FRAUD ALERT
United Financial Credit Union will never send you unsolicited emails, text messages, or phone calls to request your personal information, such as your credit card number, expiration date, PINs or passwords, or full Social Security Number. To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, please DO NOT reply to emails, phone calls, or any unexpected communication that ask you to CONFIRM, UPDATE, or PROVIDE your personal account information.
If you receive a suspicious email, text message, or telephone call claiming to be from United Financial Credit Union requesting sensitive information, DO NOT, click any of the links, or return the call. Instead, contact United Financial Credit Union immediately to report the suspicious activity and ensure that your accounts are in order.
Identity theft is a serious crime. It occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft can cost you time and money. It can destory your credit and ruin your good name.
Identity theft strikes millions of people every year … Don’t let it happen to you! Consider it an alarm system for your credit report and protect yourself from the turmoil of identity theft. To order online or for more information on Equifax's credit report monitoring service, simply visit www.equifax.com, or call 1-800-437-4619 to receive it in the mail.
Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information.
Shred documents and paperwork with personal information before you
discard them.
Protect your Social Security number. Don't carry your Social Security
card in your wallet. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use
another identifier.
Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or
over the Internet unless you know who you're dealing with
Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web
address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to
protect your home computer; keepthem up-to-date.
Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information.
Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden
name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if
you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house.
Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.
Be alert to signs that require immediate attention:
Bills that do not arrive as expected
Unexpected credit cards or account statements
Denials of credit for no apparent reason
Calls or letters about purchases you did not make
Inspect:
Your credit report. Credit reports contain information about you, including
what accounts you have and your bill paying history.
-The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies -
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to give you a free copy of your
credit report each year if you ask for it.
-Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228, a service
created by these three companies, to order your free credit reports each year.
Your financial statements. Review financial accounts and billing statemetns
regularly, looking for charges you did not make.
Defend against ID theft as soon as you suspect it.
Place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit reports, and review the reports carefully.
The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new
accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. The three
nationwide consumer reporting companies have toll-free numbers for placing
an initial 90-day fraud alert; a call to one company is sufficient:
-Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
-Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
-TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your credit reports.
Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you
didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain
Close accounts.
Close any accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently.
-Call the security or fraud departments of each compnay where an account
was opened or changed without your okay. Follow up in writing, with
copies of supporting documents.
-Use the ID Theft Affidavit at ftc.gov/idtheft, or other acceptable
document, to support your written statement.
-Ask for verificaton that the disputed account has been closed and the
fraudulent debts discharged.
-Keep copies of documents and records of your conversations about
the theft.
File a police report.
File a report with law enforcement officials to help you with creditors who
may want proof of the crime.
Report ID theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Your report helps law enforcement officials across the country in their investigations.
-Online: ftc.gov/idtheft
-By phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261
COMMON WAYS ID THEFT HAPPENS:
Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to steal your personal information, including:
Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other
paper with your personal information on it.
"Old-Fashined" Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank
and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or
tax information. They steal personnel records from their employers, or bribe
employees who have access.
Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another
location by completing a "change of address" form.
Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage
device when processing your card.
Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send
spam emails or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
Vishing. "Vishing" is similar to phishing, but it takes place over the phone
using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). In a typical vishing scenario, you
receive a recorded message alerting you to potential fraud or unusual activity
on yotheir credit union account or credit card. The message directs the
target to call another number immediately to verify their accounts.
Smishing. "Smishing" is a growing online scam that is similar to phishing.
The name is derived from SMS for Short Message Service, a technology used
for texting on cell phones. In smishing, the criminal delivers a text message
that requires "immediate" action on your part. The message contains a fake
warning – something related to a breach in your account’s security or charges
for a service you did not order. The message may direct you, the victim, to go
online and visit a web address.
The site appears to be legitimate but is a lookalike set up by the criminals.
It requests that you confirm personal financial information and passwords.
One tipoff that a text message is a smishing attempt is the “From” line
displays a few digits, like “1000” instead of a traceable, 10-digit phone number.
For more information Click on - Phishing Brochure:
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