Identity theft is the fastest growing
crime in America.

…and growing around the world too. Criminals are continually discovering and creating new ways to steal people’s identities. Every day, thousands of people become victims of identity theft, by having their credit card stolen, by using the internet, by throwing away receipts into their trash cans, or just by sharing their information with the wrong person. There are many ways that one’s identity can be stolen, and if precautions are not taken, on a regular basis, then the risk of becoming an identity theft victim greatly increases.

How is an identity stolen?
Some of the most common ways that Identity Theft occurs is by phishing, email fraud and by stealing a US Social Security Number.

Phishing
“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account.
To ensure that your account is not compromised,
please click the link below and confirm your identity.”

“During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.”

Have you ever received email with a similar message? It is a scam called phishing — and it involves Internet fraudsters who send spam or pop-up messages to get your personal information (credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security Number, passwords, or other sensitive information).

Phishers usually send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with — for example, an Internet service provider (ISP), financial institutions such as UNFCU, credit card providers, online payment service providers, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to update, validate, or confirm your account information. Some phishing emails threaten a dire consequence if you do not respond. The messages direct you to a website that resembles a legitimate organization’s site. But do not be fooled. It is a fake website, whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information, so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

Follow these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:

• Whenever you receive an email or pop-up message that asks for personal, sensitive, confidential or financial information, never reply, or even click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies, including UNFCU, our vendors (VISA®, MasterCard™, etc.) and credit union organizations (CUNA, NAFCU, NCUA, etc.), do not ask for this type of information via email.
  
• If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization mentioned in the email using a telephone number you know is genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct Web address yourself. In any case, never cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser — phishers can make links look like they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.
  
• Never email personal, sensitive, confidential or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s website, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof as some phishers have forged security icons.
  
• Review your credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
  
• Be cautious about clicking on links, opening any attachments or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security.
  
• Forward spam that is phishing for information to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems.

For more information on phishing and to report scams, please visit the Anti-Phishing Working Group's website at www.antiphishing.org.

Email Fraud
The most common identity theft fraud is conducted via email. In order to secure your personal information, please be very watchful of email fraud.

• Never supply sensitive information (such as user ID and password, etc.) via email.
  
• Links that are contained in an email received from an unknown source should not be trusted, since they could lead you to an unsafe site that looks genuine, but is used as a way to collect sensitive information.
  
• Accessing an internet banking account by typing the URL into the browser's address bar (or by using a previously established bookmark) is the safest way to gain access, and it prevents identity thieves from redirecting the end user to an unsafe site. For instance, to log onto your UNFCU Internet Banking, type:
  https://www.unfcu2.org
  
• If you have questions about email that is purportedly sent by UNFCU, contact us directly at +1 212 338-8100. Our Member Service Representatives will be happy to answer your concerns.

If You Have a US Social Security Number

Give your Social Security Number (SSN) only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers.

If someone asks for your SSN, ask the following questions:

• Why do you need my SSN?
• How will my SSN be used?
• How will you protect my SSN from being stolen?
• What will happen if I do not give you my SSN?

Sometimes a business may not provide you with the service or benefit you are seeking if you do not provide your SSN. Getting answers to the above questions will help you decide whether you want to share your SSN with the business. Remember, the decision is yours.

Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three (3) major credit bureaus once a year.

By checking your report on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and fraud before they cause severe damage to your personal finances. One of the most common ways individuals find out that they are victims of Identity Theft is when he/she tries to make a big purchase, like a house or a car. The deal can be lost or delayed while the credit report fraud is under investigation. Reviewing your credit reports vigilantly allows you to resolve problems before they jeopardize a major financial transaction.

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Minimize the risk of being a victim by following new routines.
When going on vacation, we lock all doors and shut all windows to avoid intruders from entering our homes. Upon entering a crowded area, we tend to be more cautious with our personal belongings. These actions have been taught to us and have become habits through time because of the fact that they are “common sense.”

In order to prevent identity theft, we need to review our current actions and become accustomed to new routines such as:

• Always shred documents that you no longer need and that contain sensitive information. Never toss them into a trash can.
  
• Never share your personal information, account information, PIN or password with anyone, especially if you received an unexpected telephone call or email. UNFCU, along with most financial institutions, will never contact you requesting sensitive information, unless the contact had been initiated by you and we need to follow up with you to resolve the issue.
  
• Regularly check your credit union/bank and credit card statements closely to see if there are charges/transactions that you do not recognize or understand.
  
• Create unique passwords for your credit card, financial institution and telephone accounts that are difficult to guess. Prefer randomly chosen numbers to a birthday or a special year.
  
• Secure your personal information, even in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or have service work done in your home.
  
• Find out who has access to your personal information at work, and make sure that those records are kept securely.
  
• Remove your incoming mail from your mailbox as soon as possible. If you live in the United States and plan to be away for an extended period of time, call the US Postal Service at 1 800-275-8777 and request a “vacation hold.” You may pick up your mail at your local post office upon your return. If you relocate, please provide UNFCU with your home address information in advance, or immediately after relocating.
  
• When accessing your financial records online, do not leave your computer unattended, and remember to always log off when you are finished.
  
• Be watchful of individuals standing near you in public places, such as the checkout line at a retail store or near an ATM, especially if they have a cell phone in hand. With the new camera cell phones, identity thieves are able to take pictures of your credit card, gaining access to your name, card number and card expiration date.

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Signs that you might be a victim of Identity theft:

• You are not receiving your bills and other mail. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks. Follow up with creditors if your bills do not arrive on time, and be sure that your address is up-to-date in their database.
  
• You are receiving credit cards that you did not apply for.
  
• Being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, for no apparent reason.
  
• Getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn't buy.

How can you tell if you are a victim?
If someone is using money from accounts that are in your name, your credit report will show all of the transactions made on these accounts. The three nationwide credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion—are now obliged to give consumers free credit reports upon their request. And since 50% of victims realized that their identity was stolen upon checking their credit reports, it is a necessity to look through your credit reports frequently. You only need to contact one of the three consumer reporting companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. Check your credit reports regularly!

Read your reports carefully and look for transactions that you can not explain and that are unfamiliar to you. If you do find fraudulent or inaccurate information, ask them to remove it. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially during the first year after you discover the identity theft, to ensure that no new fraudulent activity has occurred.

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If you are victim, follow the five (5) steps below as soon as you realize the theft.

1. Contact UNFCU about the fraud.
   
2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
   
3. US members should contact the fraud departments of any one of the three consumer reporting companies (see above) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. The fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert.
   
   Non-US members should contact UNFCU and their local authorities.
   
4. File a report with your local police where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report or at the very least, the number of the report, to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
   
5. US members should also file complaints with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.
   
   Remember: UNFCU never contacts members requesting personal information such as cards numbers, member numbers, PINs or passwords. Never give out your personal information unless you have initiated contact.

   Please be sure to notify UNFCU with your updated personal information. As soon as changes occur with your telephone number(s), address(es) and/or email addresses you may log onto www.unfcu.org to fill out the “Change Contact Information Form.” You may also update your information in any of UNFCU’s branches through a signed request.

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Additional Resources:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
  The FTC website provides various forms, affidavits and links to ID theft statistics, surveys, and articles.
  
• Social Security Administration, Fraud Hotline
  1-800-269-0271
  
• FraudWatch International
  
• Identity theft 911