Equifax Data Breach
What can you do to protect yourself and your family?
Equifax, one of the major credit reporting agencies, has released information that a cybersecurity incident may have potentially impacted approximately 143 million U.S. consumers. To protect yourself and your family, be on the watch for the following:
- Phishing emails that claim to be from Equifax where you can check if your data was compromised
- Phishing emails that claim there is a problem with a credit card, your credit record, or other personal financial information
- Calls from scammers that claim they are from your bank or credit union - Revity CU will never call, text, or email you and ask for personal information
- Fraudulent charges on any credit card because your identity was stolen
Ways to Prevent Identity Theft
Identity theft could affect you or someone you know at anytime. The following are some steps you can take now to stop thieves from stealing your good name.
- Sign up for credit monitoring
- Check your credit reports for free at annualcreditreport.com
- Check your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized activity
- Don't 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 and cards immediately, and properly store canceled checks
- Destroy unused financial solicitations before discarding them, tear-up other financial documents such as statements or receipts before discarding them
- View our Identity Theft Checklist here.
Avoid it from the Start
We take a number of measures to help our members avoid fraud and identity theft.
Even if our employees know you, we may require them to ask for your ID. The law requires this. Sometimes we require it for your own protection.
For example, when you conduct a large cash transaction, purchase an official bank check, or send a wire transfer, federal law often requires that we ask you for identification and record your driver's license or other similar number.
Even when the law doesn't require it, we may ask for proof of identification to protect you against loss or fraud. If someone steals a check made payable to you, or your credit card or checks, you may not realize it's happened in time to stop the thief from taking advantage.
So, the next time you stop by, if we request your ID, you'll know we're just taking every precaution to keep you and your family safe!
Visit the Federal Trade Commission for more in-depth info.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is not meant to replace legal advice from an Attorney or Accountant. This page contains general consumer information based on cyber safety best practices. It is not the intent of Revity CU to provide any legal counsel to consumers who feel they may be a victim of identity theft.