Active participation is key to minimizing risk of account fraud



Target on Thursday announced that 40M credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a recent data breach. While not directly affected by this breach, Eaton Family Credit Union encourages its members to actively participate in efforts to minimize the risk of fraudulent activity on their accounts.


According to Target's news release, customers who swiped their cards at terminals in its U.S. stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 may have had their accounts exposed. The stolen data includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the three-digit security codes located on the backs of cards. 

The stolen information included Target store brand cards and major card brands such as Visa and MasterCard. 


Eaton Family Credit Union provides Visa-branded credit cards processed by Fidelity Information Services, (FIS), which acknowledged the breach in an announcement to its partners stating it does not provide services to Target, and therefore, is not part of this breach. 


Though FIS is not involved in the breach, it’s participating in the evaluation and identification of any fraud trends that may be attributed to this event. The company anticipates this process will take several weeks and has said it will provide additional alerts as information becomes available from the card networks.


In addition to the measures Target and FIS are undertaking currently, Eaton Family Credit Union encourages our members to vigilantly monitor their accounts and immediately report suspicious activity to the appropriate fraud services team of the account appearing to have been compromised. Members also are reminded they already have means available to them to minimize risk:

·    Watch for compromised card alerts or notices from us and heed the advice to ensure that appropriate action is taken to safeguard your account.


·    Use all the personal banking tools available to you. Visiting a branch and reviewing your monthly-printed statement is a start. Home and mobile banking allows instant and secure access, 24/7, to your accounts. 


·    Frequently review the transaction history of each account, especially credit cards. Sign up for our EZCardinfo.com that provides real-time access to your Visa card issued by Eaton Family Credit Union.


·    Use an identity theft service to prevent, detect and resolve threats to your accounts. They are low-cost, web-based, easy to use and effective. Learn more here.

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