Precautions help prevent financial ruin

Can you avoid being a victim of identity theft or a money rip- off scheme? In all honesty, it’s difficult to stay one step ahead of these scam artists. However, you can take the following precautions to lessen the likelihood of you becoming a victim. An ounce of protection can go a long way.

• Trust your instincts – if it sounds too good to be true or it appears that a “quick fix” just fell out of the sky just when you needed it, read the fine print. It probably is too good to be true.
• Protect Social Security Numbers, financial account numbers, PINs, mother’s maiden names and other identifiable personal information.
• Be wary of get rich quick scams.
• Do not respond to unsolicited emails that direct you to divulge personal identifying information. You will never receive any kind of emails from us asking you to do that. Reputable organizations that you legitimately do business with generally do not request account numbers or passwords unless you, the consumer, initiated the transaction.
• Don’t accept any offers over the phone, Internet or through the mail from someone you don’t know, if it sounds far too good to be true, or if you haven’t initiated the contact. Do your homework and don’t be pressured into making any hasty on-the-spot decisions.
• Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information so think twice about what information you want to email. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a padlock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a Web site that begins with “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”).
• Avoid filling out forms in email messages. Go directly to the company’s Web site instead.
• Try not to click on links in an e-mail message from a company. Too many scam artists are making forgeries of company’s sites and they look like the real thing.
• Make sure the Web sites on which you transact business post privacy and security statements. Be sure to review them carefully.
• If someone contacts you via phone or email and says you’ve been a victim of fraud, verify the person’s identity, and contact the organization directly before you provide any personal information.
• If you manage any of your financial accounts online, choose passwords that are difficult for others to guess and use a different password for each of your online accounts. Change passwords frequently.
• Check your monthly credit union account statements and those of any creditor with whom you do business (credit card companies, etc) to verify all transactions. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company, credit union or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
• Check your credit report twice a year and examine it thoroughly. This will reveal accounts that have been opened without your knowledge. This service is available from this site.
• Record the names, account numbers and customer service numbers of all the cards you carry. This way you will have all of the necessary information you need if you have to cancel your cards immediately.
• Take any envelopes containing checks and other sensitive information directly to the post office instead of leaving them in your mailbox.
• Shred or secure in a lockbox all documents with important identifying information on them, such as credit union account statements, credit card statements, pre-approved credit card offers and pay stubs.
• Carry only the credit card you would use in an emergency. Never carry your Social Security card and do not print that number on your checks.
• Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some fraudulent(phishing) emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. If you believe you’ve been scammed, be sure to report it to your local police department, all financial institutions where you may have an account, all three credit bureaus, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission (see identity theft section).

For more information, you can visit:

• The Federal Trade Commission
• Your National Resource for ID Theft