Security Awareness

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime. It occurs when personal information is stolen and used to assume the victim’s identity. Identity thieves open banking accounts, make purchases, obtain cash and even rent apartments in the victims' name.

Preventing Identity Theft

  1. Do not give personal information, such as account numbers or social security numbers, over the telephone, through the mail, or over the Internet, unless you initiated the contact and know who you are dealing with. Beware of phone scams. Never give your PIN or any other personal financial information to an unknown caller.
  2. Do not disclose credit card or other financial account numbers on a website unless the site offers secure transactions. Before submitting financial information through a Web site, look for the "padlock" icon on your browser's status bar. This signals that your information is secure during transactions. To make sure you are on a secure Web server, check the beginning of the Web address in your browser's address bar. It should read https://, rather than just http://.
  3. Protect your PIN and other passwords. Avoid using mother’s maiden name, your birth date or the last four digits of your social security number as a password.
  4. Closely guard your ATM/debit card, checks, and credit cards. Report all lost or stolen credit cards or checks immediately.
  5. Shred all unwanted materials containing sensitive personal information such as credit union statements and credit card bills.
  6. Switch to e-Statements instead of receiving paper statements by mail. Check all statements carefully to ensure you have authorized all charges. With ACU Home Banking you can check your activity frequently instead of waiting until month-end.
  7. Take credit card receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container.
  8. Carry only essential credit cards and identification. Don't carry your Social Security card or birth certificate. Leave them in a secure place.
  9. Put outgoing mail into a secure, official postal service collection box.
  10. Don’t leave mail in your mailbox overnight. Credit card applications mailed to you with your personal information already filled in can easily be used by thieves to open accounts in your name.
  11. Obtain a copy of your credit report at least once each year for monitoring.

Recovering from Identity Theft

  1. Alert America's and any other financial institutions you do business with to flag your accounts and to inform you of any unusual activity.
  2. If your America's credit card/check card are lost or stolen, report the loss immediately by calling the credit union during regular business hours at (800) 543-2811, Monday through Friday or after hours call (800) 543-5073.
  3. Contact the fraud departments at each of the three major credit bureaus. Let them know you’re an identity theft victim, and request that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file.

    4. Types of fraud alerts you can request:

    1. Active duty military – good for 12 months. Available for your protection, whether or not you suspect theft or have been victimized.
    2. Fraud alert – good for 90 days. This is used if you suspect you are a victim of ID theft. Can be renewed after the 90 days.
    3. Extended fraud alert – good for 7 years. Requires proof of identity and an identity theft report filed with any law enforcement agency (local, state or federal).

    To report fraud to the credit bureaus, call:

  4. File a police report with any law enforcement agency (local, state, or federal). Keep a copy for your records.
  5. File a claim with the FTC at (877)ID-THEFT (438-4338)
  6. Keep copies of correspondence and documents related to the theft and make note of all telephone calls, including the date and time of your call and the name and title of the person who assisted you.
  7. Upon request, America's will provide account records to the identity theft victim at no charge. The identity theft victim must provide a government issued photo ID, proof of a claim of identity theft that has been filed with any law enforcement agency, and any other personal identifying information the credit union might need.

Additional Resources on Identity Theft:

  1. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston has created a free booklet entitled "Identity Theft" to help consumers protect themselves. To request a copy of the booklet or to download one online, click here
  2. Federal Trade Commission: Fighting back against Identity Theft


Phishing

Internet "phishing" involves a bogus email message that uses legitimate-looking materials, like another company's logo, to entice you to provide personal financial details, such as account information, credit card, and Social Security numbers. Remember, America's Credit Union will NOT ask you to update your information through an e-mailed link or a cell phone text message. Should you receive an e-mail or text message allegedly from America's Credit Union requesting such an update, please contact us immediately.


How to identify them?

  1. A generic greeting is used such as, “Dear customer”, instead of using your name.
  2. The e-mails have a sense of urgency. This may include an urgent warning requiring your immediate action.
  3. May include a warning that your account will be shut down unless you reply.
  4. The sender's email address may be forged, even if it looks legitimate.
  5. There is often a link to a web site to "fix" your account. These are often forged.
  6. Personal information is requested. This may include asking for login and password information, either in the email or from the link.

How to protect yourself?

  1. Never respond to an unsolicited email that asks for personal financial information.
  2. Avoid filling out forms in Email messages. You don't know where the data will be sent. You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secured website or telephone.
  3. Type web addresses into browsers instead of clicking on links in e-mails.
  4. If you go to a link offered in an unsolicited Email, check to see if there is an 's' after the http in the address and a picture of a padlock at the bottom of the screen that indicates the link is secure and encrypts data. Though this is not an indication that the site is legitimate, an online form that asks a consumer to submit sensitive personal information should always be encrypted.
  5. Closely read your emails before responding with any information and contact the organization if you are in doubt.
  6. Be cautious about opening attachments or downloading files from e-mail messages.
  7. Keep anti-virus and anti-spam filtering software on your computers, and keep it up to date.

If you've been Phished

  1. Immediately contact those organizations for which you provided the information.
  2. Contact the three major credit bureaus and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion)
  3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or (877) 382-4357.