News
ASECU Announces new scholarship
ASECU announced it is adding a new Scholarship- the Ed Lugibihl Memorial Scholarship. High school seniors who are members of the credit union may apply for both the G. Howard Shreve Memorial Scholarship and the Ed Lugibihl Memorial Scholarship. Each scholarship will award one student $500.
Qualifying students may apply here. You only need to submit one application to be considered for both scholarship opportunites.
Applications will be accepted from March 2-May 1. Winners will be annouced some time in May.
Associated School Employees Credit Union Branches Collect Donations for Local School Food Pantries
Youngstown, OH – Associated School Employees Credit Union (ASECU) is celebrating 60 years of service to the Mahoning Valley, by giving back to local in-school food pantries. ASECU branches invite the community to donate non-perishable food items, toiletries, socks, boots and books for distribution to local school food pantries. As a central collection site, ASECU can support several school districts simultaneously.
“At Associated School Employees Credit Union we take great pride in the communities we serve,” said Michael J. Kurish, President and CEO of ASECU. Giving back to the children in our communities is an important part in our credit union’s commitment to the Mahoning Valley. Students and their families need supplies all year long. We are pleased to do our part by offering our five branches as a central drop-off location to get the supplies where they are most needed.”
Most needed on-perishable food items include: peanut butter, pudding, protein/granola bars, soup, macaroni & cheese, canned vegetables/fruit, cheese crackers, etc. Other items desired are personal hygiene products, socks, boots and books. The public as well as current ASECU members are encouraged to donate at any ASECU branch – Austintown – 1690 S. Canfield Niles Road, Boardman – 85 Marwood Circle, Lordstown – 2255 Salt Springs Road, Newton Falls – 25 S. Canal Street and on the campus of Youngstown State University in Tod Hall.
Donations are accepted during regular credit union business hours. For more information or to find the nearest branch to make a donation, visit www.ASECU.com. Find Associated School Employees Credit Union on Facebook, Twitter, or follow @ASECUMembers on Instagram.
VISA DEbit CArd fraud prevention
The Credit Union works to employ every means possible to protect our member’s privacy and from the threats of bad players. Last year the credit union replaced all Debit Cards with security chip cards to prevent bad players from counterfeiting cards and use these counterfeit cards to make fraudulent purchases.
Unfortunately bad players know how to avoid protections taken. Today bad players are continuing to counterfeit cards with fake chips and use Visa and MasterCard operational fallback rules to continue to make fraudulent purchases by swiping chip enabled cards instead of dipping them.
To protect our cardholders from bad players we now require all cardholder to enter their four digit PIN when the merchant completes the purchase by swiping the magnetic stripe. This PIN is not required for cards that are dipped (inserted) into the reader by the merchant.
All cardholders are provided a PIN when they receive their cards. Additionally, they are provided a means to change this number to one of their choice. This PIN can be changed by calling our automated process at 1-800-992-3808 anytime.
The credit union will continue to monitor threats to our members. If you have any questions or concerns please contact any of our offices.
ASECU in our community
At ASECU - we invest in our members and their families, and we invest in our community. ASECU employees generously donate money, time, energy and talents to enrich the communities we serve and make them better places to live, work, and raise a family. Learn more.
Debit Card Fraud
Debit card fraud impacts all of our members, primarily because the credit union has to absorb the losses incurred, which, in turn, affects what we pay our members in interest on deposits and charge on loan rates and fees. Additionally, it creates inconveniences for you, our member-owner.
Card fraud occurs through many channels, including online scams, data breaches and card or mail theft. You can help keep your card numbers safe by sharing them with no one, and alerting us immediately if you notice anything suspicious. If your card number appears on a list of compromised cards during a data breach, we will contact you. It is always important to have your current contact information on record with us, including your cell phone number and email address. That way if we uncover any scams affecting your accounts, we can easily alert you and take proper action.
Card fraud has become a regular story in the news lately, and unfortunately it doesn't seem to be on the decline. Many popular retailers have become victim to hackers who break into their computer systems and steal payment information from shoppers. Recent investigations indicate that stolen customer information often includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Although we cannot stop these hackers from targeting retailers, we will continue to monitor your accounts daily for unusual activity and notify you if we notice anything suspicious. In effort to try and combat fraudulent activity, we may from time to time limit certain types of transactions, including those in foreign countries. With your help, we can better control card losses and provide better value to our member-owners. Call (877) 253-8964 to report Debit Card fraud.
Finance Local and Support Your Community!
When you choose Associated School Employees Credit Union to finance your auto or home loan, you are keeping your money local and in your community. We are proud to support our local communities in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. With the support of our members, we contributed more than $5,200 in 2016 to local community organizations and schools. When you finance your loans with ASECU, know that you are helping people in all of the great communities and schools that we serve.
Buying local is only half the equation. Finance local. Support ASECU - your local financial institution.
HOW to avoid debit card skimming!
- Inspect the ATM, gas pump, or credit card reader before using it. Be suspicious if you see anything loose, crooked, or damaged, or if you notice scratches or adhesive/tape residue.
- When entering your PIN, block the keypad with your other hand to prevent possible hidden cameras from recording your number.
- If possible, use an ATM at an inside location (less access for criminals to install skimmers).
- Be careful of ATMs in tourist areas, they are a popular target of skimmers.
- If your card isn't returned after the transaction or after hitting "cancel," immediately contact the financial institution that issued the card.
How Skimming Works
Skimming is an illegal activity that involves the installation of a device on the ATM. The devices planted on ATMs are usually undetectable by users-the makers of this equipment have become very adept at creating them, often from plastic or plaster, so that they blend right into the ATM's facade. The specific device used is often a realistic-looking card reader placed over the factory-installed card reader. Consumers insert their ATM card into the phony reader, and their account info is swiped and stored on a small attached laptop or cell phone or sent wirelessly to the criminals waiting nearby.
In addition, skimming typically involves the use of a hidden camera, installed on or near an ATM, to record customers' entry of their PINs into the ATM's keypad. We have also seen instances where, instead of a hidden camera, criminals attach a phony keypad on top of the real keypad which records every keystroke as customers punch in their PINs.
Skimming devices are installed for short periods of time-usually just a few hours-so they're often attached to an ATM by nothing more than double-sided tape. They are then removed by the criminals, who download the stolen account information and encode it onto blank cards. The cards are used to make withdrawals from victims' accounts at other ATMs.
One last note: ATMs aren't the only target of skimmers-we've also seen it at gas pumps and other point-of-sale locations where customers swipe their cards and enter their PIN. (See sidebar for tips on how to avoid being victimized by skimming.)
If you believe your card has been skimmed or if you see anything suspicious on an ATM, please contact us at (330)792-4000.