Everything
you NEED to know about Identity Theft
News stories continue to
appear about fraud committed with stolen personal information. Our
own website seemingly maintains headlines regarding identity theft
and phishing on a regular basis. Why is this so important? In today's
information era, it is quite simply easy to have your identity stolen.
As your credit union, committed to your financial safety, we feel
you need to know the latest info to keep your self and your accounts
safe.
Remember DUFCU
will NEVER ask for your personal information, account number, PIN,
or any sensitive account information via email. If you
receive an e-mail that purports to be from DUFCU and asks for account
information- you should consider it to be a fraudulent attempt to
obtain your personal account data for an illegal purpose and you
should not follow the instructions in the e-mail. If you are confused
or would like to verify the request, simply call 919.684.6704 option
1.
Prevent It! "An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - Ben Franklin.
-
The next time
you order checks consider having only your initials
(instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone
takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your
checks with just your initials or your first name, but your
bank will know how you sign your checks.
- Do not sign
the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO
ID REQUIRED".
- When you are writing
checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put
the complete account number on the "For" line.
Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company
knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling
your check as it passes through all the check processing channels
won't have access to it.
- Put your
work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone.
If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If
you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never
have your SS# printed on your checks. You can add it
if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get
it.
- Place the
contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both
sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you
had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers
to call and cancel in case your wallet is stolen. We've all heard
horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing
a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards. But
above all- put these photocopies in a safe place!
-
Never
give your account numbers or Personal Identification Numbers
(PIN) to someone who contacts you. The Credit Union
(and most other financial institutions) will NEVER ask for
your account information or PIN numbers in an email.
-
Shred
anything with your Social Security Number, birth date, or
account number and all credit offers
-
Don’t
carry your Social Security card, extra credit cards, passport
or birth certificate in your purse or wallet if not
absolutely necessary
-
Reconcile
your accounts immediately, and challenge any purchases
that you don’t remember.
Get Over It! "Although
the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming
of it." - Helen Keller.
-
Cancel
lost credit cards immediately. However, the key is
having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so
you know whom to call. Keep a separate list where you can
find it quickly and easily.
- Report it to your
Credit Union if your checkbook is stolen.
-
File
a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where
your purse or wallet was stolen. This proves to credit providers
you were diligent, and it is a first step toward an investigation
if one is required.
-
If you believe
your Social Security number has been compromised, call the
Social Security Administration’s fraud line to report
it.
-
Contact
credit-reporting agencies. This is perhaps the most
important and least discussed step. Call the three national
credit-reporting agencies immediately and ask them
to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security
number. With an alert in place, any company checking your
credit knows your information was stolen and they must contact
you by phone to authorize new credit.
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