- Check your credit report annually.
- Review your bills and statements promptly on a monthly basis. Report mistakes or discrepancies as soon as possible.
- Guard your mail and trash from theft. Always shred documents containing your account numbers.
- Use caution when giving out your account numbers or other personal information unless you know you are dealing with a reputable company.
- Copy the contents of your wallet or purse to include all of your account numbers, expiration dates, and telephone numbers of each card issuer so you can report a loss quickly. Keep the record in a safe place separate from your cards.
- Carry only those cards that you anticipate you will need.
- Do not carry your PIN in your wallet or purse or write in on your ATM/Debit card.
- Never write your PIN on the outside of a deposit slip, an envelope, or other papers that could get easily lost or stolen. Never tell anyone your PIN
- Make sure that no one is watching when you use your PIN. Carefully check your ATM or debit transaction before you enter your PIN or before your sign the receipt
- Use a PIN that is difficult to guess (not your birth date, social security etc.)
- Cut up old cards, cutting through the account number, before disposing of them.
- Report lost or stolen cards immediately. Your liability under federal law depends on how quickly your report the loss. Cancel your account and open a new one. Review your billing statements carefully after the loss.
- Do not sign a blank charge or debit slip.
- Tear up carbons and save your receipts to check against your monthly statements.
- Periodically check your account activity, especially if you process transactions online. Compare the transactions with those you have recorded, including your ATM and debit card withdrawals, purchases, checks and balances. If you notice any discrepancies immediately notify your credit union.
In case of identity theft contact the fraud departments of the 3 major credit bureaus, file a police report, and notify your card issuers and your credit union.
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian: 1-800-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
Prevent Online Theft – Phishing Scams
Thieves will use the name of a well-known bank or company on their fraudulent website to fool people into divulging personal financial information such as credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords, social security numbers, etc. This type of theft is known as phishing.
Here are some ways to protect yourself from phishing scams.
- Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information.
- Don’t use the links in an email to get to any web page, if you suspect the message might not be authentic.
- Always ensure that you are using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your web browser.
- Considered installing a web browser tool bar to help protect you from known phishing fraud websites.
- Regularly log into your online accounts and check your financial, credit and debit card statements to make sure that all transactions are legitimate.
- Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied.
- Always report “phishing” or “spoofed” emails to the following groups:
Forward email to reportphishing@antiphishing.com
Forward the email to the Federal Trade commission at uce@ftc.gov
Forward the email to the “abuse” email address at the company that is being spoofed (for example, spoof@ebay.com)
When forwarding spoofed messages, always include the entire original email with its original header information
Notify the Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI by filing a complaint on their website.
ProMedica Federal Credit Union will NEVER ask you to verify your account numbers, PIN, or user name in an email.
