- Treat your card like cash and protect it all times.
- Do not lend it to anyone.
- Do not give your card number to anyone who contacts you, even if they say it is for verification purposes or to receive a refund.
- Report a lost or stolen card immediately at 1-800-791-2525
- Keep your card away from magnets.
- Do not share your PIN with anyone.
- Do not write the PIN on the card or store in your wallet.
- Reset the PIN to a number that you can remember, but not too obvious like 1234, 9999, etc.
At the ATM, observe the entire area before rolling down the car window.
Cancel the transaction immediately if you see anyone or anything suspicious.
Data Breaches or Identity Theft
If you have been notified that your personal information has been:
- Compromised in a data breach or cyber attack
- Used to collect unemployment benefits
- Or any other form of identity theft
Here are some steps to take:
- Change logins, passwords, PINs
- Notify all three major credit bureaus and request a ‘fraud alert’ on your name and social security number.
www.TransUnion.com/fraud or 800-680-7289
www.Experian.com/fraudalert or 888-397-3742
www.Equifax.com/CreditReportAssistance or 1-888-766-0008 - Request a copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com or
1-877-322-8228 - Notify your financial institutions
- Request to place an ID Theft Security Alert www.Chexsystems.com or
1-888-478-6536 - Report identity theft to www.IdentityTheft.gov to the FTC or
call 1-877-438-4338 - Contact your State Department of Labor and Employment if you’ve experienced unemployment fraud
- Notify the IRS Fraud Hotline 1-800-908-4490
- File a police report
- Create a file to keep all your records
Avoiding Identity Theft
Fraudsters are always looking for ways to get your personal information.
Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before discarding them. Investing in a basic paper shredder can save you time and money in the long run by protecting against identity theft.
Protect your Social Security Number. Don’t carry it in your wallet or purse.
Don’t give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
Never click on links sent from unsolicited emails. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information.
- Use the password protection lock on your smartphone if it’s an option. Don’t store passwords or other important information on your phone.
- Passwords shouldn’t be too obvious like your birthday, last four digits of your SSN, 1234, or 9999, etc.
- Personal Information should be in a secure place at home. Don’t leave it out in the open.
- Inspect your credit report at least once a year. You can go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com
- If you suspect ID Theft, place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports, and review the reports carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you haven’t contacted and accounts you didn’t open.
- For more info visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft
PGAFCU offers Safe Deposit Boxes as low as $15/year and free shredding bins to our members.
Avoiding Fake Checks
If you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you could be involved in a FRAUD or about to be SCAMMED! (source: FBI FRAUD ALERT)
- Is the CHECK from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc?
- Is the amount of the CHECK more than the item’s selling price?
- Did you receive the CHECK via an overnight delivery service?
- Is the CHECK connected to communicating with someone by email?
- Have you been instructed to either ‘Wire’, ‘Send’ or ‘Ship’ money, as soon as possible, to a large U.S. city or to another country?
- Are you receiving PAY or a COMMISION for facilitating money transfers through your account?
- Did you respond to an email requesting you to CONFIRM, UPDATE, OR PROVIDE your account information?
CONTACT US ASAP