Report your lost or stolen ATM/Check Card immediately. Please follow the instructions listed below. If you lose your card during non-business hours please don’t wait for us to open, call the number specified for weekends and nights. The sooner you report your card lost or stolen the less time there will be for fraudulent transactions to occur.

Call:

• (McAllen office) 956.618.7500
• (Weslaco office) 956.618.7500
• (Weekends & Nights) 800.791.2525 to cancel your card.
• You will have to visit one of our offices to have your new card reissued.

Lost or stolen credit card

Report your lost or stolen credit card immediately.

• Call (956) 618-7500 during business hours  OR (800) 599-7889 after business hours 
• Once the card is cancelled we will issue a replacement immediately.

What is e-mail fraud

Phony e-mail messages sent to you for the purpose of stealing personal and financial information are among the most common types of e-mail fraud.

Disguised as legitimate e-mail and claiming to be from sources you trust, these messages attempt to entice you to provide various types of personal and confidential information, including online IDs and passcodes, Social Security numbers and account numbers.

Also known as phishing or spoofing, the practice of e-mail fraud is commonly used by criminals to gain access to your existing accounts or to use your personal and financial information to open new accounts.

Recognizing e-mail fraud

Spotting phony e-mail messages is not always easy. And the criminals who use them are becoming more sophisticated about creating them.

Phony e-mail messages may ask you to reply directly or click on a link that takes you to a fraudulent Web site that appears legitimate. In either case, they will generally ask you to provide sensitive personal, financial or account information.

Here are some tips for spotting phony e-mails:

• Urgent appeals. Frequently, these e-mails claim that your account may be closed if you fail to confirm, verify or authenticate your personal information immediately.
• Requests for security information. Fraudulent e-mails often claim that the bank has lost important security information that needs to be updated. They also may request that the user visit and update this information online.
• Typos and other errors. Fraudulent e-mails or Web sites may contain typographical or grammatical errors. The writing may also be awkward, stilted or inappropriate. The visual or design quality may be poor.

Protecting yourself against e-mail or online fraud

• Make sure the security features of your computer software, including your Web browser, are up-to-date. Software companies continuously provide security updates to their products. To learn more about keeping your computer security current, get tips and information from Microsoft or visit the National Cyber Security Alliance.
• Don’t take anything for granted. Always keep in mind that forging e-mails and creating fraudulent Web sites is not difficult.
• Confirm the validity of all requests for sensitive personal, financial or account information, particularly if they are made with an urgent or threatening tone.
• Call the company directly to confirm requests for updating or verifying personal or account information.
• Confirm requests for personal or account information by going to the company Web site directly. Open a new browser window, type the Web address and check to see if you must actually perform any activity that an e-mail may be asking you to do, such as change a passcode.
• Do not share your IDs or passcodes with anyone. Choose passcodes that are difficult for others to guess and use a different passcode for each of your online accounts. Use both letters and numbers and a combination of lowercase and capital letters if the passcodes or personal identification numbers (PINs) are case sensitive. Change your passcode often.
• If you think you may have provided personal or account information in response to a fraudulent e-mail or Web site, report the fraud immediately, change your passcodes and monitor your account activity frequently.
• Always sign off Web sites or secure areas of Web sites (for example, Online Banking) for which you use an ID and passcode to enter.
• When your computer is not in use, shut it down or disconnect it from the Internet.
• Be careful and selective before providing your e-mail address to a questionable Web site. Sharing your e-mail address makes you more likely to receive fraudulent e-mails.
• Review your monthly credit card and bank account statements thoroughly. Investigate suspicious items immediately to head off any possible fraud before it occurs.

Protecting against online viruses

In addition to protecting yourself against e-mail and online fraud, you should also be aware of the danger of online viruses to damage or compromise the security of your computer.

• Anti-virus protection. If your computer becomes infected with a virus, you could possibly lose information and incur repair expenses. Make sure your computer has an anti-virus protection program installed to reduce the risk of your computer becoming infected.
• Automatic upgrades. We recommend that you purchase a program that automatically upgrades your virus protection on a recurring basis. If you do not have this automatic upgrade feature, make sure you update your virus detection program weekly and when you hear of a new virus.
• Attachments. We advise you not to open attachments or diskettes unless you are certain that you can trust the source. Learn how to manually screen diskettes and attachments if your anti-virus software does not automatically screen for viruses.
• Contact your ISP. Your Internet service provider (ISP) may have additional recommendations and technical support for protecting yourself against online viruses, e-mail fraud and spam. We suggest that you contact your ISP for recommendations specific to your computer and network.

Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

Identity fraud happens when someone steals personal information such as your bank account number or Social Security number and then uses this information illegally, such as withdrawing money from your account.

If you are a South Texas FCU member and you think you are victim of fraud, immediately contact us.

Take these precautions to protect your information

• Be discriminating when providing personal information such as Social Security number and account or credit card information over the telephone, in person or on the Internet. Don’t give out this information unless you are sure with whom you are dealing.
• Protect your Social Security number and the Social Security numbers of your children and other family members by not carrying them in your wallet.
• Report lost or stolen checks, credit or debit cards immediately. South Texas FCU will block payment on the check numbers or account numbers involved.
• Store cancelled checks, new checks and account statements in a safe place.
• Notify your credit union of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to “verify a statement” or “award a prize.”
• Review your credit report at least once every year. Make sure all information is up-to-date and accurate.
• Memorize your PIN (Personal Identification Number) and refrain from writing it, your Social Security number or credit card number on a check.
• Tear up or shred any pre-approved credit offers to which you do not respond. Thieves can use these offers to assume your identity.
• Keep mail secure. Don’t mail bills or sensitive information from your home or unsecured mailboxes. Retrieve and review your mail promptly. Thieves may use the personal information contained in your mail to steal your identity.
• If you do not receive your regular bills when expected, call the company to find out why.
• Review your monthly account statements thoroughly. Investigate suspicious items immediately to head off any possible fraud before it occurs.
• Do not carry your Social Security card, passport or birth certificate unless needed that day.

Other information sources

• Federal Trade Commission for identity theft
• The fraud.org web site.

What is e-mail fraud

Phony e-mail messages sent to you for the purpose of stealing personal and financial information are among the most common types of e-mail fraud.

Disguised as legitimate e-mail and claiming to be from sources you trust, these messages attempt to entice you to provide various types of personal and confidential information, including online IDs and passcodes, Social Security numbers and account numbers.

Also known as phishing or spoofing, the practice of e-mail fraud is commonly used by criminals to gain access to your existing accounts or to use your personal and financial information to open new accounts.

Recognizing e-mail fraud

Spotting phony e-mail messages is not always easy. And the criminals who use them are becoming more sophisticated about creating them.

Phony e-mail messages may ask you to reply directly or click on a link that takes you to a fraudulent Web site that appears legitimate. In either case, they will generally ask you to provide sensitive personal, financial or account information.

Here are some tips for spotting phony e-mails:

• Urgent appeals. Frequently, these e-mails claim that your account may be closed if you fail to confirm, verify or authenticate your personal information immediately.
• Requests for security information. Fraudulent e-mails often claim that the bank has lost important security information that needs to be updated. They also may request that the user visit and update this information online.
• Typos and other errors. Fraudulent e-mails or Web sites may contain typographical or grammatical errors. The writing may also be awkward, stilted or inappropriate. The visual or design quality may be poor.

Protecting yourself against e-mail or online fraud

• Make sure the security features of your computer software, including your Web browser, are up-to-date. Software companies continuously provide security updates to their products. To learn more about keeping your computer security current, get tips and information from Microsoft or visit the National Cyber Security Alliance.
• Don’t take anything for granted. Always keep in mind that forging e-mails and creating fraudulent Web sites is not difficult.
• Confirm the validity of all requests for sensitive personal, financial or account information, particularly if they are made with an urgent or threatening tone.
• Call the company directly to confirm requests for updating or verifying personal or account information.
• Confirm requests for personal or account information by going to the company Web site directly. Open a new browser window, type the Web address and check to see if you must actually perform any activity that an e-mail may be asking you to do, such as change a passcode.
• Do not share your IDs or passcodes with anyone. Choose passcodes that are difficult for others to guess and use a different passcode for each of your online accounts. Use both letters and numbers and a combination of lowercase and capital letters if the passcodes or personal identification numbers (PINs) are case sensitive. Change your passcode often.
• If you think you may have provided personal or account information in response to a fraudulent e-mail or Web site, report the fraud immediately, change your passcodes and monitor your account activity frequently.
• Always sign off Web sites or secure areas of Web sites (for example, Online Banking) for which you use an ID and passcode to enter.
• When your computer is not in use, shut it down or disconnect it from the Internet.
• Be careful and selective before providing your e-mail address to a questionable Web site. Sharing your e-mail address makes you more likely to receive fraudulent e-mails.
• Review your monthly credit card and bank account statements thoroughly. Investigate suspicious items immediately to head off any possible fraud before it occurs.

