How to Prevent ID Theft:
- Never give out personal information such as your social security number or debit / credit card number over the phone or in an email
- Beware of phone calls form people pretending to be your credit union, insurance company or doctor’s office asking for your information – if you are suspicious, hang up and call the company back to confirm the call was legit
- Tell your financial institution if you receive any suspicious emails or phone calls from identity theft criminals trying to impersonate these companies. Your financial institution will document and keep track of this information.
- Never keep your Debit / ATM pin number in your purse or wallet – memorize it.
- Don’t carry social security number cards and remove your social security number from your drivers license or ID Card.
- Carry only the debit / credit cards you absolutely need with you, leave store cards, gas cards, etc. at home when you know you won’t need them.
- Don’t throw away financial paperwork such as bank or credit card statements without shredding them first.
- Limit what goes in and out of your mailbox. You can do this a number of ways. Sign up for Home Branch, Call FCU’s online account access and also sign up for estatements, an electronic version of your paper statement. These secure sites can help you manage your account and will help to guard your personal information by not using the mail.
- Don’t place outgoing mail in a personal mailbox with the red flat up, instead drop it off at a local post office or a USPS collection box.
- Before leaving for vacation, place the appropriate 3-30 day vacation hold on your mail free of charge at www.usps.com or by calling at 800-275-8777
- Opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail by calling 1-888-567-8688 or www.optoutprescreen.com
- Enhance your computer security. Install software that locks your computer or laptop from other users by requiring you to enter a password before logging on. Keep login and password information for your accounts in a locked filing cabinet, not on a file on your computer.
- Review your credit report at least once a year. www.annualcreditreport.com
- Close unused and / or unnecessary credit accounts – request those creditors note “acct. closed at customer’s request”
- Monitor your monthly financial statements closely for unauthorized activity
- Clean out the glove compartment in your car – don’t store old bills, credit card receipts, or any other peronsal information in your glove compartment that thieves could use to commit identity theft if they broke into or stole your car
- Never leave anyone such as maintenance workers or home improvement professionals unattented in your home – never leave personal information accessible to others if you have to leave them unattended in your home.
- Make photocopies of everything in your wallet. Copy both sides of each license, credit card, etc. That way you will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers needed to call and cancel them in the case they are lost or stolen. Keep the photocopy in a safe place
How to know if you are a possible victim of identity theft
- Indicator #1: Oftentimes, people who have been the victim of identity theft will begin receiving letters or phone calls telling them that they have been approved or denied a credit card that they never applied for. If you receive a letter or a phone call stating that you’ve bee approved for or denied a credit account you never applied for, contact the creditor immediately for more information.
- Indicator #2: It is also common for victims of identity theft to stop receiving their credit card or financial statements in the mail. If someone has stolen your identity, they may contact your creditors or financial institution and ask that your statements be sent to them. This way, when they start making charges on your account, you don’t receive notice of the activity and it prolongs the time it takes you to realize your information has been stolen. If your statement doesn’t arrive on time, contact your credit card company or financial institution immediately.
- Indicator #3: You start seeing charges on your credit card or debit card that you did not authorize. The moment you notice unauthorized charges on your credit or debit card, report the card stolen and contact your financial institution for further assistance.
- Indicator #4: You’re a financially responsible person and you pay your bills on time, but suddenly you start getting calls from collection agencies stating that you owe money. You could be the victim of identity theft. Ask the collection agency to provide you documentation of the debts and look into the matter immediately. You will probably need to file a police report to help resolve the situation.
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