What is it identity thieves are after?

Any personal information that could enable them to pass as you, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name and existing account numbers at financial institutions.

 How do they get this information?

By stealing your wallet, taking mail from your mailbox, diverting your mail by using a Post Office change of address form, looking in your trash for bank statements, or posing as a representative of your financial institution. 

Prevention starts now:  Action steps

1. Carry as few credit cards as possible and periodically check to make sure you still have them.
2. Avoid carrying your Social Security card and passport unless it is needed.
3. Never have your Social Security number on your checks.
4. Shred important papers that contain financial information before disposing of them.
5. Dispose of credit card and ATM receipts properly.
6. Sign new credit cards when you receive them.
7. Guard your PIN (personal identification number) carefully.
8. Make your PIN and passwords hard for someone else to guess.  Don’t use your birth date, phone number or last four digits of your Social Security number.
9. Keep a list of credit card and financial account numbers with phone numbers in a safe place.
10. Guard against mail theft by mailing payment envelopes from a collection box instead of raising the flag on your home mailbox.
11. Never give personal information over the phone unless you made the call or you know with whom you are speaking.
12. Review your financial and credit card statements carefully for unknown transactions.  If you see one, call the institution immediately.
13. Periodically, order credit reports from the three major credit bureaus.  You may have to pay for them, but unauthorized accounts would probably show up.

 Recovery:  Help is on the way

If you suspect you've been a victim of identity theft, completing the following steps will help restore your good credit.

1. Contact WSECU’s Call Center immediately at 800-562-0999, weekdays from 7am to 7pm and Saturdays from 9:30am to 2pm.
2. Contact the three major credit bureaus (see below) and ask them to put a fraud alert in your file.  Such an alert instructs creditors to contact you before any new accounts are opened or existing ones are changed.
3. Contact your creditors and follow-up in writing; close any suspicious accounts and open new ones using different passwords and PINs.
4. File a report with the police where the theft took place.  Get a copy of the report as proof of the crime.
5. Contact your financial institutions and ask to have a code word placed on your accounts.
6. File a complaint with the FTC by contacting the Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free at 877-IDTHEFT.
7. Ask creditors if they’ll accept the FTC’s ID Theft Affidavit.  This will allow you to report information to several companies simultaneously.  You can get an FTC Affidavit at 877-IDTHEFT or at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

 Three Major Credit Bureaus:

Equifax: 800-525-6285

Experian: 888-EXPERIAN

TransUnion: 800-680-7289