What you need to know about Identity theft!

What is Identity Theft? Identity theft is a serious crime where your personal information—anything from

your name, your driver’s license, or Social Security Number—has been stolen by an imposter who intends to commit fraud using your name. With your Social Security Number, someone can easily obtain false lines of credit and rack up significant debt in your name. With a stolen identity, someone might use your name in a legal matter, leaving you with a false criminal record. Identity fraud is a major problem, and it happens more often than you might think.

How do I protect my identity? One of the best habits you can have to protect your identity is to change your passwords on a regular basis. Make this a monthly routine. Another simple step toward protection is to avoid using similar passwords, like password1 and password2. Mix it up.

How can someone steal my identity? Your mail often contains sensitive information, like your Social Security Number, and criminals can obtain it by going through your trash. It’s important to destroy documents that include personal information before putting them in the garbage. You can buy a personal shredder or collect your documents in a secure place and dispose of them at a secure shred event like the one we held June 4th. Identity theft can also occur as the result of a lost or stolen wallet, in which case you should file a report with the local police, as well as your bank and credit card companies.

How do I find out if my identity has been stolen? Reviewing your credit report is an effective way to detect identity fraud, and you can get your report for free from https://www.annualcreditreport.com. You can review your report for signs of suspicious activity, such as accounts opened in your name that you don’t recognize, or credit checks from companies with which you’ve never done business. This could be a sign that someone is applying for credit in your name, and it’s better to catch it early. You can’t always prevent identity theft, but you can be proactive and minimize the damage. If you don’t review your credit report on a regular basis, months or years might go by before you find out that someone has stolen your identity.

What do I do if my identity has been stolen? Report the theft. Report the identity theft to the local police, the Federal Trade Commission and your State Consumer Protection Office or Attorney General. Contact the company or financial institution where the fraud occurred. Inform them that a false account has been opened in your name. For insurance fraud, contact your insurance company, and let them know that your identity has been stolen. For tax fraud, contact the IRS. Freeze your accounts. Contact the three credit reporting agencies—TransUnion, Experian and Equifax—and place a freeze on your accounts. The freeze will block any further credit applications made in your name. Call the credit union or bank. Report the situation to the fraud departments of all of your financial institutions (any and all institutions with which you do business or have current accounts).

Post by: Cari J.

FRAUD ALERT

Some members have reported getting a text message from NEW Credit Union warning of a temporary block on certain credit card accounts and asking recipients to call a support number. The picture below is a screenshot of a text message received.

This is not from Horizon Community Credit Union.

HCCU will never include personal information or your account number in an unsolicited text or email.

Never call a number or click on a link as directed in an unsolicited text or email. Never give out personal information to someone who has called you.  If you receive a call, text, or an email that appears to be from HCCU, but you're not sure, contact the credit union using the phone number listed on our website.

Please visit this page on our website for information about fraud prevention.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us!

Don't Be Fooled-Scams Are On The Rise!

Have you ever sold anything online? If you have, then you know the feelings of excitement that you get when someone offers to purchase your item. Everything seems to be going great! Then, you receive a check in the mail for MORE than what you asked for. You are instructed to send a portion of the money back to them via a specific money sending service. Sounds fishy, right? Well, trust your gut, because you almost got scammed! This is currently the most common scam there is and it is on the rise, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

I know you don't want to be scammed! Here are some tips to keep in mind:

•  If they send you a check for more than the amount you asked and instruct you to send any of that money back, there's a very good chance it’s a scam. You should also never send money through money sending services that you cannot track, especially to someone you don’t know personally!
  
• Just because you deposit a check doesn’t mean it’s a good check. Checks go through a series of steps BEFORE the funds are actually pulled from the third party's account. A financial institution must make funds available to you within a certain time period. Therefore, by the time the financial institution is informed that the check is fraudulent, the funds may have already been spent.
  
• If the check is fraudulent and you have spent the funds, YOU are responsible for the amount withdrawn against that check.

• Don’t accept sad stories from strangers asking for money. Many scammers will tell you they have a sick family member and need money immediately. This is still a scam and unacceptable!

If you ever question the authenticity of a check you receive, bring into your financial institution to verify the check.

The point here is: don’t “cash” any check from someone you are not familiar with, regardless of how nice the person sounds. Follow this link for more information from the Federal Trade Commission on Check Scams.

Written By: Kelly V.