The security of your personal information is always a priority at California Coast University. We work hard to help ensure your account information stays secure. The Web can be a great place to find information, but be extra cautious about the information you give.

If you are anenrolled student and have questions, please contact student services at student_services@calcoast.edu. If you are a prospective student, please contact Admissions at admissions@calcoast.edu.

Please review our latest security bulletin to protect yourself from fraudulent emails.

Protection Basics

Protecting yourself can be as simple as keeping your eyes and ears open. Here are some proactive steps to keep your financial information secure.

Do a regular review
You can catch unauthorized transactions early by checking your account details regularly — at least once a week. Whenever possible, cancel paper bills and statements and switch to checking statements and paying bills online.

Put alerts to work
Some financial institutions offer you the option to have "account alerts" delivered to your email. This keeps you up-to-date and on top of any suspicious activity.

Get your credit report
It's your credit, so make sure no one else is using it. Check to ensure there aren't activities listed that you didn't initiate.

Online Safety

Here are just a few tips on what to think about while online.

• Never send account information, such as your account number or PIN, in the body of an email. You never know who could be intercepting it.
  
• Beware of phishing emails. These are emails that appear to be from your bank or an online merchant asking you to provide your account information. These emails are bogus. CCU will never ask for any account or personal information in an email. Find out more about phishing emails and other frauds on our Common Frauds page.
  
• Never click on Internet links within emails. Instead, type the known URL.
  
• When using a public computer to shop online or access your account(s), always remember to log off and quit the browser when you are finished. All it takes for someone to view your personal information is simply hitting the back button.
  
• Implement anti-spyware and anti-virus software updates as soon as they’re available.

Common techniques used to steal information

• Phishing and spoof. A type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. Con artists might send millions of fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from Web sites you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information.
  
• Examining garbage. Scavenging through trash bins to find old bank statements or other documents with personal information.
  
• Hacking. Breaking into computer databases and retrieving information.

How to tell if an e-mail message is fraudulent

Phishing emails, and the Web sites they link to, typically use familiar logos and familiar graphics to deceive consumers into thinking the sender or Web site owner is a government agency or a company they know. Sometimes the phisher urges intended victims to “confirm” account information that has been “stolen” or “lost.” Other times the phisher entices victims to reveal personal information by telling them they have won a special prize or earned an exciting reward.

Look for these red flags in the email:

• Asks you to provide personal information such as your bank account number, an account password, credit card number, PIN number, mother’s maiden name, or Social Security number. Visa will never ask you for this information by email.
  
• Does not address you by your name.
  
• No confirmation of the company that does business with you, such as referencing a partial account number.
  
• Warns that your account will be shut down unless you reconfirm your financial information.
  
• Warns that you’ve been a victim of fraud.
  
• Spelling or grammatical errors.
  
• The "From" field of an email can easily be altered - it is not a reliable indicator of the true origin of the email.

Take these steps to minimize your phishing risk:

• View any email request for personal information or other personal data with suspicion.
  
• Do not reply to the email and do not respond by clicking on a link within the email message.
  
• Contact the actual business that allegedly sent the email to verify if it is genuine. Call a phone number or visit a Web site that you know to be legitimate, such as those provided on your monthly statements.
  
• Do NOT send personal information (e.g., credit or debit card number, Social Security number, or PIN) in response to an email request from anyone or any entity.
  
• Be cautious. Check your monthly statements to verify all transactions.
  
• Con artists also use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that resemble the name of a well-known company but are slightly altered by adding, omitting, or transposing letters. For example, the URL "calcoast.edu" could appear instead as:

  caclcoast.edu
  caclcoast-service.org
  

What to do if you've responded to a phishing scam:

• Report the incident to the following authorities:
  
  • Your credit card company, if you have given your credit card information. The sooner an organization knows your account may have been compromised, the easier it will be for them to help protect you.
    
  • The company that you believe was forged. Remember to contact the organization directly, not through the e-mail message you received.
    
  • In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission. Report the circumstances to the FTC: National Resource for Identity Theft.
    
  • You can also report the phishing scam to the Anti-Phishing Working Group and to the FTC at spam@uce.gov.
    
  • Create a new e-mail message addressed to them and attach the phishing e-mail to the new message.
    
• Change the passwords on all your online accounts. Start with passwords that are related to financial institutions or information.
  
• Routinely review your credit card and bank statements. Review your bank and credit card statements monthly for unexplained charges or inquiries that you didn’t initiate.
  
• Use the latest products and services to help warn and protect you from online scams.

Useful Links:

We encourage you to take a closer look at these resources on how to improve your security.

Federal Trade Commission
U.S. government-sponsored resource for learning about identity theft. In-depth information about how to deter, detect, and defend against identity theft.

On Guard Online
Practical tips from the U.S. federal government and technology industry to help you guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.

Better Business Bureau Online
Provides both a reliability and privacy seal of approval to sites that meet its standards for ethical business practices.