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HOPE’s Coronavirus Preparations and Response

Updated 3/7/22 at 8:52 AM
En Espanol

Jump to: 

  • Convenience Services  – Learn how to manage your funds electronically and remotely.   
  • Branches – Get updates on branch operations.   
  • Financial Assistance – See what resources may be available to help businesses and individuals financially affected by the Coronavirus. 
  • Health and Safety – Find out what you can do to keep yourself safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.   
  • Fraud Prevention – Get information on some emerging fraud activity related to the pandemic and how to avoid it.     

HOPE is committed to the continued financial and physical health of our members and staff.  As part of our efforts to respond effectively and appropriately to the pandemic, we are continuing to monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the health departments in our five-state region.

Additionally, HOPE is taking steps to ensure members have uninterrupted access to their accounts and continue to receive high quality service from our team during these times of uncertainty. This page provides important updates for members regarding credit union operations in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

If you need more information about any of the topics highlighted here, please contact us at 1-866-321-HOPE (4673).  You can also visit our Coronavirus Resources page to see a list of information and financial assistance that my be available to individuals and businesses that have been affected by the pandemic.

Convenience Services 
HOPE has a number of options that allow you to manage your finances while limiting your contact with larger groups of people.  You can access your HOPE accounts 24/7 with our full suite of services at no cost that provide you with tools for managing funds without having to come into a branch.1  Using one or more of the following services lets you check balances, view transactions, deposit checks, transfer funds, make loan payments, open new accounts, and even apply for loans:

If you aren’t using these services already, it’s easy to get started.  Just visit the respective pages for more information.

Branches 
Almost all HOPE branches are back in service and restrictions have been lifted.  Masking and capacity requirements will be managed on a local basis in accordance with government agency mandates. 

Each HOPE office will contineu to have hand sanitizer located close to the entrance. Gloves and masks will also be available.

The following facilities will be reopened as soon as conditions permit:

  • College Station, AR

Get more detailed information on scheduled reopenings and branch hours at www.hopecu.org/branches.

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Financial Assistance 
As the coronavirus continues to spread and its impact is felt across the nation, many people are facing financial burdens due to pandemic.

HOPE members with personal loans, credit cards, home loans, and business loans who are dealing with financial burdens caused by the effects of Coronavirus, can contact the credit union for guidance and to discuss options and solutions that may be available to you.  Call us at 1-866-321-4673 speak to a HOPE associate.

There are also a number of resources that have been developed to support various financial needs during these difficult economic times:

  • You may have heard that the U.S. government is working on sending checks to help Americans during this time of financial difficulty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But what exactly does this entail? We’ve highlighted key points for you at www.hopecu.org/stimuluscheck.
  • U. S. Small Business Administration – The Small Business Administration has a several loan programs and information that can help small businesses cope with the effects of Coronavirus.  Learn More
  • U. S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development – The agency has implemented measures to help rural residents, businesses, and communities affected by COVID-19. There are opportunities related to rural housing, utilities, and rural business cooperative services. Various application deadlines have also been extended.  Learn More

Health and Safety Precautions 
We encourage everyone to follow advice from healthcare professionals relating to ways to prevent the spread of the virus.

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
  • Maintain a distance of at least 3 feet from other people when out in public, and a distance of 6 feet from people who are visibly sick.
  • Stay home if you are feeling unwell.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or with a tissue.
  • Dispose of used tissues promptly.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, including your phone.
  • Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

There are additional steps that you can take specifically related to your financial activities:

  • Sanitize your debit and credit cards on a regular basis.
  • Limit trips to the branch by using HOPE’s convenience services.
  • Use digital payments when available. 
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after handling cash.

Fraud Prevention 
In addition to taking precautions to avoid catching the Coronavirus, you should also protect yourself from people who are using fear and uncertainty created by the pandemic as an opportunity to commit fraud

  • The Fake Funding Scam. In this scam, victims receive bogus phone calls, emails, text messages or social media posts, asking them to donate money to a research team which is on the verge of developing a drug to treat COVID-19, and/or a vaccine to immunize the population against the virus. There have also been ads circulating on the internet with similar requests. Nearly all of these are fakes, and any money donated to these “funds” go directly into the scammers’ pockets.
  • The Bogus Health Agency.There is so much conflicting information on the coronavirus that it’s easy for scammers to exploit this confusion. Scammers are sending out alerts that appear to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) that feature the official agency logos, and the URL provided is similar to those of the agencies as well.

    While some of these emails and posts may actually repeat official information, they often also spread misinformation to promote fear and panic, baiting people to click on the included links. Doing so infects victims’ computers with malware which is then used to scrape personal information from the infected devices.

Basic preventative measures can help keep you from becoming the scammers next victim.

  • Remember that HOPE will never ask for personal information or log in credentials in an email or text message.
  • As always, it’s important to keep the anti-malware and antivirus software on your computer up-to-date and to strengthen the security settings on all of your devices.
  • Practice responsible browsing when online.Never download an attachment from an unknown source or click on links embedded in an email or social media post from an unknown sender. Don’t share sensitive information online either. If you’re unsure about a website’s authenticity, check the URL and look for the lock icon and the “s” after the “http” which indicate that the site is secure.
  • Be cautious of emails and phone calls offering unexpected information and asking for personal information.
  • Finally, it’s a good idea to stay updated on the latest news about the coronavirus to avoid falling prey to misinformation. Check the actual CDC and WHO websites for the latest updates.

If you are unsure of whether you are being targeted by a scam, feel free to reach out to us for help at 1-866-321-4673 or via email at hopecallcenter@hopecu.org.

Please stay informed about current conditions and how to take practical steps to protect yourself from the Coronavirus by visiting the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

We value our members and will provide additional information on this webpage, via social media, and through email as necessary to keep members updated about HOPE’s response.