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Identity Theft / Fraud
WHAT IS IT
Protect yourself
against Identity Theft and fraudulent scams. Frequently people don't
realize they have become a victim until weeks or months later. It
only takes a little while for an identity thief to ruin your credit,
but it takes the average victim 175 hours to clean up the mess.
In order to prevent ID theft, you've got to be proactive to make
sure that you don't become a victim. A scam can wipe out your life
savings in seconds.
Visit our site
often and we will keep you current on information regarding the
latest information on fraudulent activities.
IDENTITY
THEFT
Victim or Thief?
The state of Florida has launched a site for victims of Identity
Theft. www.myfloridalegal.com/identitytheft.
McCoy Federal Credit Union has prepared an informative document on Identity Theft and ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim. You can download the information sheet from our Online Forms section or click here.
What is Identity
Theft?
Identity Theft involves acquiring pieces of someone's personal information
such as name, address, date of birth, social security number, and
mother's maiden name, in order to assume the individual's identity.
This information allows the "Identity Thief" to commit
many types of fraud, which include purchasing automobiles, applying
for loans, credit cards, apartment rentals, and establishing phone
and utility services.
The consequences
of identity theft can be staggering. Victims spend extensive time
closing and opening accounts. There can be high out-of-pocket expenses,
denial of loans and jobs.
Four out of
five victims have no idea how an identity thief obtained the information.
It can be a stolen purse or wallet, mail stolen from your mailbox
at home or work, home computers infected with viruses, and many
more ways.
“Pretexting”
is a method of identity theft that is on the rise. The identity
thief poses as a legitimate representative of a survey firm, employer,
service provider and even government agency. They contact you and
ask you to “verify” some data.
Steps to
Prevent Fraud
- Promptly
remove mail from your mailbox
- Never give
personal information over the telephone unless you initiated the
call – and be particularly wary of giving out your social
security number
- Shred pre-approved
credit applications, credit card receipts, bills and expired credit
cards and all confidential documents before discarding them in
the trash
- Don't carry
extra credit cards and ID's with you
- Cancel the
credit cards you do not use and maintain a list of the ones you
do use
- Review your
credit report from the three major credit bureaus once a year
- Be sure
you are aware of all accounts listed
- Look
for copies of your credit report sent to unkown sources
- Be sure
there are no inquiries you didn’t apply for
- Check
for addresses where you have never lived
- Typos
in your Social Security Number
- Memorize
your Social Security Number and all of your passwords and PIN
(personal identification numbers). Do not write them on any card
or on anything in your wallet or purse
- Sign all
new credit cards upon receipt
- Match all
credit card receipts against your monthly credit card bills
- Report all
lost or stolen cards immediately
WARNING!
LETTER SCAM ALERT
Fraudulent ANTI-TERRORIST
STOP ORDER letters, purportedly sent by the Financial Crimes Enforcement
Network (FinCEN), are being sent to bank customers. Copies of these
ANTI-TERRORIST letters have been received by FinCEN that notify
consumers that mandatory fees, in amounts of approximately $25,000,
are required for the issuance
of a ANTI-TERRORIST CERTIFICATE before transactions may continue
to be conducted.
These letters were NOT sent by FinCEN and represent a fraudulent
attempt to elicit funds from customers. Consumers should NOT provide
any information nor send any funds, to any address as indicated
in these letters. Further, consumers should NOT follow any instructions
contained in these letters to access their accounts on-line.
Further, there
are instances in which other letters are being circulated which
claim that FinCEN is freezing assets and endorsing investment schemes.
FinCEN does NOT have authority to freeze assets and does NOT endorse
investment schemes.
FinCEN is working
closely with law enforcement agencies to identify the source of
these letters and disrupt these scams. Until this is accomplished,
if consumers receive any such letters, or experience any similar
attempts to obtain account information or funds, they are requested
to notify FinCEN at webmaster@fincen.treas.gov.
NIGERIAN
SCAM
Typically via
the internet, the victim would enter into a sales contract (usually
a motor vehicle) and scam artist would send payment by a cashiers
check. The cashiers check would be issue for more than the sale
price. To correct the error the victim is asked to send a Western
Union wire for the difference. Within a few days the check returns
as a counterfeit. At this point none of the original contact information
is good anymore and victim is out the money they wired.
LOTTERY / INHERITANCE SCAM
The victim receives
notification that he/she won a lottery or they inherited money from
a distant relative. To receive the proceeds the victim is required
to send a processing fee and or provide an account number. Once
the processing fee is sent either an additional amount is requested
or all communication ceases. If an account number is provided large
sums would be withdrawn from the account causing insufficient funds
checks and negative balances.
PHISHING
SCAM
SCENARIO/METHOD:
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous
complaints from consumers who received an e-mail that appears to
have been sent by the FDIC. The fraudulent e-mail indicates that
the FDIC has collaborated with credit card providers to provide
a new service for those who wish to secure their credit cards against
fraud and to be part of a secure online transaction network. The
e-mail claims that, by accessing the embedded link, the recipient
can get a free trial membership that provides coupons for discounts
at some of the more popular online retail outlets.
The e-mail was
not sent by the FDIC and may be a fraudulent attempt to obtain personal
information from consumers or to implant a computer virus onto the
recipient's computer. The scam technique is calling "phishing".
Phishing is scam where e-mails are sent to members falsely claiming
to be a legitimate company, in an attempt to obtain non-public personal
information for identity theft.
Consumers can
contact the FDIC toll free at 877-275-3342, Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 8 p.m., ET. The FDIC's Web site is www.fdic.gov.
What do I do if I become the victim of Identity Theft?
- Notify police
and government authorities:
- FTC Identity
Theft 877-483-4338
- Social
Security Fraud Hot Line – 800-269-0271
- U. S.
Postal Inspectors 800-372-8347 (if mail fraud was involved)
- Alert all
financial institutions you do business with to flag your accounts
and to inform you of any unusual activity.
- Contact your
creditors to inform them of the problem.
- Contact the
three main credit bureaus' fraud units to report Identity Theft.
Ask to have a "Fraud Alert Victim" statement put in
your credit file asking that creditors call you before opening
any new accounts.
Equifax Fraud Unit: (800) 525-6285
Experian Fraud Unit: (888) 397-3742
TransUnion Fraud Unit: (877) IDTHEFT
- To flag your
account so that counterfeit checks will be refused, call these
check guarantee companies:
Telecheck: (800) 366-2425
International Check Services Company: (800) 526-5380
- Contact the
DMV to see if another license was issued in your name.
For additional
information, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP
(382-4357).
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