In February, our staff put together 200 bud vases with hot pink bows and hot pink roses to deliver to the staff and residents of East Pavilion in Franklin and Lake Prince Woods in Suffolk (nursing homes) on Valentine’s Day.
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Helping Hands Gift Cards (January 2017)
In January, 37 of our staff members were given $10 gift cards to promote random acts of kindness in the community. Many of them then contributed their own money to the acts as well. Here are a few of the stories they told us:
As parents we pray that our children will be transported safely to and from school, practices, field trips and sporting events. All too often those drivers that make this possible without being recognized. At SHS, Mr. Bernard makes this happen every day!! We appreciate you Mr. Bernard!!! Have dinner on us after the game.
Today I visited East Pavilion, a place myself and many other people in our community are familiar with, as they take care of loved ones very dear to us. My granddad was a resident of EP and one thing that truly helped brighten his day there was the birds. When Bronco asked us to help spread some kindness into the community I instantly thought of EP and helping to keep the adorable birds there for all of the residents to enjoy. Thanks to Katie and Buck at EP for accepting the bird feeder and food! I hope the little birdies, and of course the squirrels that come too, will help make someone’s day there just a little brighter.
In general nurses, doctors and medical office staff have a pretty tough and demanding job. The staff of Virginia Oncology Associates at Obici and Southampton Memorial hospital have proven to do this job with heart and care. They have made an incredible impact within our community by doing this (and so much more) with a smile on their faces. They have touched my life personally and I couldn’t think of any individuals more deserving of this intentional act of kindness. They were so excited to be treated to Panera Breakfast on Bronco FCU.
Today I noticed a man collecting carts at Walmart. While this task does not come as physically easy for him as it would for others, it doesn’t prevent him from doing his job. I wanted to make sure he knew that his hard work has not gone unnoticed. (Added note: the man is working to care for an invalid son and his wife who had to have her leg amputated.)
VISA Debit Card PIN Transactions
Our Visa® debit card now has a seamless activation process allowing you to activate your card and set your PIN at that time. In addition, if you’d like to change your PIN, you no longer have to come into one of our branches to do this. Simply call 1-800-567-3451, answer a few verification questions, and set a new PIN. Don’t forget that if you have difficulties with a PIN transaction failing, you can also have the merchant process your Visa® debit card as a credit transaction.
We have become aware of some situations where our members have entered their PIN and the transaction was denied. If this happens, please call the 800 number listed above and change your PIN. This change should take place immediately and allow you to use your card. If this process does not work, please call our office during normal business hours at (757) 569-6000 and hit Option 0. Again, when making a purchase from a merchant, you can process your VISA debit card as a credit transaction.
“Know Before You Owe” Auto Loan Shopping Sheet
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released an “auto loan shopping sheet” to help consumers evaluate costs when shopping for an auto loan and a step-by-step guide entitled “Take Control of Your Auto Loan” to help consumers navigate the auto lending process.
The sample online worksheet instructs consumers how to determine:
- upfront costs
- the exact amount they will need to borrow
- how much money they will pay over the life of the loan, and
- the total cost of the purchase
Additionally, the factors that are negotiable are also denoted with a special icon. A consumer can print out this sheet and take it along with them when shopping for an auto loan, to help consumers make an “apples to apples” comparison when shopping for auto loan products.
Access the Know Before You Owe auto loan shopping sheet here.
The Know Before You Owe auto loan initiative can be found here.
“Grandparent” Scam
Many credit union members have been involved in a “grandparent scam” where the caller either claims to be a grandchild or the police that have the grandchild in custody. The grandparent needs to send money to “get them out of trouble”. Now, not only are these victims being asked to wire or western union money, they are asked to get gift cards and phone the callers back with the numbers off of the cards.
What you need to know about “grandparent” scams
Scamming with iTunes gift cards
Update Your Online24 Account
You may have signed on to Online24 recently and had a prompt that asked you for a home email address or a phone number. Online 24 is currently updating member information and this is legitimate. If you enter the missing information you will be able to continue logging into Online 24.
If you close the screen and attempt a second login, your account will be disabled. Once the account is disabled, an administrator at Bronco will need to activate your account and add the missing information for you. You will not see this prompt once the information has been updated. Please do not hesitate to contact Bronco if you have any questions.
Introducing Chip Technology for Bronco Visa Cards
Get big protection in a tiny chip.
Bronco FCU Visa® Credit Cards now come with built-in EVM chip technology. This gives you greater fraud protection when you use your card at a chip-activated terminal. Your new card is not only secure—it’s also easy to use. Here’s what you can look forward to as a cardholder.
EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard® and Visa®. EMV chip technology is becoming the global standard for credit card and debit card payments. This smart chip technology features credit cards with embedded microprocessor chips that store and protect cardholder data. This standard has many names worldwide and may also be referred to as: “chip and signature.”
Enhanced fraud protection.
When you use your card at a chip-activated terminal, the embedded chip generates a one-time use code. This code is virtually impossible to counterfeit and helps reduce in-store fraud.
Global acceptance.
More merchants are accepting chip transactions every day. Whether you check out using chip technology or swipe your card, you can pay with confidence wherever Visa® Credit Cards are accepted.
Easy to use.
Simply swipe your card like you do today. However, if a chip-activated terminal is available, insert your card instead and follow the prompts. See detailed steps to the right.
No matter how you pay, you’re protected against unauthorized use with Visa®‘s Zero Liability Policy*.
Keep in mind, you can continue to use your chip card online or over the phone—the same way you do today.
Protect Yourself
With the world we live in today, it is very important for our members to be mindful of account information and check their accounts regularly for any discrepancies or concerns. Here is a guide to help you know what to do: Protect Yourself
NCUA Warns Consumers about “National Credit Union” Phishing Scam
Website Uses Logo Similar to NCUA’s, Mimics Website Design and Language
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 17, 2015) – The National Credit Union Administration has received reports of an online phishing scam that uses a website with a logo and a design similar to the agency’s own site in an attempt to convince unwary customers to provide information or send money.
Consumers have received emails from the National Credit Union website, which apparently originates in Australia and claims to offer services in the United States, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This website is not affiliated in any way with the National Credit Union Administration, a federal agency, and the emails are not from NCUA.
The emails attempt to persuade individuals to provide personal information, such as Social Security numbers, account numbers and login information, or transfer large amounts of money. Consumers should neither provide information to this website nor attempt to conduct any financial transactions through it. NCUA would not request personal or financial information in this manner. See NCUA’s Privacy Policy for more information.
Consumers receiving such emails should call NCUA’s Fraud Hotline toll-free at 800-827-9650 or 703-518-6550 in the Washington, D.C., area. Consumers should also contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. NCUA also offers information about avoiding frauds and scams on its MyCreditUnion.gov website.
Consumers who suspect they may have become victims of identity theft should immediately contact their financial institutions and, if necessary, close existing accounts and open new ones. NCUA urges consumers also contact the three major credit bureaus—Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian (888-397-3742) and TransUnion (800-680-7289)—to request a fraud alert be placed on their credit reports.
NCUA is the independent federal agency created by the U.S. Congress to regulate, charter and supervise federal credit unions. With the backing of the full faith and credit of the United States, NCUA operates and manages the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, insuring the deposits of more than 99 million account holders in all federal credit unions and the overwhelming majority of state-chartered credit unions. At MyCreditUnion.gov andPocket Cents, NCUA also educates the public on consumer protection and financial literacy issues.
Bronco joins statewide initiative to help Virginians protect and improve their credit
Most people know identity theft is a growing problem, but did you know a recent Federal Trade Commission study found that about 40 million consumers have mistakes on their credit reports, some of which could have an impact on credit scores? Bronco Federal Credit Union, The Credit Unions Care Foundation of Virginia and other credit unions across the state want to send a message:
Pull your free credit report today to check for signs of identity theft and look for reporting errors and ways to improve your credit. If you don’t know where to start – your local credit union can help.
To support this, credit unions across Virginia will be assisting with SMART Credit Checks to provide information on:
- How to safely obtain a free credit report;
- How you can use your credit report to help determine if you are a victim of identity theft;
- The steps you should take if you are an identity theft victim;
- How to correct errors on your credit report;
- How information in your credit report determines your credit score; and lastly,
- Ways you can improve your credit score.
“According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s 2013 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, 65 percent of respondents failed to check their credit report within the past year,” said Rebecca Cardwell, chairman of the Credit Unions Care Foundation’s Financial Education Committee. “Our goal is to ensure all Virginians obtain and review their credit reports at least once each year.”
Bronco wants to help our members find ways to improve their credit scores, save them money, and protect them from identity theft. We’re proud to be a part of this statewide initiative. It’s a great example of the cooperative nature of Virginia’s not-for-profit credit unions and their philosophy of people helping people.
To assist with this initiative, Bronco representatives are available to meet one-on-one with individuals to review their credit report.
Come in today to get your SMART Credit Check.
