How to Protect Yourself
- Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or over the Internet. E-mails and Internet pages created by online fraudsters may look exactly like the real thing. They may intercept the communication, you should not provide any information.
- If you believe the contact may be legitimate, call Earthmover to verify at 630.844.4950. The key is that you should be the one to initiate the contact, using contact information that you have verified yourself.
- Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request. A financial institution would never ask you to verify your account information online. Thieves armed with this information and your account number can help themselves to your savings.
- Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, call us to find out why. If you use Earthmover's online banking,
be sure to periodically review activity online to catch any suspicious activity.
What to Do if You've Given Out Your Information
- Report the theft of your information to Earthmover Credit Union at 630.844.4950 and any other financial institutions or card issuers you bank with.
- Cancel your account and open a new one.
- Review your billing statements carefully after the loss. If they show any unauthorized charges, it's best to send a letter to the card issuer describing each questionable charge.
- Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA):
Your maximum liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your credit card is $50. If the loss involves your credit card number, but not the card itself, you have no liability for unauthorized use. - ATM or Debit Card Loss or Fraudulent Transfers (EFTA):
Your liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your ATM or debit card depends on how quickly you report the loss. You risk unlimited loss if you fail to report an unauthorized transfer within 60 days after your bank statement containing unauthorized use is mailed to you.
- Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA):
- Repair your computer system if it appears to have been compromised. Change your password again, since you may well have transmitted the new one to the hacker.
- Check your other accounts! The hackers may have helped themselves to many different accounts: eBay account, PayPal, your email ISP, online bank accounts, online trading accounts, e-commerce accounts, and everything else for which you use an online password.
- Report the theft to the three major credit reporting agencies,
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Corporation, and do the following: - Request that they place a fraud alert and a victim's statement in your file.
- Request a FREE copy of your credit report to check whether any accounts were opened without your consent. You can find information about obtaining free credit reports on the Federal Trade Commission's website.
- Request that the agencies remove inquiries and/or fraudulent accounts stemming from the theft.
- Notify your financial institution(s) and ask them to flag your account and contact you regarding any unusual activity: If bank accounts were set up without your consent, close them. If your ATM card was stolen, get a new card, account number, and PIN.
- Contact your local police department to file a criminal report.
- Contact the Social Security Administration’s Fraud Hotline to report the unauthorized use of your personal identification information.
Notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of your identity theft: Check to see whether an unauthorized license number has been issued in your name. - Notify the passport office to be on the watch for anyone ordering a passport in your name.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission:
Ask for a free copy of "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen in Your Good Name", a guide that will help you guard against and recover from your theft. - File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Document the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to regarding the incident. Follow-up your phone calls with letters. Keep copies of all correspondence.
Major Credit Bureaus
Equifax
- To order your report, call: 800-685-1111 or write:
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 - To report fraud, call: 800-525-6285 and write:
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 - Hearing impaired call 1-800-255-0056 and ask the operator to call the Auto Disclosure Line at 1-800-685-1111 to request a copy of your report.
Experian
- To order your report, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) or write:
P.O. Box 2002
Allen TX 75013 - To report fraud, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) and write:
P.O. Box 9530
Allen TX 75013 - TDD: 1-800-972-0322
TransUnion
- To order your report, call: 800-888-4213 or write:
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022 - To report fraud, call: 800-680-7289 and write:
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634 - TDD: 1-877-553-7803
To learn more about online fraud, visit our Phishing page.
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