Wheat State Credit Union Privacy and Website Policies

Privacy Policy

Wheat State Credit Union does not participate in the practice of selling private member information to third parties for the promotion of any third party business. It is our intention as a credit union to inform our members of our privacy policy and that private member information will only be provided to third parties for the purpose of promoting credit union products. WSCU will make every effort to review any vendor’s privacy policies if available and establish guidelines for all vendors in which the credit union may be required to disclose private member information.

Wheat State Credit Union believes very strongly in maintaining the private and personal information of our members.

General Policy

Wheat State Credit Union deals with information that is subject to laws and regulations which require us to make certain disclosures, take actions for and make disclosures and take action concerning particular information. As a general matter, Wheat State Credit Union does not sell personal information of our membership and does not share with third parties any private information submitted which personally identifies our members. There are several exceptions to this rule, which include, but are not necessarily limited to the following:

• The credit union has many third party relationships. WSCU cooperates with these third parties in order to allow products and services to be made available to our membership. WSCU shares information necessary or advisable in order to provide these third party services and products.
• The credit union occasionally must submit information to third parties in order to verify, provide, process and keep records of service given to our members. There are times when this information is combined with other third party information in order to determine membership eligibility requirements or even identification.
• The credit union must comply with government agency regulations or court orders.
• The credit union uses information in order to verify the existence and condition of a member’s account for a third party, such as credit bureau agencies and merchants.
• The credit union reserves the right to use information to protect itself, our members and our vendors. For Example, WSCU uses personal information to process insurance claims and other types of claims.

Website Policy

The credit union respects our members’ privacy on our website. Our website provides valuable information to our members concerning rates, latest news events, disclosure requirements, service information, product information, and the ability for our members to contact us in many ways. It is the credit union’s hope that our members and potential members find our website easy to navigate and very informative.

External Links: At times, Wheat State Credit Union provides links to external websites for your convenience. Wheat State Credit Union is not responsible for any content on external websites and does not make any representations concerning linked sites’ contents or availability. We encourage you to review the site’s privacy and information security policies carefully before you enter confidential information.

Email: Typically our website does not require our members to disclose and personally identifying information. However, members choosing to email the credit union with questions or comments should be aware that any information attached to that email address, such as, name or workplace will be revealed to WSCU. It is the credit union’s pledge, however, that when our members communicate with us via email, we will use your email information only for the specific purpose of responding to our members’ comments or questions. WSCU will not sell our members’ email addresses, nor will the credit union share our members’ email addresses with any other third parties that the credit union may be involved with. The only exception to this rule would be if WSCU were somehow forced to share this information by a matter of law.

Marketing Solicitations: Periodically Wheat State Credit Union does participate in programs aimed at offering additional services or products to credit union members. These programs are presented as a credit union supported service on this website as a service available to our members. With the offering of these services is implemented, the credit union may from time to time, solicit information from our members, which requires them to disclose to us certain personal information. Of course our members would provide this information to Wheat State Credit Union on a voluntary basis. However, the disclosure of information to the credit union will be used primarily for the specific promotion the data is being gathered for or simply to enable the credit union to contact our members with additional information about our products and services that the credit union offers.

Analytics: Like many other websites, www.wheatstatecu.com makes use of Google Analytics, a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. The information inside the analytics files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks. This information is used to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons: This website uses cookies to store information about visitors’ preferences, to record user-specific information on which pages the site visitor accesses or visits, and to personalize or customize our web page content based upon visitors’ browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser. This website includes a pixel that enables cookies to be dropped onto your machine. These cookies may be used to target ads to site visitors on third party websites. Visit www.youradchoices.com, which explains behavioral targeting in more detail, and will allow you to opt out of being targeted for any behavioral advertising by any member of the Internet Advertising Bureau.

Member Abuse

General Policy Statement:

• This policy is to protect the employees of Wheat State Credit Union from abusive members.  This policy is not enacted to restrict the rights or freedoms of anyone, but rather to address certain unacceptable conduct in order to assure the rights and protection of the Credit Union’s employees.
• The Board of Directors recognizes that the Credit Union’s outstanding reputation is due in large part to the loyalty, commitment, and continued efforts of its employees.  The Board is committed to treating the employees of the Credit Union with the respect they deserve and is committed to maintaining a workplace free from any type of abuse.
•  Furthermore, this policy shall be used to address and mitigate risks inherent to the credit union from members becoming willing participants in fraud schemes or illegal scams.

Guidelines:

1. In the event that any member or non-member representing a member of the Credit Union shall engage in any type of abusive conduct, the CEO or an employee on the Management Team has the authority and is hereby authorized to impose sanctions against any member who engages in any type of abusive conduct.
2. In that regard, any or all of the following sanctions may be imposed against a member who has engaged in abusive conduct:

• • Denial of all services other than the right to maintain a share account and the right to vote at annual meetings and special meetings.
  • Denial of services which involve personal contact with Credit Union employees.
  • Denial of access to the Credit Union premises.
  • Taking any other action deemed necessary under the circumstances that are not expressly precluded by the Federal Credit Union Act, the National Credit Union Administration Rules and Regulations, or the Credit Union’s Bylaws.
  • Threats of any nature will be reported to the local authorities.
  • In extreme cases of continued abusive behavior, a member may be removed from membership.
  • In the event that a member’s conduct warrants potential removal from membership in the Credit Union, a letter may be sent to the member’s last known address which gives warning of possible membership termination if the behavior/conduct continues.
  • This letter can be sent at the discretion of management or the Board of Directors only.
  • Termination from membership must be completed by a Board of Directors vote and does not require a unanimous decision.

For purposes of this policy, “abusive conduct” includes, but is not limited to any of the following:

• Engaging in offensive or abusive physical contact.
• Making false, vicious, or malicious statements about any Credit Union employee or the Credit Union and its services, operations, policies, practices, or management.
• Using profane, abusive, intimidating, or threatening language towards Credit Union employees or fellow members.
• Attempting to coerce or interfere with Credit Union employees in the performance of their duties at any time.
• Conducting or attempting to conduct or engage in any fraudulent, dishonest or deceptive activity of any kind involving Credit Union employees or Credit Union services.
• Any posting, defacing, or removing notices or signs on Credit Union premises.
• Writing on Credit Union bulletin boards without management authorization.
• Appropriation or misappropriation of Credit Union funds, property or material proprietary to the Credit Union.
• Immoral conduct or indecency on Credit Union premises.
• Deliberate or repeated violations of security procedures or safety rules.
• Possession, use, or being under the influence of drugs or alcoholic substances on Credit Union premises.
• Fighting or possession of weapons of any kind on Credit Union premises.

 

Unacceptable conduct or participation in potential scams, financial crimes, or illegal activity.

• Wheat State Credit Union will make every effort to educate its members about fraudulent activity, scams, or illegal activity as it pertains to the credit union or the member’s account.
• In the event that an account is compromised, to protect the member and/or the credit union, we may require a member to close the account and open a new account, should they choose to continue their membership with Wheat State Credit Union.
• To protect the credit union from unnecessary potential loss due to fraud, if a member’s account is compromised more than three times, meaning we have opened two or more replacement accounts for the same member, and we suspect that the compromise is due to the members actions, we may require that the member close all accounts with us and will not offer them a new/replacement account.