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.

What You Need To Know About Phishing

If you’ve ever gotten a suspicious email that looks official, you may have been the target of a phishing scam. And you wouldn’t be alone; hundreds of thousands of phishing attacks are reported every year. One of those attacks centered on Capital Credit Union this past month.  Some members of Capital Credit Union were sent an email using Capital Credit Union’s logo, name, and phone number to convince recipients they were legitimate. The fake email told members they needed to click on a link and enter in their login information for their personal account. Unfortunately, hackers can use this information to access their account.  With this in mind, we wanted to remind people what they can do to prevent this from happening to them. We do everything possible to keep our members’ personal information secure, but there is something you can do as well.

Be very cautious of emails asking you for personal information. If it sounds urgent and asks for specific account information, you should be suspicious. We won’t ask you for information that we already have on file, so it’s possible someone is trying to steal your information. If you feel unsure about replying to any email, call us at 920-433-0122. 

Here are some examples of phishing emails: 

Written By: Noelle C

Don't Have an Identity Crisis--Protect Your Information!

Image courtesy of  wgpd.com 

Identity theft is terrifying. An identity thief can do a lot of damage to your pocketbook and your credit, and   the cost of getting everything back on track can be pretty expensive. No one wants to be a victim, and many believe they're doing a good job to protect their identity. It’s not like their giving out their credit information-or are they? Consider the following scenario:
You get a call on your cell phone. “Hi Jane! This is Terry from Horizon and we got a fraud alert on your credit card. We need to verify your credit information to be sure this is a legitimate charge. Can you tell me your credit card number?” How many people would respond “Oh! Let me get my card!” and then give out their credit card number, or maybe even their debit card number? It might seem perfectly legitimate, but it's not. Please know that when we call you about your account we NEVER ask you to verify this kind of information.

Here are some suggestions to follow to help you protect your identity:

• Be sure you don’t give out any more information than you should. A financial institution doesn’t need your entire credit or debit card number to verify the card. If you have more than one card, they may ask for the last 4 digits to ensure they've located the correct card. That's all. 
• If you're shopping online, be sure the web address you use is secure. A secure web address begins with "https." The "s" indicates that the website is secure, and that your information is protected. A website that begins with only "http" is not secure, and should not be trusted with personal and identifying information. 
• If you're going on vacation, be sure that your mail is secured while you're gone. Identity thieves can take personal information, and even account numbers, from your mail. In order to keep your mail secure, you can have it held at the post office, or you can have a reliable friend/relative pick it up everyday. 
• Those annoying credit card offers can be a gold mine for identity thieves. Many just throw them in the trash, but you should  shred them! Shredders these days are relatively inexpensive and are well worth the price. 
• If you have any expired credit or debit cards,  cut them into 3 to 4 pieces and don’t throw them in the same trash bag. You can also go to your financial institution and ask them to dispose of your cards.
• Check your various bills/statements every month. Be sure to check out all the purchases/charges that are listed and be sure you remember authorizing them. If you do not recall authorizing a transaction on your account, report it to the card vendor immediately. It's important you call right away, as some credit cards may not reimburse you for fraudulent charges that are more than 3 months old.

Follow this link to the Federal Trade Commission website for lots of great tips and ideas about keeping your personal information secure!

Written By: Mary D.