony transactions or provide personal information.
Avoid online scams and fraud
There are plenty of scammers out there just waiting to take advantage of someone with a trusting nature.
You can avoid being a victim of identity theft or scam attempts by staying informed and following these basic tips:
- BEWARE of fraudulent online ads that may lead you to a fake website made to look like an authentic company website.
- DO NOT respond to unsolicited e-mail.
- DO NOT click on links or open e-mail attachments from unknown individuals or businesses.
- DO NOT respond to emails threatening to close your Star One accounts. Instead, contact Star One to authenticate.
- DO NOT accept cash, checks, or other payments from unknown parties. Call issuers of suspicious payments to verify authenticity.
- DO NOT respond to IRS phone calls to collect payment. Know that the IRS corresponds ONLY through the USPS.
- DO NOT accept solicitations from unknown parties who offer things that are too good to be true.
The security of your data is extremely important to us
As a result, Star One Credit Union uses several layers of technology to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to our internal network. Star One's security professionals manage a sophisticated networking architecture that includes screening routers, filtering routers, and firewalls.
To ensure the security of your financial information at Star One, we recommend the following:
- Never reveal your password
Passwords are case sensitive. Mixing uppercase and lowercase letters as well as symbols is encouraged. Your Online Banking password must be between 6 and 32 characters in length. We will never ask you for any password, however, your Secret Identifier is used to identify you when you call Star One Phone Representatives for help. - Don't use the same password on multiple sites
Don't use the same password or a simple password scheme (e.g. smith1, smith2, etc.) on multiple websites. Make your Star One Online Banking password be unique as a best practice.
- Change your Online Banking password regularly
We recommend that you change your password often. Log in to Online Banking and select the "My Settings" link to do so.
- Use the Logout link to end your Online Banking session
Do not click the "X". Signing off will delete your Online Banking session cookie. Failure to do so may hinder your ability to log in again. Otherwise, you may close out your browser to delete your session cookie.
- Balance your account regularly
Report any discrepancies in a timely manner.
Star One Credit Union has been certified with a secure certificate from VeriSign to communicate via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. Digital certificates act as a digital ID that users or computers are authentic. To check any site certificate, double-click on the closed lock icon in the bottom corner of your screen.
When you Enroll for Online Banking, we ask you to create your own individual User ID and Password.
Star One uses Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to enhance our digital banking security. You can configure your preferences in “settings” to use Security Question & Answer or to use a One-Time Passcode. MFA is a security system that verifies a user’s identity by requesting multiple credentials rather than just asking for a username and password.
Our Online Banking system will automatically log you off after a set amount of time. (The default time is 20 minutes.) This reduces the risk of others accessing your information from your unattended computer.
Our computer systems are protected by a series of powerful firewalls that block unauthorized entry.
This encryption technology is classified by the U.S. Department of Defense. United States law forbids export of this technology to other countries. Star One's VeriSign® Secure Site Pro with Extended Validation certificate enables the strongest SSL encryption available, including premium security protections:
- Guaranteed 128-bit SSL encryption, with up to 256-bit SSL encryption enables strong data encryption.
- Extended Validation triggers a green address bar in most browsers, making it easy for our members to see that our site is secure.
- Daily website malware scanning ensures that our website is safe and free of malicious code.
Star One's Information systems group maintains and monitors all security systems to make sure that your accounts are safe and secure.
Star One is committed to keeping up with and utilizing the latest technology to ensure your account security in the face of constantly evolving online threats. We work closely with our Online Banking provider to ensure that new browsers meet our high security standards and can be included in our list of supported browsers.
We mail you confirmation letters whenever you make a change to your contact information, account information, or Touchtone Teller Access Code.
Member Communication E-Mails
Member Communication e-mail campaigns are sent on a regular basis to specific members for marketing reasons. They may also
be used to alert large numbers of members affected by possible fraudulent activity. It is our policy to exclude links from
all of our Member Communication e-mails in response to phishing threats. We will never ask you to disclose or verify personal
information via e-mail.
One-On-One E-Mails
During the normal course of business you may receive an e-mail from a Star One employee. For your convenience we may include links in "one-on-one"
e-mails to assist you in locating a certain online form or section of our web site. One-on-one e-mails will include the member's surname in the subject
line. We will never ask you to disclose or verify personal information via e-mail.
Secure E-Mail
We respond to all e-mails within one business day. There are two ways you can send us an e-mail.
- Log into Online Banking and click on the "Support" button located on the bottom right.
- Use our Contact Us form to send us a secure e-mail. Any data being sent is encrypted, however, we suggest that you do not send sensitive information such as credit card numbers or password information. We un-encrypt the information after it has arrived within our internal secured network. Our reply to your message will be made through unsecured e-mail and may include your surname in the subject line. Reasonable efforts will be made to remove sensitive information prior to our reply.
Unsecured E-Mail
Send an unsecured e-mail to us at service@starone.org. Our reply to your message will be made
through unsecured e-mail and will include your surname in the subject line. Reasonable efforts will be made to remove sensitive information prior to our reply.
Third Party E-Mails
You may receive e-mails from third parties who have business relationships with Star One. These vendors may send you e-mails that include links to the Star One web site. Star One is not responsible for the functionality of links included in any third party e-mail.
DO NOT OPEN e-mails from unknown sources. DELETE THEM. You may want to report the scam to the organization named in the e-mail, report it to the FTC, or forward the suspicious e-mail to the FTC at uce@ftc.gov. If Star One is named in the scam, forward the e-mail to service@starone.org.
Scam and Fraud Alert
Please remember that Star One employees will never call you to verify or ask for your personal information.
Hang up immediately if someone claiming to be a Star One employee asks for any banking information—such as your Online Banking login information, account numbers, card PINs, or one-time passcodes.
A fraudster may try to reassure you that it's OK to share your information—please hang up, it's not OK.
Several Star One members have received phone calls from a person claiming to be a Star One employee—with a caller ID forged to look like a Star One phone number—and whose goal is to gain access to members' bank accounts online.