Sunmark Federal Credit Union opened its newest branch, located on Route 7 in Latham, on Thursday, May 15. The new branch features a full-service drive-up ATM and a night drop box to accommodate commercial deposits.

The branch lobby will be open during the following business hours:
Monday, Tuesday: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday, Friday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

The branch drive through will be open during the following business hours:
Monday, Tuesday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday, Friday: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Late March 14th , Sunmark Federal Credit Union was notified of a breach in security at Hannaford Bros. Supermarkets that has resulted in the compromise of a number of Sunmark VISA debit card account numbers. To date, our risk management team has found no evidence that the compromised Sunmark debit cards have been used fraudulently.

If your card has been identified as having been affected by this card compromise, you will receive a letter from Sunmark within the next few days advising you of the situation and planned next steps. As always, we encourage ALL members to carefully review current and future account statements and immediately notify Sunmark if any unauthorized activity is found by calling toll free at 866-SUNMARK (866-786-6275).

As part of our Online Banking security, you may be asked to respond to the security questions before you access your account. If you need assistance, please contact our Telephone Access Center at 518-382-0605 or via CHAT

Your security is of utmost importance to Sunmark. You can learn more about Enhanced Login Security by reading our FAQs or logging in to SunLink or BiznetLink for more information.

Beginning in May, member paper statements will be mailed on the 15th of each month. In an effort to maximize Sunmark's resources, it has been determined that this change will save significantly on statement printing and mailing costs. This will allow Sunmark to focus on other efforts to help each member through financial and life changes, as well as encourage overall member wealth.

Want your statements earlier? Sign up for eStatements, which will continue to be delivered the first week of the month, by calling 866-SUNMARK or visiting your local branch.

Update (July 2008): Please be aware that Sunmark vendors have alerted the credit union that phishing scams can also be targeted towards their companies in order to capture Sunmark member information. Remember that neither Sunmark, nor any of its vendors, will request sensitive financial or personal information from you at any time. Please read on for more information about phishing scams.

As concern continues to mount regarding scam artists who use today's Internet technology to try to gain access to the personal information of unsuspecting internet users, Sunmark wants you to know we're doing our best to ensure your personal information is secure, and we hope you will too! That's why we want you to know about some recent phishing scams and how you can be vigilant in guarding against them.

Fraudsters most often use the guise of the financial services industry to launch their phishing attacks. Phishing refers to activities via email and the Web to obtain information that allows the sender to obtain unauthorized access to consumer accounts and other personal data, which can then be used to commit financial crimes and identity theft. Some recent scams have included emails with working links which, when clicked, actually take the consumer to a spoofed site where a verification prompt exists either asking for personal information or, in some cases, running custom JavaScript code that allows the phisher to track web use, including information and user passwords. Often the sites and emails look very official, so it is difficult to determine the legitimacy.

Here are some guidelines to help you determine the legitimacy of online communications that appear to be from Sunmark:

• When Sunmark sends eMinders, our educational and informational emails, we will never ask for or link to a site that requires you to provide account or personal information.
• Sunmark's URL is: http://www.sunmarkfcu.org. To ensure that you are accessing Sunmark FCU's official website, you can type this URL in the address line.
• Only SunLink Home Banking and Convergence Cash Management have security verification requirements. To access, you must go to our website and initiate the process; we will never send an email directing you to these sites.

Here are some additional precautions you can take to further protect yourself from phishing scams:

• If you are unsure whether a Sunmark communication is legitimate or not, call Sunmark's Telephone Access Number at 866-SUNMARK for verification. Do not call unfamiliar numbers that may be listed in the e-mail or linked site, as some scams go to great lengths to appear credible.
• Generally, it is best to avoid clicking on links within emails, especially those from unfamiliar or suspect sources. If you receive an email and want to ensure you arrive at an official site, type the web address directly into the address line.
• Keep your computer protected by installing updated virus and personal firewall software that can alert you to fraudulent activities and potential viruses. It's worth the investment, and some personal firewall software is even available on the internet for free.

'Tis the season for good will and cheer, but it's also the season to be on guard for fraud. We are aware of certain phone solicitations where callers are requesting account or other personal information. Please be aware that Sunmark will never initiate a call requiring you to give us account information such as Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) or social security numbers.

Here are some guidelines to help you avoid telephone scams:

• If someone calls claiming to be from your financial institution asking for personal information, do not provide any information.
• Be wary of phone scams where fraudulent callers provide minimal information — such as the last four digits of debit or credit card numbers which can sometimes be found on discarded ATM receipts or other store receipts — then request more sensitive information as verification.
• Ask questions when receiving unsolicited calls. Tell the caller you will call them at a published number to establish legitimacy. Avoid calling unfamiliar numbers that a caller provides to you during the call as your only source of verification.
• If you have Caller ID, record the number if available.
• It is best to take precautions by calling Sunmark's Telephone Access Number at 866-SUNMARK for verification.