|
There are a
number of news stories and reports regarding fraudulent
emails, identity theft and “phishing” scams (fraudulent but
official looking e-mails and websites used to gather
personal information and passwords). Publix Employees
Federal Credit Union takes
your privacy and online security very seriously and we will
never email you a request for your personal passwords,
personal information numbers (“PIN”) or login information.
We do occasionally send our customers information and
updates about our insurance products, however, if you
receive any suspicious e-mails or phone calls which request
your personal information and claim to be from Publix
Employees Federal Credit Union, you should review them carefully
and if you are unsure of their authenticity, you should
contact us at: abuse@pefcu.com
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently issued three
simple recommendations that Internet users can follow when
they see emails or websites that may be part of a phishing
scheme: Stop, Look, and Call. The DOJ’s recommendations are
listed below and a full report of the DOJ’s “Special Report
of Phishing” can be found at: www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/Phishing.pdf
1. Stop. Phishers typically include upsetting or
exciting (but false) statements in their e-mails with one
purpose in mind. They want people to react immediately to
that false information, by clicking on the link and
inputting the requested data before they take time to think
through what they are doing. Internet users, however, need
to resist that impulse to click immediately. No matter how
upsetting or exciting the statements in the email may be,
there is always enough time to check out the information
more closely.
2. Look. Internet users should look more closely at
the claims made in the e-mail, think about whether those
claims make sense, and be highly suspicious if the e-mail
asks for numerous items of their personal information such
as account numbers, usernames, or passwords.
For example: If the e-mail indicates that it comes from a
bank or other financial institution where you have a bank or
credit-card account, but tells you that you have to enter
your account information again, that makes no sense.
Legitimate banks and financial institutions already have
their customers' account numbers in their records. Even if
the e-mail says a customer's account is being terminated,
the real bank or financial institution will still have that
customer's account number and identifying information.
If the e-mail says that you have won a prize or are entitled
to receive some special “deal,” but asks for financial or
personal data, there is good reason to be highly suspicious.
Legitimate companies that want to give you a real prize
don’t ask you for extensive amounts of personal and
financial information before you're entitled to receive it.
3. Call. If the e-mail or website purports to be from
a legitimate company or financial institution, Internet
users should call or e-mail that company directly and ask
whether the e-mail or website is really from that company.
To be sure that they are contacting the real company or
institution where they have accounts, credit-card account
holders can call the toll-free customer numbers on the backs
of their cards, and bank customers can call the telephone
numbers on their bank statements.
Preventing Online Identity Theft
Here are some additional tips and resources that Publix
Employees Federal Credit Union recommends to help prevent becoming a victim of
online identity theft.
Take these important steps today to protect your name,
credit and reputation:
REVIEW YOUR CREDIT REPORT from each of the three
credit agencies listed below twice a year. See if there are
accounts or addresses you don’t recognize. Is your social
security number correct? Have there been more credit
inquiries than normal? Any of these may be early signs of
identity theft. If you find something suspicious on your
credit report, call the agency’s fraud hotline immediately.
You also may want to add a consumer fraud alert, which asks
creditors to telephone you each time a new account is opened
in your name.
LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. Provide
your social security number only when necessary and never
provide it in response to an unsolicited email. Don’t carry
the card in your wallet and never print it on your checks.
SHRED UNEEDED IMPORTANT PAPERS—especially credit card
solicitations—with a crosscut shredder. Some identity
thieves try to piece cut papers back together.
DON’T USE YOUR MOTHER’S MAIDEN NAME as a password on
personal accounts; it’s too easy to learn. Change it to
another word with the creditors. When creating a password,
include letters, numbers and symbols (for example: E$G%2Q)
since they are more difficult for identity thieves to guess.
DON’T GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION ONLINE OR ON THE
PHONE – unless you initiated the contact and you know
the party you are dealing with.
PROTECT YOUR ONLINE LOG-INS AND PASSWORDS – Don’t
share your passwords or login names and avoid leaving or
writing them down near or around your computer. Protect them
as you do your ATM and credit card numbers.
LEARN MORE ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT AND HOW TO PROTECT
YOURSELF BY VISITING:
• www.identitytheft.org
• www.privacyrights.org
• www.idtheftcenter.org
• www.consumer.gov/idtheft
• www.antiphishing.org
• www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
• www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/Phishing.pdf
DON’T BE A VICTIM… If
you suspect identity theft or online fraud, report it to
your local police, the three credit agencies listed below
and the Federal Trade Commission.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT CENTER
www.ic3.gov
EQUIFAX
To report fraud: 888-766-0008
To order your credit report: 800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
TRANSUNION
To report fraud: 800-888-4213
To order your credit report: 800-888-4213
www.transunion.com
EXPERIAN
To report fraud: 888-397-3742
To order your credit report: 888-397-3742
www.experian.com
|
