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MECU is dedicated to protecting your privacy and security. We will never ask for sensitive information from you via email (ie., Social Security Number, Personal ID, Password, PIN or account number). We strongly suggest that you do not share this information with anyone, ever. You can help protect yourself by following these important guidelines:

Email
 - Be alert for fraudulent (sometimes called "phishing") emails. They may appear to come from a reputable business or a trusted friend but are actually designed to trick you into downloading a virus to your computer or directing you to a Web site to disclose sensitive or personal information.
 - Reputable businesses never request personal information (Social Security or credit card numbers, for example) via email.
 - Never send your personal information via unsecured email. If MECU needs information beyond your name, address, email address and phone number, we will provide you with a secure email form.
 - If an email from an unknown - or unsolicited - sender contains an attachment of any kind, do not open it. Delete the email immediately.
 - Be cautious when clicking on a link in an email that you receive. It may be fraudulent, even though the URL may be identical to the actual company's Web site. To check the ownership of the destination page, open a new browser window and manually type in the URL provided in the email. If they don't match, immediately delete the email with the suspicious link.

Online Security
 - If you suspect a Web site is not what it claims to be, leave it immediately. do not follow any of the instructions it presents.
 - Only do business with the companies you know and trust.
 - Only use your credit card number on Internet sites that have a secure, encrypted system (look for the "HTTPS" in the address line or lock icon).
 - Provide sensitive personal or financial information only when you have initiated it and only if the page is secure.
 - Choose passwords or Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) that are difficult for others to guess (NOT your birthday or street address or the last four digits of your Social Security number), and use a different password for each of your Internet accounts. Change these passwords frequently. Use both letters and numbers and a combination of lower- and upper-case letters if the passwords are case-sensitive.


General Computer Security
 - Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. Anti-virus software needs frequent updates to guard against new viruses. Download the anti-virus updates as soon as you're notified that a download is available. Some antivirus programs offer an "auto-update" feature, where regular updates are made automatically for you.
 - Maintain current versions of your computer's operating system and Internet browsers.

When you're not online, always disconnect from the Internet. Always back up the files on your computer. Install a personal firewall to help prevent unauthorized access to your home computer, especially if you connect to the Internet via a cable modem or a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.