HOME DEPOT SECURITY BREACH

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 18, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Last week, Atlanta, Georgia-based retailer Home Depot® reported a major security breach of their Point of Sale (POS) system. The initial breach occurred in April 2014 and has affected in-store transactions in the US and Canada through September 2014. The breach is similar to the December 2013 Target® breach, in that malware was installed on the Point of Sale Terminal System to steal customers’ credentials (debit cards and credit cards). Online transactions were not compromised. This breach is estimated to have affected more shoppers than the Target® breach. Please be assured that AmeriCU’s systems were NOT compromised. We have the highest level of security possible and take every precaution to safeguard and protect your accounts and personal information.

As with the Target® breach, AmeriCU has proactively flagged and deployed heightened fraud detection within our fraud management system for all members whose accounts were identified as potentially compromised. If your account was identified, you will receive a letter from AmeriCU within the next week to 10 days with further information.

If you feel that your account(s) may have been compromised because you used your credit and/or debit card(s) at Home Depot® between April and September 2014, please contact us at 1.800.449.7728 so that we may close your current account(s) and re-issue your card(s). AmeriCU will waive the replacement fee for our members who satisfy the above criteria. New cards will be issued at no charge to our members affected by the compromise.

Please note: AmeriCU will NEVER contact you by phone or email and ask you to verify your account details such as debit or credit card numbers, social security number, and/or passwords. If you receive such an email/text message, please contact us immediately and DO NOT provide any information to the sender.

What does card compromise mean?

A card compromise means that account information may have been acquired by an unauthorized source. In most cases, the breach occurs at a location that accepts or processes card transactions such as merchant terminals or card processor’s computer systems.

What kind of information was obtained?

Home Depot® has said that data such as customer names, card numbers and expiration date and CVV security codes were stolen. Confidential information such as social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, addresses, and dates of birth are not stored on cards.

Could AmeriCU have prevented this incident?

AmeriCU has no control over how merchants store customers’ information. Every merchant has an obligation make every attempt to protect their customers’ information by ensuring their systems are secure. We recommend that you monitor your account and card activity online frequently. If you notice any suspicious transactions, please contact the Credit Union immediately.

AmeriCU Credit Union is committed to offering safe and secure financial services. It’s important that you keep your contact information updated at all times so we can reach you if needed. Please remember to let us know if your address, email or phone number changes. You may update your email address online, use our BIG BLUE Kiosks to update your address or contact us by phone at 1.800.388.2000 to update all of your contact information.

What if my card is blocked and I have pre-authorized debits made to my compromised card?

For recurring/preauthorized payments, please contact any merchants upon receipt of your replacement card and update your card information. It is important that you do this so that you do not experience any service interruptions. You may even be able to complete this online on the merchant’s website.

What about other pre-authorized users on my Debit Card account?

Each debit card has a unique number. Therefore, if one card is compromised, that doesn’t mean the other user’s card on the same account is compromised as well. We strongly recommend monitoring all accounts and report any suspicious transactions immediately.

Should you have additional questions or concerns, please contact us at 1.800.388.2000.

Source: AmeriCU Credit Union

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