Protecting against online viruses

In addition to protecting yourself against e-mail and online fraud, you should also be aware of the danger of online viruses to damage or compromise the security of your computer.

• Anti-virus protection. If your computer becomes infected with a virus, you could possibly lose information and incur repair expenses. Make sure your computer has an anti-virus protection program installed to reduce the risk of your computer becoming infected.
• Automatic upgrades. We recommend that you purchase a program that automatically upgrades your virus protection on a recurring basis. If you do not have this automatic upgrade feature, make sure you update your virus detection program weekly and when you hear of a new virus.
• Attachments. We advise you not to open attachments or diskettes unless you are certain that you can trust the source. Learn how to manually screen diskettes and attachments if your anti-virus software does not automatically screen for viruses.
• Contact your ISP. Your Internet service provider (ISP) may have additional recommendations and technical support for protecting yourself against online viruses, e-mail fraud and spam. We suggest that you contact your ISP for recommendations specific to your computer and network.

This credit union is prohibited by the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age (provided the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract); because all or part of the applicant’s income derives from any public assistance program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

The federal agency that administers compliance with this law concerning South Texas  Federal Credit Union is the National Credit Union Administration, 4807 Spicewood Springs, Austin, TX.

Our general policy is to allow you to withdraw funds deposited in your account on the first business day after the day we receive your deposit. In some cases, we may delay your ability to withdraw funds beyond the first business day. Then, funds will generally be available by the fifth business day after the day of deposit.

South Texas Federal Credit Union is owned by its members and run by a board of directors you elect. You can be confident that your financial privacy is a top priority of this credit union. We give you this privacy policy to explain how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal financial information.

We are committed to providing you with competitive products and services to meet your financial needs, which necessitates that we collect data that personally identifies you. You need not be concerned about the privacy of your personal information. South Texas Federal Credit Union secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. South Texas Federal Credit Union secures the information you provide in a controlled and secured environment from unauthorized use through the use of one-way password encryption technology and the use of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) data transfer encryption.

Information We Collect About You

If you choose to e-mail us, please remember that your e-mail address and any other information contained in your e-mail header will be revealed to us in your communication. We will use that e-mail information only to respond to your comments or questions.

The server records home-banking logins. We collect and store certain information on authenticated members who use home banking. Visitors to South Texas Federal Credit Union’s website remain anonymous until they choose to provide personal information in order to access account information that South Texas Federal Credit Union makes available online. All data that is recorded enables us to process and confirm those transactions. We may use technology, such as cookies, to keep track of your information. While it contains no member passwords or personal information, it identifies the member’s computer and helps the Credit Union administer website security. As an example, we use cookies to ‘time out’ your authority to view information while you are authenticated in the home banking section. A cookie cannot be used to extract data from your PC.

If you submit a form, the information will be used as required in the normal course of business to fulfill your request. All of the information you send to us is encrypted for security and privacy purposes. The information will not be sold or shared with any third party outside the Credit Union.

We may disclose the information we collect about you under other circumstances as permitted or required by law. These disclosures typically include information to process transactions on your behalf, conduct the operations of our credit union, and follow your instructions as you authorize, or protect the security of our financial records.

Member’s Role In Preserving Privacy

Members can proactively assist South Texas Federal Credit Union in the protection of their privacy by safeguarding their member numbers, personal identification numbers (PINS), and passwords, by changing their passwords periodically, and by taking care to sign off of the South Texas Federal Credit Union website after accessing personal information online.

How We Protect Your Information

We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those employees who have a specific business purpose in utilizing your data. Our employees are trained in the importance of maintaining confidentiality and member privacy. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations and leading industry practices to safeguard your nonpublic personal information.

To request user ID, device ID, and email address to be removed from the South Texas Federal Credit Union Mobile app and Home Banking visit https://southtexasfcu.com/contact/ to request account data to be removed. Please note that you will lose access to Home and Mobile banking once this

data is removed.

What is Check 21?

Check 21 is a new law that allows financial institutions to truncate checks earlier in the check clearing process. It also allows all banks and credit unions to start the process of substituting physical paper checks with electronic check images at any point during the check collection process.

