AlertMe FAQs

1. What is the fee for ‘AlertMe’ and what benefits come with this service?
The cost for ‘AlertMe’ is $4.25 per month. This cost includes: daily monitoring of your credit bureau, email notification of credit activity, identity theft insurance, an annual reminder to order your free credit reports.

2. Does fraud happen often enough to sign up for this service?
Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more than 10 million Americans were affected by identity theft in 2004. This service provides an additional level of valuable information to use in assessing whether fraud is occurring within your finances and/or credit history. For more information regarding fraud, visit the RealityCheck article.

3. Has something happened at the Credit Union regarding the security of my account?  Why are you offering this service now?
In a recent Credit Union Journal Daily member survey, more than half of the respondents said they don’t think their financial institution is doing enough to protect them against identity theft. Elevations Credit Union takes your account security very seriously. ‘AlertMe’ is an additional tool provided to you, to monitor your credit activity and alert you of potential identity theft. The Credit Union’s security policies have not changed and are still up to the industry standard.

4. How long do I have to keep this service before I can cancel?
‘AlertMe’ can be cancelled at any time; it is set up on a month-by-month basis.

5. How does a member cancel the AlertMe subscription?
Members can cancel by calling AlertMe Customer Services at (888) 887-3193

6. On the introductory page, it states it will ask me to answer questions about my Experian credit report in order to verify my identity. Do I need to pull my credit report before signing up?
No, you do not need to pull your credit report prior to signing up. The questions asked are taken directly from your financial history. The system takes some of this information and presents it in a multiple choice format for you to verify. You should be able to provide answers to these questions just by looking at the multiple choice answers provided.  If you were to pull a credit report on your own, they would ask you similar question types to verify your identity.

7. Why do I need to enter so much personal information to enroll in this program?  Is my information secure? Can I sign up over the phone so I don’t have to transmit my personal information over the internet?
In order for the system to properly verify you, provide you with correct information, and properly set up your credit monitoring, certain personal information is required for you to complete online during the enrollment process. The Credit Union would not encourage you to release personal information in a place that would compromise your security. Personal information has to be obtained by ‘AlertMe’ in order to properly set up your credit monitoring.

8. How secure/private is this service to be giving so much information?
In order for the Credit Union to recommend this service, we required this product to meet the same security standards we set. We wouldn’t encourage our members to submit sensitive personal information to a company or website that would compromise our member’s information.

9. If I fail my identity verification, how can I sign up for the program?  Does the information reset/unlock after 24 hours?
Sign-up can only occur through the online interface. If you can’t answer the questions, you’ll need to request a credit report from Equifax and use the information provided on the credit report.  If you are having issues with your identity verification, you can contact ‘AlertMe’ customer services at (888) 887-3193

10. Is the user ID or password case sensitive?
Only the password is case sensitive. Case sensitive means that you must type in a password using both ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ case letters in a consistent pattern every time. 

11. I can’t remember my password/username and/or the verification questions. Can I call to get this information?
You can contact ‘AlertMe’ customer services at (888) 887-3193

12. Who is withdrawing the fee from my account?
‘AlertMe’ is an additional service offered by the Credit Union. The associated fee is charged by the company that runs the ‘AlertMe’ service. This company is Fiserv.

13. Why am I not given the option to pay for this service with my credit card?
You can pay for an annual subscription to AlertMe using MasterCard, Visa and ACH payment methods.  Monthly and quarterly subscriptions need to be paid using ACH an payment method.

14. Can I pay through another bank account, i.e. Wells Fargo?
No, at this point since the service is offered only to Credit Union members; you have to use a credit union account for payment.

15. What format should my account number be entered in order to pay for this service? 
As with any electronic transaction, you will need to provide the full 13 digit account number found on the bottom of your checks. If you are having difficulty locating this number, or if you do not have checks, please call 303-443-4672 and an Elevations Credit Union member service representative will be able to assist you.

16. Does a credit report get pulled every month to see if derogatory information has posted? How does this affect my score?
‘AlertMe’ is linked with one of the nation’s top credit reporting agencies – Experian.  Experian works directly with ‘AlertMe’ to monitor your credit bureau daily. This type of inquiry does not affect your credit score.  A credit report is only pulled if requested by you (the member). 

17. You state I will get an e-mail informing me of derogatory info.  Do I get told exactly what info is reported and from where, or do I receive a generic message.
With the goal of protecting your personal information, a generic message will be emailed to you notifying of a credit monitoring event or change. You can then login to your ‘AlertMe’ account for more detailed information.

18. How do I update my e-mail address?
You will need to login to your ‘AlertMe’ account and change the email address in your profile.

19. Can a copy of my Credit Report be ordered through ‘AlertMe’?  Will I be able to view this report instantly?
A fee is charged if you order a copy of your Credit Report through the ‘AlertMe’ website. If you do order a copy, this will be available to view online immediately.  The associated charge will be issued against the specific account registered with ‘AlertMe’. You can request your free annual report through one of the following central resource methods:

Telephone:     1.877.322.8228
TDD Service: 1.877.730.4104
Website:      www.annualcreditreport.com
Mail:             Annual Credit Report Request Service
                     P O Box 105281
                     Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

20.  What if I don't live in the State of Colorado?  Do I follow my state laws for eligibility of free credit reports, or because Elevations is based in Colorado, do I follow that state law?
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) ACT requires the credit bureaus to provide consumers, upon request, one free credit report every twelve months; regardless of the state they live in.

21. What does the identity theft insurance cover?
Identify theft insurance, should they become a victim.  The insurance provides up to $25,000 in coverage for victims of identity theft.