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Identity Theft Checklist

Two women looking worried while looking at a laptop computer screen, with one of the women holding a credit card.

Are you a victim of identity theft?

Take these steps immediately!

  • Place a fraud alert on your credit reports (see contact information below).
  • Ask for a free copy of your credit report.
  • Review your reports for evidence of accounts you didn’t open.
  • Close accounts — including share drafts/checks or ATM cards — that have been tampered with or used fraudulently.
  • Contact all financial institutions, lenders, credit card issuers, license branch, utility companies, and the Social Security Administration to notify them.
  • Follow up each conversation with a letter.
  • File a report with law enforcement and insist on getting a copy of the report or the report number.
  • File a complaint with the FTC.

Fraud unit contacts

Equifax

P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
(800) 525-6285

Experian

P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742

TransUnion

P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
(800) 680-7289

Social Security Administration

Fraud Hotline
(800) 269-0721

How to avoid identity theft

Call us at (800) 552-4745 for more information or to answer any questions or concerns.

Personal Identity Information

  • Keep all identification and financial documents in a safe and private place.
  • Provide personal information only when:
    • You know how it will be used.
    • You are certain it won't be shared.
    • You initiated contact and know who you're dealing with.
  • Request a vacation hold if you can't pick up your mail.
  • Deposit outgoing mail in the post office collection boxes or at your local post office.
  • Remove mail from your mailbox promptly.
  • Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
  • Memorize your Social Security Number rather than carrying your Social Security Card.
  • Do not have your Social Security Number or driver license number printed on your checks.
  • Review your Social Security Annual Statement for accuracy.
  • Provide your Social Security Number only when necessary and to those you absolutely trust.
  • Before revealing your Social Security Number, ask:
    • Why your number is needed?
    • How your number will be used?
    • What happens if you refuse?

Credit Card and ATM/Debit Cards

  • Carry only those cards you really need.
  • Shred all statements and pre-approved credit card offers.
  • Photocopy both sides of your credit cards so you have all the account numbers, expiration dates and phone numbers and keep the copies in a safe place.
  • Cancel unused credit card accounts.
  • Be aware of people behind you at the ATM or anywhere else you swipe your card.
  • If you give your credit card or debit card to someone for a transaction, watch them swipe it and inspect the receipt for accuracy.
  • Know your billing cycles and contact creditors if bills don't arrive on time.
  • Examine the charges on your credit card statement every month.

Checking Accounts

  • Know where your checkbook is at all times.
  • Print firmly and use permanent ink when writing checks.
  • Check your account statement for fraudulent activity - With Everwise Mobile and Online Banking, you can check your account whenever and as often as you like.
  • Do not give your checking account number unless you know the company requesting the information and understand why the information is necessary.

Computer

  • Update virus protection software periodically and after every new virus alert is announced.
  • Do not download files or open hyperlinks sent from people you don't know.
  • Use a firewall program to prevent your computer from being accessible to hackers.
  • Use a secure browser to guard the security of your online transactions.
  • Enter personal and financial information only when there is a "lock" icon on the browser's status bar and look for URL to read "https" versus "http".
  • If you must store personal and financial information on your computer:
    • Make all passwords hard to guess by using complex combinations of numbers and upper and lower case letters.
    • Don't use an automatic log-in feature.
    • Always log off when you're finished.
  • Before disposing of a computer, delete personal information using a "wipe" utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.

Credit Reports

  • At least annually, check your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) for fraudulent activity.
  • Dispute inaccurate information immediately.

Sign up for Everwise eStatements

At Everwise, you can receive eStatements online through Mobile and Online Banking. Your account statements will no longer have to sit in your mailbox waiting for you to pick them up! eStatements are safe and secure. To register for eStatements, log in to Mobile or Online Banking and click on eStatements. Once you register for eStatements, you will no longer receive paper statements. Contact an Everwise Representative for more details.

Subject to membership eligibility requirements. Loans subject to credit approval. Borrower must be a resident of Indiana or Michigan, and for home loans property must be in Indiana or Michigan. All credit union programs, rates, terms, and conditions may change without notice.