How To Avoid Becoming A Victim - What To Do If It Happens To You

How To Avoid Becoming A Victim and
What To Do If It Happens To You

Your Privacy And Good Name Are Important To Us

Identity theft is America's fastest growing fraud problem. As your credit union, we utilize a number of security measures to keep your personal information private. We also feel it is our duty to provide you with useful information that you can use everyday to protect your good name and combat the rise of identity theft. We hope you find this information valuable.

Identity Theft

Identity Theft occurs when someone assumes and uses your personal information for his or her own personal gain, such as making purchases or obtaining new credit. They sometimes accomplish this by knowing only your birth date and Social Security Number. That's why it's so important to keep identifying numbers, such as your Social Security, credit card, and personal identification numbers, private.

How Your Information Is Obtained

A number of low- and high-tech methods can be used to obtain an individual's personally identifying information.

• Theft of a wallet, purse, laptop, or PDA.
• Intercepting mail such as pre-approval offers and credit card statements.
• Rummaging through your trash or the trash of businesses.
• Getting credit reports by posing as someone who may have a legitimate need and legal right to the information.
• Obtaining information from you by pretending to legitimate business person or government official.
• Internet viruses and scams.

What The Thieves Do Next

Armed with only a small amount of information about you, identity thieves can do a great deal of damage to your good name.

• Obtain credit and go on spending sprees for merchandise they can pawn for cash.
• Give the identification to the police if they are arrested.
• Take out an auto loan.
• Counterfeit checks or debit cards to drain your bank account.
• Establish phone or wireless services.
• Change the mailing address on your credit card account then charge against the account. Since the bill is not being sent to you, it may take some time before you realize there is a problem.

Steps To Protect Yourself

While no one is completely protected from identity theft, these tips may assist in reducing your chances of becoming a victim.

Review Your Credit Report

Thanks to a new law, by September 1, 2005 all consumers will be able to receive a free credit report annually from each of the three credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. A regional rollout has begun and continues quarterly throughout the year.

• Western states: December 1, 2004
• Midwestern states: March 1, 2005
• Southern states: June 1, 2005
• Eastern states: September 1, 2005

How To Order Your Free Credit Report

• Visit the only authorized website, www.annualcreditreport.com, to request your credit report online or print a request form to mail.
• Call 877-322-8228.

Please do not request your free annual credit report directly from each agency as they have combined efforts to provide the reports directly from the website and phone number listed above.

How To Order Your Report For A Small Fee

If you live in an area where your free reports are not yet available and you want to order them for a small fee, you can contact the agencies directly.

Equifax	Experian	TransUnion
www.equifax.com	www.experian.com	www.transunion.com
888-766-0008	888-397-3742	800-680-7289

Manage Your Mail

• Never leave unattended incoming or outgoing mail in an unsecured mailbox.
• Consider securing your mailbox or renting a post office box.
• Any mail with personal or financial information, especially checks, should be dropped off inside the post office.
• Be aware of when your monthly statements and bills should arrive.
• Check your monthly statements for any discrepancies and report any suspicious activity.
• When you order new checks, ask if you can pick them up if your mailbox is not secure.
• Be sure to shred pre-approval offers, credit card offers, statements, and receipts - anything with personal or financial information - before discarding them.

Safeguard Your Information

• Know who you're giving your information to, especially your birth date and Social Security or driver license number.
• Do not give any information over the phone or the Internet online unless you initiate contact.
• Carry as little identification and as few credit cards as necessary.
• Record the issuer contact information and card numbers for the identification and credit cards you carry in your purse or wallet and keep it in a safe place. In the event they are lost or stolen, this will make it easier for you to notify the issuers.
• If your Social Security number is used as an account number or driver license number, ask that it be changed.
• Store your Social Security card in a secure location.
• Report lost or stolen cards and personal checks immediately.
• Sign your credit, debit, and ATM cards as soon as you receive them.
• After making a purchase, verify you received your receipt and the correct card back.

Internet Security

• Keep your computer virus protection up-to-date. Viruses can introduce a program code that causes your computer to send out files or other stored information.
• Don't download files or click on hyperlinks from people you don't know.
• Use a firewall to limit uninvited access to your computer.
• When making online purchases, be sure the site is secure by looking for the "lock" on the status bar.
• Never reveal any personal information in an email because the information will not be sent in a secure manner.

Take Care When Storing and Discarding Information

• Shred anything with personal or financial information before putting it in the trash.
• Close accounts that you no longer use and completely destroy any related cards.
• Shred any unsolicited offers for credit and transaction receipts you no longer need.
• Keep a list of all your account numbers and contact information in a secure place. Do not carry this with you when you travel.

Protect Your Passwords

• Never use a birth date, street address, phone number, or series of consecutive numbers.
• Use a "strong" password - a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols.
• Don't use the same password for everything.
• Password-protect any account you can such as credit card and telephone accounts.
• Memorize passwords or store them in a secure place. Never carry them with you or write them on the related plastic card.
• Never store them on a laptop or notebook computer that could be lost or stolen.

What To Do If It Happens To You

Inform the credit-reporting agencies right away. This can be the most effective way to stop the illegal use of your good name.

• Contact the fraud department at any one of the three major credit-reporting agencies. This will place a fraud alert with all three agencies within 24 hours. You can also request a free copy of your credit report if you have been victimized.
• Equifax
  www.equifax.com
  800-685-1111
• Experian
  www.experian.com
  888-397-3742
• TransUnion
  www.transunion.com
  800-888-4213
• Notify your credit union, other financial institutions, and your creditors to close the close your existing accounts and open new ones.
• Change all personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords.
• File an identity theft report with the police department in the jurisdiction you reside. Keep the original form for your records and mail in a copy.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the crime at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or 877-438-4338.
• Inform your local postal inspector if your mail has been stolen. This is a federal crime.
• Notify the Social Security Administration if someone has falsely used your Social Security number to gain employment at www.ssa.gov or 800-269-0271.

Keep Organized Records For A Strong Case

Accurate and thorough record keeping will greatly improve your identity theft case being resolved.

• Keep written records of anyone you talk to by summarizing the conversation and the date it took place.
• Follow up in writing with anyone you contact by phone or in person and keep copies of the correspondence or forms you send.
• Get proof of delivery on mailed items by using Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
• Keep originals of supporting documentation such as police reports and letters to creditors.
• Create a filing system of all the paperwork related to your case. Keep files even after your case is closed. Fraudulent activity related to identity theft can reappear on your credit reports.

We hope you have found this information useful. By practicing the steps to protect yourself you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you're doing all you can to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Thank you for your continued loyalty and support.