Identity Theft

What is Identity Theft?

It occurs when your personal information is stolen and used to commit fraudulent activity. Identity theft can destroy your credit, your name and create a financial burden that may take years to recover.

At Jackson River Community Credit Union, we are committed to keeping your information secure. We offer several services that can assist you in keeping your identity safe:

• Direct Deposit - eliminates "live" checks, no need to mail deposits, secure, faster availability of funds.
• Electronic statement delivery - eliminates the potential for mail theft, fast and convenient.
• Bill payment - eliminates the potential for mail theft, saves on postage, you may pay any merchant
• Home Banking – keep a daily check on your account. This will enable you to spot any type of fraud quickly and put a stop to it!

Tips to Safeguard your Personal Information

• Shred financial documents, credit card applications received in the mail, any type of document that has personal information on the form.
• Do Not give out your social security number unless absolutely necessary.
• Beware of phone calls from businesses requesting banking information or other type of financial or personal information. Do not give out this information unless you can positively identify the company/organization.
• Never open emails from an unknown source
• Do not use obvious passwords such as phone numbers, birthdays, last 4-digits of a social security number, house numbers…. Choose complicated passwords utilizing upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. 
• Keep your personal information including debit and credit cards in a safe place – especially in roommate situations or if you are employing outside help
• Know when to expect your bills – if they do not arrive, contact the company immediately. Also, keep receipts until you pay credit card statements to ensure authorization of all charges listed on the bill.
• Check your online accounts regularly for suspicious activity – report immediately if found.
• Verify the authenticity of a website before entering financial or personal information by using the site's certificate of authority.
• Update anti-virus software on your computer

For more information on identity theft, how to prevent it and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft