Identity Theft FAQ

Identity Theft Tools and Prevention Tips

We’ve all heard of it, and we may even know someone going through it. It can happen to anyone. We’re here to help if it happens to you. We encourage you to regularly check your credit history available from each of the credit bureaus. Contact us for assistance immediately if you think you are at risk or have any questions.

What is Identity Theft?

Your personal information can be stolen online or in person. Here are some ways thieves might steal someone’s identity:

• Steal your wallet or purse to get your personal information.
• Impersonate a business, government office, or service provider.
• Take your mail or garbage to get your account or Social Security numbers.
• Trick you into providing your personal information on the phone, by text, or in an email. 

How do I know if someone stole my information?

There are many signs that someone may have stolen your information. Contact us for assistance determining if someone is using your identity without your knowledge.

• You see transactions or charges on your account that you can’t explain.
• You find unfamiliar accounts on your credit report. 
• You get notification of a data breach at a company where you do business or have an account.
• You get bills for services you didn’t use or calls for debts that aren’t yours.
• You don’t get your bills or other mail.
• The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name.
• Your medical records show a condition you don’t have, or your health plan records show you’ve reached your benefits limit.

What should an identity theft victim do?

You can take steps to recover from identity theft after your wallet, account numbers, Social Security number, or personal information is lost, stolen, or part of a known data breach. 

Create a Personal Recovery Plan 

• Act quickly! Contact your local law enforcement agency, financial institutions, and other agencies to report the incident.
• Gather all relevant information. Watch your bank account, bills, statements, and your credit report. 
• Update your security measures. Change your passwords, PINs, and security questions for all your online accounts. You can close credit and debit cards or open new account numbers to prevent further unauthorized access.
• Freeze your credit if you are concerned. A credit freeze restricts access to your credit until you decide to unfreeze it. 
• Request your credit report from Equifax, Experian or TransUnion using AnnualCreditReport.com. Reviewing credit reports helps you catch identity theft early.

Note: Your free annual credit report does not include credit scores. Monitoring your credit reports regularly is an important part of controlling your finances.  

How can I keep my information safe?

Guarding your privacy is critical to protecting your personal information. Defend yourself with these tools and resources.

1. Update your passwords. Create strong passwords and use multifactor access whenever possible. Use different passwords on different accounts. Don’t share passwords, and do not write them down where someone could find them.
2. Check your financial accounts often. Login to FECU online banking to review your transactions and set up account alerts. Contact us if something seems off. It's easy to set up and customize mobile alerts to help you detect fraud.
3. Don’t open emails that you don’t recognize. Never open suspicious email attachments or scan a QR code that seems out of place.
4. Be careful at ATMs. Ensure the ATM location is safe and doesn’t have any device attached to it and that no one is nearby. Do not share your PINs.
5. Don’t provide payment or your financial information to anyone contacting you. Hang up and contact the appropriate person to confirm. As a reminder, the FECU will never email, text, or call you for your personal information, such as social security numbers, card information, or account numbers.
6. Keep your hardware and software as updated as possible. Set up automatic updates so that updates are downloaded and installed as soon as they are available from the device, software, or app creator.

Additional Resources

• Identity Theft: What to know, What to do 
• File a complaint 
• Get your free credit report 
• Create a Personal Recovery Plan 
• Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry 
• Place a Fraud Alert 
• Extended Fraud Alerts and Credit Freezes 

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