What is truncation?

Truncation means to remove an original paper checks from the check process, and in its place make a substitute electronic check. In other words, truncation means you do not receive the actual canceled check back with your monthly statements.

Why is Check 21 important?

Check 21 will provide savings by allowing financial institutions to substitute paper checks with an electronic equivalent sooner or more often during the clearing process. Additional costs savings are realized because financial institutions can eliminate the handling, manual processing and storage of paper checks. Furthermore, Check 21 allows for faster collection and return of checks, which can help mitigate check fraud. It also reduces check clearing time, which provides you with greater control over your account and personal finances.

What is “electronic equivalent” and how does it happen?

An electronic check equivalent is actually an electronic substitution of your original check. This is generated during the processing of your check thus allowing electronic transmission and delivery.

How will Check 21 change things?

Check 21 clearly brings change to the check clearing process by affording financial institutions a less costly method of processing. The old system wasted money, burned fuel, and clogged our transportation systems. Check 21 reduces the dependence of the check clearing system on physical transportation networks. Unexpected interruptions (e.g., natural disaster, etc.) will be better avoided because it does not rely on physical transportation of checks.

When is Check 21 going to be in effect?

President Bush signed the Check 21 Act into law on October 28, 2003, with an implementation date of October 28, 2004. This timeframe provides U.S. financial institutions with the time necessary to comply without burdening them with associated costs all at once.

How fast will change take place?

Any noticeable change in the way checks are processed is going to take some time. Changes will happen slowly, as financial institutions need time to purchase equipment and otherwise “gear up” for a fully electronic check exchange environment.

Why are credit unions going to be better off than banks?

Credit unions have been truncating checks for nearly three decades–since we were first allowed to offer checking account in the mid-1970’s. Banks, in general, do not truncate checks. They are laden with huge numbers of checks to return with procedures and machinery that may not be as readily adaptable to Check 21’s image exchange availability as credit unions.

What changes might I see with regard to my credit union checking account because of Check 21?

Because credit unions have been truncating checks for several decades, you will see minimal changes. One change you may notice, however, is that if you request a copy of one of your cleared checks, you may actually receive a Image Replacement Document, or IRD (an electronic check equivalent), which will carry all the information of your original check. Also, you will have to keep in mind that there will be virtually no float time involved when writing a check at HEB for example, meaning as in the past you could write the check knowing it wouldn’t clear for a few days which was known as (float time). Under Check 21 checks will clear in a matter of hour rather than days.

So, will I still be able to get a copy of a canceled check if I need one?

Yes. However, as mentioned, the canceled check may actually be an electronic check substitute of your written check.

Will this substitute copy be “legal”?

Yes. A substitute check is the legal equivalent of its original check for all purposes, if it meets all specified requirements. This substitute check can be used in the same legal manner as if it was your original canceled paper check.

What are recredit rights and do I have them?

Yes, you have recredit rights. If you believe that a substitute check was not properly charged to your account, recredit rights allow you to pursue a correction.

Is there anything I should do differently with regard to my credit union checking account?

Accurately maintain your checking account records, and reconcile your statements timely, as you have done in the past. As always, if you have any questions about your account, please call or stop in to see us–we would be happy to assist you.

Regulation D defines the types and number of transactions that can be performed on non-transaction accounts (all share and money market accounts).

Specific Regulation D guidelines can be found in our New Account Disclosure, or you may call Member Services at 956-618-7500 (McAllen), 956-969-2595 (Weslaco), or toll-free at 1-800-628-9888.

The federal government’s reserve requirements limit the following electronic transactions on share or money market accounts to six (6) per month:

• Overdraft protection transfers
• Pre-authorized electronic debits (ACH)
• Automated telephone teller transfers
• CU@home transfers
•  Pre-authorized automated transfers

Transactions made in person at a credit union office are NOT subject to Regulation D Limitations.

If you use your Share or Money Market accounts as overdraft protection sources please make note that after the 6 transaction limit is reached all further overdrafts will be returned.

South Texas FCU encourages reviewing the privacy and security policy of any third party website accessed within, or through, the South Texas Federal Credit Union website. Privacy and security policies of third party websites may differ from those practiced by South Texas FCU.

South Texas FCU is not responsible for the content of sites it does not operate. South Texas FCU does not represent either the third party or the member should the two enter into a transaction.

South Texas Federal does not guarantee or assume liability for any third party product or service obtained through our website.