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online banking security alerts
Did you know alerts reduce the impact of fraud and identity theft by letting you know as soon as the event occurs? You should review alerts when they arrive to determine if the alert was caused by yourself or a family member, or if it was an attempt at fraud or identity theft. It is important to keep track of your information, take action with alerts, and contact us if you think there has been any compromise to your account.
How to edit your security alerts
To edit how you receive alerts or to change which alerts you receive, you will need to log into Online Banking from a registered browser. If your browser is not registered, you will need to login in using a secure access code.
Once logged in, select Settings and then Account Alerts from the main menu. You can now edit which alerts you will receive by toggling the on/off button next to the alert. There are some alerts which are required and cannot be removed.
To edit how you receive alerts click “Edit Delivery Preferences” under the Security Alerts heading. Here you can choose to receive a text, call, email or if you are on a mobile device, push notification.
Receiving a notification of an invalid password attempt
Getting a notification that a person has attempted to login to your online banking can be concerning, especially when you know it wasn't from you or a family member. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers about what to do when this happens.
Receiving a notification of an invalid password attempt
There are a few reasons you can receive a notification of invalid login attempts.
- If you enter an incorrect password at login.
Try logging in again and make sure you have used the correct password. - If someone has a similar Login ID as you and enters their Login ID incorrectly (e.g. allisonsmith vs. alisonsmith or 4556 vs. 4546).
It is recommended that you update your Login ID to something that is more difficult to duplicate. Using a combination of letter and numbers is a good tip. Also, try not to use your Member account number as your Login ID. - If there is a fraudulent login attempt.
This can result in multiple failed login notifications being sent to you. If you suspect someone is trying to gain access to your account, log in to Online Banking and change your Login ID. Remember, failed login notifications mean the person was unsuccessful at gaining access to your account and actual fraud is unlikely to have occurred. Update your Login ID as soon as possible and monitor your account activity for a few weeks. United’s Fraud Department will contact you about any suspected fraudulent transactions on your account. - If you use financial software.
If you have recently updated the credentials to your United account, be sure to check that any other platform with a connection to your account has been updated as well. If your United account is connected to any financial platform such as Credit Karma, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or any other platforms, it could trigger a failed login attempt as well if the login and password have not been updated in the platform.
Your United accounts are secure as long as you have your registered device (computer or smartphone) or the Secure Access Code process in place. Though invalid login attempts may be made, our process which requires Secure Access Code or Touch ID/Face ID (two factor authentication) ensures higher security. You should not fear being compromised as long as you have your device and have not shared your device or Secure Access Code with a fraudulent third party.
If an attempt is made multiple times, you may become locked out of Online Banking. You will see a message on the login page that says: “Your Login ID has been locked for security reasons. To unlock it, click ‘Unlock Account’ below or call us at (888) 982-1400.” Follow the instructions and change your User ID.
You should not use the same Login ID across sites. For example, you should not use ‘jdoe’ for your United Online Banking Login ID, Amazon-login, and 401k-login, etc. You should also consider changing your Login IDs frequently. Numbers, letters, and special characters help make Login IDs more unique. It is important to keep track of your information, take action with alerts, and contact us if you think there has been any compromise to your account. Third party hackers often compromise a Login ID from one site (such as in the Equifax breach) and try that same Login ID across other sites.
Login to United Online Banking and change your Login ID under Settings>Security Preferences>Change Login ID. Never use your Member Number as your Login ID, and we highly recommend not using login IDs you have used on other sites. Use a combination of letters and numbers to create a more unique ID.
