Help! My identity was stolen.

• Contact us immediately (via Chat or by calling 888.723.7328) if you suspect your personal information was compromised or you notice unauthorized transactions on your account.
• Visit identitytheft.gov. This website provides guidance for identity theft victims.
• Place a free temporary or permanent extended fraud alert or security freeze on your credit files with each of the credit bureaus so no one can open new credit accounts in your name. The security freeze will need to be placed separately with each bureau, whereas the extended fraud alert will only need to be placed with one of the bureaus. You can review the FTC information guide explaining the difference between the Security Freeze and the Extended Fraud Alert to decide which is right for you:
  a.  Visit Equifax or call 800.685.1111
  b.  Visit Experian or call 888.397.3742
  c.  Visit TransUnion
• Contact consumer reporting agency ChexSystems to place a security freeze. This will help prevent a fraudster from opening checking/savings accounts in your name.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
• File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Steps to help prevent identity theft

• Limit how your personal information is shared, especially online. Keep your social security number safe.
• Strengthen your online passwords by using a mix of letters, numbers and special characters.
• Shred any documents with personal information before discarding them.
• Sign up for eStatements in Online Banking or the mobile app to keep your account information out of the mailbox. Fraudsters often steal mail to obtain personal information.
• Consider signing up for Informed Delivery with the U.S. Post Office. This service will send you a preview of incoming mail to your email so you can see if anything critical goes missing.
• Ask Stanford FCU to make your verbal Security Word mandatory. This means you will have to provide the verbal Security Word we keep on file every time you call into Stanford FCU. Never provide your Security Word when someone stating they are with Stanford FCU calls you.
• Monitor your credit report to ensure that no one has opened accounts in your name. You can get a free copy annually at annualcreditreport.com. Because all three credit bureaus participate, you can request one at a time from each bureau to monitor your credit throughout the year.
• Don’t respond to calls or text messages from unknown numbers. Scammers will often contact you this way in an attempt to get personal information.