Identity Theft: Protection Tips
Against The Fastest Growing
Crime In America

This year, hundreds of thousands of Americans will be the victim of identity theft, according to government and private sector estimates. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information to conduct business in your name. This includes establishing credit, purchasing items, or even borrowing money in your name.

This type of fraud is on the rise. Millions could eventually be affected by identity fraud, called "the crime of the 21st Century." What should you watch for? How can you protect yourself? And what is your credit union doing to protect your good name?

Protect Yourself

1. Don't release your financial information, such as checking account and credit card numbers or your Social Security number, to anyone over the phone or email unless you know the person or organization. Don't even release that information to someone claiming to be from your credit union (we already have this information, so why would we ask you to give it to us over the phone?).
2. Report lost or stolen checks immediately. When you receive a new order of checks, review them immediately to make sure none have been lost or stolen.
3. Notify Commonwealth Credit Union of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."
4. Shred financial solicitations or financial statements before disposing of them.
5. Deposit your mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box. Thieves may use your outgoing mail to steal your identity.
6. If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change-of-address notice to divert your mail to his or her address.
7. If your bills include questionable items, investigate immediately. This is often the first sign of identity theft fraud.
8. Destroy (shred) any unused checks and credit cards on a closed account.
9. Memorize your passwords and Personal Identification Numbers (PIN). Never write your PIN on your ATM/debit card or credit card.
10. Register your VISA credit cards with Verified By Visa. This includes your Global Card. This service helps protect your card from online fraud at participating merchants. Log on to www.ccuky.org for full instructions.
11. Register your Commonwealth Credit Union MasterCard with MasterCard SecureCode. This service helps protect your card from fraudulent online purchases at participating merchants. Register your card at www.mastercardsecurecode.com.
12. Use Commonwealth Credit Union’s free Home Banking service to keep an eye on your accounts. Home Banking gives you 24-hour access to your accounts from any computer with Internet access. You can sign up for Home Banking at www.ccuky.org.
13. Sign up to have your financial statements delivered electronically via Commonwealth Credit Union’s free e-Statement service. This will prevent your financial statements from being taken from your mailbox. Sign up at www.ccuky.org.
14. Contact the major credit reporting companies to review your file and make certain the information is correct. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of your credit report at any time. The three major credit bureaus are:
    

    Equifax: 800.685.1111

    Experian: 888.397.3742

    TransUnion: 800.888.4213

What Commonwealth Credit Union Is Doing

Substantial measures are in place at your credit union to protect your identity against theft and fraud:

Privacy Policies. We maintain rigorous information security programs and privacy policies to protect your personal and financial information. These policies are stringent and enforced, with employee training provided regularly. We treat your confidential information with the utmost care, whether online or in person.

Internal Confidentiality. Access to non-public information about you is limited to employees who need to know that information to provide products and services to you.

Internet Protection. Before using any of our online services, you will select, or be assigned, your own personal password. It is important that you protect this information. Do not leave it in a place where it may be easily found, such as in a wallet or under a keyboard.

Encrypted Security. Whenever you are online with Commonwealth Credit Union, your transactions and personal information are secured by powerful encryption software that converts the information into secure code.

If It Happens To You

The following are steps you should take if you become a victim of identity theft:

• File a police report and call the Federal Trade Commission
• Contact your credit union and any other financial institutions with which you conduct business
• Tag accounts closed due to fraud: "closed at consumer’s request"
• Notify any one of the three credit bureau’s fraud units. A single call to any of the three bureaus can result in a "security alert" being placed at all of the bureaus and a free credit report from each organization
• Establish a password for telephone inquiries on credit card accounts
• Request a copy of your credit report (free to fraud victims) and consider reviewing bi-monthly copies of your credit report until your case is resolved (available at a minimal cost to fraud victims)
• Report check theft to check verification companies
• Check post office for unauthorized change-of-address requests
• Follow-up contacts with a letter and keep copies of all correspondence

Helpful Numbers