How to Protect Your Identity

"Identity theft" is on the rise. How does it work? With your name, Social Security number, and/or drivers license number, smart criminals will open accounts and quickly run up debts before you suspect what's happened. When they don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.

Here are some tips on how you can protect yourself:

• Safeguard your personal information, including your savings, checking, credit card, and loan account numbers, passport, Social Security number, and all Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).
   
• Be careful when you reveal personal information. A good rule of thumb is to only provide information if you initiate the call. Find out how your information will be used and if it will be shared. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information. Never enter this information online as the result of an email prompting you to do so -- it may be a phishing scheme.
   
• Pay attention to your billing and statement cycles. Follow up with issuers if bills and account statements do not show up on time. If your bills include questionable items, don't ignore them. Instead, investigate immediately to head off any possible fraud.
   
• Don't share your credit, Check/ATM, or cash cards with anyone. Minimize the number of cards you carry to those you actually need. 
   
• Destroy papers containing personal information before you throw them away, including account statements, credit card bills, credit card solicitations, cancelled checks, and more. You can purchase a household shredder for less than $50 that could be worth its weight in gold, should someone raid your trash. 
   
• Put outgoing mail into a secure, official postal service collection box.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And it can save you weeks, months, or even years of trying to put your life and credit history back in order. To learn more about how identity thieves work and how you can protect yourself, visit the Know Fraud Web site or phone the hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT.

 
How Phishing Attacks Work

The term "phishing" (pronounced "fishing") is the act of sending an email to an Internet user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate company in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information. 

The email directs the user to visit a Web site that looks nearly identical to the legitimate company's site and asks them to update personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security number, passwords and other confidential identity data. The Web site however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user's personal information.

People can protect themselves from the latest identity scam by following these useful tips, which were developed by the Federal Trade Commission:

• If you receive an email that warns you, with little or no notice, that an account of yours will be shut down unless you update your account information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the company cited in the email by the Web site address or telephone number that you know to be genuine.
   
• Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial information through a Web site, look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status bar. It signals that your information is secured during transmission.
    
• If you unknowingly supplied personal or financial information, contact your bank, credit union and credit card company immediately.
   
• Suspicious email can be forwarded to uce@ftc.gov, and complaints should be filed with your state attorney general's office or through the FTC at www.ftc.gov.

REAL Financial does not send unsolicited emails to our members. If you receive an email purporting to be from the credit union or an affiliate, delete it immediately. Please call us if you have any questions.

One final reminder is to update your Internet Banking password every 3-6 months. Also be sure to keep your computer software, including internet browsers and anti-virus programs, up-to-date.

Don't Be a Victim!
Phishing attacks and other scams are on the rise. Click here for details about popular scams that may target you, and how to avoid becoming a victim.
 
If you are a victim, click here for help!