One major issue affecting thousands of people and financial institutions is Identity Theft and Fraud. Skilled thieves use a variety of ways to gain access to your personal information. Some ways include stealing your wallet or purse, phishing, skimming, or dumpster diving. The best possible defense against Identity Theft and Fraud is to protect your personal information. Below are just a few things you can do to minimize your risk.
- DO NOT give out your personal information over the phone, through email, or on the Internet, especially if you did not initiate the contact.
- Place passwords on your financial accounts including your credit/debit card account, and utility accounts. Avoid using a password that is easy to guess including your mother maiden name, birth date, or phone number.
- Treat your mail and trash carefully. Deposit your outgoing mail in locked post office collection boxes only. Promptly remove your mail from your mailbox, and request a vacation hold when you are out of town. Use a shredder before throwing away anything that contains personal information, and put your trash out the morning of the pick up only.
- DO NOT carry your social security card in your wallet or purse.
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Phishing Prevention
How to Protect Yourself |
| 1. Protect your computer with anti-virus software, spyware filters, e-mail filters, and firewall programs, and make sure they are regularly updated. |
| 2. Keep your Interent browser up to date and apply the latest security patches. Internet Explorer users can download a special patch for certain phishing schemes on the Microsoft secuirty home page. http://www.microsoft.com/security |
| 3. Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information or threats of termination of online accounts. |
| 4. When contacting your financial institution, use channels that you know are reliable such as: inforamtion on your credit union cards, hard-copy correspondence, or monthly account statments. Do nt rely on links contained in e-mails, even if the Web address appears to be correct. |
| 5. Always ensure that you're using a secure Web site when submitting credit card or other sensitive inforamtion via your Web browser. |
| 6. Regularly log into your online accounts. Check your account statments to ensure that all transactions are legitimate. If anything is suspicious, contact the credit union and all card issuers. |
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| Social Secuirty Phishing Scam |
| The Social Security Administration issued a warning about a new e-mail scam being circulated with the subject, "Cost-of-Living for 2007 Update." The message appears to be from the Social Security Administration and provides information about the benefit increase for 2007. It contains the following, "NOTE: We now need you to update your personal information. If this is not completed by November 11, 2006, we will be forced to suspend your account indefinitley." The reader is then directed to a Web site designed to look like Social Security's Internet Web site. Once directed to the phony site, the individual is asked to register for a password and to confirm their identity by providing personal information such as the individual's Social Security Number, finanical account information, and credit card information.
Tips to Remember:
- Do not click on links provided in suspect e-mails.
- Do not open any attachments from unsolicited e-mails.
- Do not be intimidated by e-mails or callers who suggest dire consequences if you do not immediately provide or verify information.
- Do not give out personal information over the phone or internet, especially if you did not initiate the contact.
- The credit union or any affiliated company would never solicit personal and/or private information via e-mail.
Please contact the Credit Union if you have any concerns regarding your account.
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