IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft has become a critical national issue. Recent government statistics show that more than 27 million Americans have been victims of identity theft over the past five years, including 10 million in 2002 alone.

About Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number or credit card number without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

Identity theft victims can spend months or years - and their hard earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves make of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.

These services are brought to you through an agreement between TIC Federal Credit Union and the following third parties. However, these sites are not operated by TIC Federal Credit Union.

Privacy and security policies may differ between TIC Federal Credit Union and these third parties.

You should understand that TIC Fedeal Credit Union does not represent either the third party or the member if the two enter into a transaction.

Prevent Identity Theft
Identity theft can happen to anyone. The best line of defense against it begins with you. Here are some valuable tips that you can take to protect youself:

• Do not give out financial information such as checking, savings or credit card account numbers, or your Social Security number, unless you know the person or organization you are dealing with, even someone claiming to be from TIC Federal Credit Union. TIC will never call you and ask for your account numbers or Social Security number.

• Report lost or stolen checks immediately. TIC will block payment on the check numbers involved. Also, review new deliveries of checks to ensure none have been stolen in transit.

• Set up a free email alert to help monitor your accounts for you. You can set up an alert to automatically send you an email message if your account falls below a certain amount. Log in to eBranch and click "Notifications" to get started.

• Notify the applicable institution of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."

• Shred any financial solicitations or monthly financial institution statements before disposing of them.

• Closely guard your ATM/Debit Card PIN Number(s) and collect and shred ATM transaction receipts.

• Place outgoing mail, especially bill payments, in a secure collection box, ideally one managed by the U.S. Post Office.

• Call the billing company if regular bills fail to reach you and find out why.

• Don't wait to investigate questionable charges on your bills. Immediate action can head off any possible fraud.

• Subscribe to Equifax Credit Watch^TM to ensure you are immediately notified of any change in your credit report. You'll receive unlimited access to your credit information and email alerts of inquiries, credit score changes, and late payments. Alternatively, you can obtain a single copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus:

• Check the TIC Federal Credit Union Fraud Watchlist for recent fraudulent activity to help you stay informed of current scams. We recommend you bookmark this page and check back periodically for updates.

• Contact TIC at 706.320.8500 or send us an email if you have any questions or concerns about protecting your financial identity. Together, we can work to minimize the risk of identity theft happening to you.

Report Identity Theft
If you or someone you know has become a victim of identity theft, action should be taken immediately.

TIC Federal Credit Union provides our members who have a Rewards Checking account with the nation’s premier identity theft services, including proactive resources and one-on-one expert victim assistance. FREE!!! Learn how to protect yourself and your family. And if you do get victimized, you’ll receive:

If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, call 706.320.8500 and speak with one of our representatives to be connected to the Identity Theft Resolution Center.

For further resolution you should take the following steps:

1. Contact the police to file a report. Make sure you get the police report number and information on how to reach the investigator. Give this information to all the companies you contact to get your credit cleared up after the crime.

2. Cancel checking and savings accounts and open new ones. Contact TIC at 706.320.8500, visit any branch, or click Contact Us to send us a secure email.

3. Inform your financial institutions if your wallet or purse was stolen or lost. Tell them what account information, including account numbers, ATM cards, or checks it contained. Contact TIC at 706.320.8500, visit any branch, or send us a secure email.

4. Get a new ATM card, account number, and PIN or password.

5. Document your actions, such as the time and money you spend on straightening out identity theft. In some states, any person found guilty of financial identity theft will be ordered to pay restitution to the victim for any financial loss, including lost wages.

6. Stop payments on outstanding checks.

7. Call the credit bureaus and have them flag your accounts with a "fraud alert."

   Equifax Fraud Hotline	800.525.6285
   Experian Fraud Hotline	888.397.3742
   TransUnion Fraud Hotline	800.680.7289

8. Contact any credit card companies where your accounts may be at risk. Close any affected accounts so that they're registered as "closed at customer request." Click here for a sample dispute letter for identity theft victims. In a few months, order new copies of your credit reports to verify your corrections and changes, and to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred. For TIC cards please call this humber: 800.543.5073

9. Keep copies of correspondence and documents related to the theft and make note of all telephone calls, including the date and time of your call and the name and title of the person who assisted you.

10. Contact government agencies:

    File an FTC Identity Theft Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or call the FTC Identity Theft Hotline at 877.438.4338.

    File an SSA Fraud Report with the Social Security Administration if you entered your Social Security number in the response. You can also call the SSA Fraud Hotline at 800.269.0271.

    Call the US Postal Inspection Service at 800.372.8347.

As a TIC member, the security of your accounts and personal information are our top priority. We will work in cooperation with you and law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate any suspicious activity.

Click here for additional resources on identity theft.

Attempts at fraudulent activity are not limited to email. Learn more about how to protect yourself from other types of fraudulent activity.