Privacy and Identity Theft
Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal information to get credit cards or other loans, open bank accounts, make counterfeit checks, get false identification or commit other crimes.
There are many ways that identity thieves get your personal information. They steal wallets and mail, go through your trash, watch over your shoulder at an ATM, “skim” your credit card using an illegal scanning device, and they even pose as a legitimate company and ask you for information. When this last technique is done using email, it is called “phishing.” For more information about phishing and other online security issues, visit our
Online Security Center.
Protecting your personal information is a shared responsibility. Please use the following precautions:
Incoming Phone Calls and Emails
Never give your Social Security Number, account number, passwords, PINs or other specific personal information to people who call or email you.
We will never call or email you to ask you for this information. Only give financial information over the phone if you are the one who initiates the call to a published credit union phone number. Please report any suspicious emails or phone calls to
security@ElevationsCU.com. If you feel that you may have been tricked into giving out personal information or that your accounts may have been compromised, please
contact us immediately.
Outgoing Email
Most email messages are not secure. Only include financial information in an email if you are using Elevations Credit Union’s secure email forms on our website, or using secure messages within
Link24 Online Banking.
In Your Wallet
Never write your PIN on your check card or credit card. Memorize your account number and account password so you do not need to carry this information with you.
Resources
- The RealityCheck Website includes information written by Remar Sutton, co-founder of the Privacy Rights Now Coalition. The Privacy Section of this website provides step-by-step instructions on safeguarding your personal information. Also check our seminar and event calendar for Sutton’s free seminar, “Scary Things You Should Know About Your Privacy.”
- Our partner, Accel Members Financial Counseling, provides counseling and resources on many topics including credit reports and consumer protection. Visit Accel’s Information Library to to view other resources.
- It is a good idea to review your credit reports regularly. Some errors and inquiries may alert you to identity theft. You can get a free credit report from all three credit bureaus once per year. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1.877.322.8228 to get yours. A credit monitoring service can give you peace of mind by alerting you to activity on your credit reports on a more timely basis. Elevations has partnered with AlertMe to give our members inexpensive access to credit monitoring.
