ID Theft

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ID Theft

FRAUD ALERT...

If you can answer "YES" to any of the following questions, you could be involved in a FRAUD or about to be SCAMMED!

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 delievery service?
Is the CHECK connected to communicating with someone by email?
Is the CHECK drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
Have you been informed tht you were the winner of a LOTTERY, such as Canadian, Australian, El Gordo, or EL Mundo, that you did not enter?
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, such as Canada, England, or Nigeria?
Have you been asked to PAY money to receive a deposit from another country such as Canada, England or Nigeria?
Are you receiving PAY or a COMMISSION for facilitating money transfers through your account?
Did you respond to an email requesting you to CONFIRM, UPDATE, OR PROVIDE your account information?

Identity theft is the fastest
growing crime in America.

Learn how to protect yourself.

PROTECT YOURSELF, AND YOUR GOOD NAME.

Preventative Steps to Take:

Do not give out personal information, such as account or credit card numbers on the phone or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact.
Report lost or stolen checks/check, ATM, or credit cards immediately. Examine new checks to be sure none were stolen during shipment and store them in a safe and secure location. Sign all new credit cards immediately and save all credit card receipts and match them against your monthly statements.
Destroy unused financial paperwork (statements, mailings, marketing) before discarding them.
Guard your PIN numbers and treat your receipts with care.
Make sure your mailbox is secure and promptly remove mail when it has been delivered.
Review your credit reports at least annually to make sure you have not been a victim.

CREDIT BUREAUS

Equifax: www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111

Experian: www.experian.com 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

TransUnion: www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800

TAKE ACTION

If someone has stolen your identity follow these steps:

1) Contact Greater Minnesota Credit Union to protect your credit union accounts.

If your GMCU Visa credit card or check card is lost or stolen, call 1-800-991-4964.

2) Contact the fraud department of one of the three major credit bureaus listed above. Tell them to flag your file with a fraud alert including a statment that creditors should get your permission before opening any new accounts in your name. At the same time, ask for a copy of your credit reports; credit bureaus must give you a free copy if it is inaccurate due to fraud.

3) Contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Ask to speak to someone in the security or fraud department, and then be sure to follow up in writing. Credit Services Fraud Assistance Center: 1-800-272-9281

4) File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy in case your creditors need proof of the crime.

5) Contact the Social Security Fraud Hotline: 1-800-269-0271

6) Contact the FTC Identity Theft Hotline: 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)

7) If the crime involved U.S. Mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,

(See federal government phone list or visit the website at www.usps.gov/postalinspectors)

Links to more Information on ID Theft:

Federal Trade Commission: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

Secret Service: www.secretservice.gov

Department of Criminal Justice: www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: www.fdic.gov/consumers

General Information: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/identity-theft.htm

Special Alert - Protect Yourself from "Phishing" Scams

Recently, many Americans have received a series of fraudulent e-mails, which direct
recipients to websites where they are asked to verify sensitive personal information. The
e-mails claim that the individual’s personal information is necessary to assist in the fight
against terrorism or for some other purpose supposedly required by law. These e-mails
are purportedly sent from several government agencies or include content related to
government agencies including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The fraudulent e-mails are part of a scam known as “phishing.” Phishing is the fraudulent
scheme of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be a legitimate company. The
email attempts to con you into surrendering private information that could later be used
for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a web-site where they are asked to
update personal information, such as name, account and credit card numbers,
passwords, social security numbers and other information. The Web site, however, is
bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information.

You can protect themselves from this latest identity theft scam by following these useful
tips, which were developed by the Federal Trade Commission:

If you get an email that warns you, with little or no notice, that an account of yours
will be shut down unless you reconfirm your billing information, do not reply or
click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the company cited in the email
using a telephone number or Web site address you know to be genuine.
Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial
information through a Web site, look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status
bar. It signals that your information is secure during transmission.
Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to
determine whether there are any 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.
Report suspicious activity to the FTC. Send the actual spam to uce@ftc.gov.If you
believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov, and then visit
the FTC's Identity Theft Web site www.ftc.gov/idtheftto learn how to minimize
your risk of damage from identity theft.