Awareness is the key to prevention. Here are some valuable tips to help you raise your security awareness.

Beware of unsolicited e-mails claiming to be from Credit Union of Texas. These are Phishing scams designed to steal your personal information. These phishing emails usually have links to fraudulent web sites that try to trick you into thinking you are at the real Credit Union of Texas web site.

Remember, Credit Union of Texas will NEVER send e-mails requesting your credit union member number, PIN, credit or debit card numbers, or ANY other personal information.

If you are at all in doubt about the authenticity of any communications, do not respond to the information request. Instead, contact Credit Union of Texas through familiar communication channels. Contact CUofTX.

Preventing Identity Theft
Common Scams
Recovering from Identity Theft
What is Phishing?
What is Vishing?
Safety at the ATM
How to Avoid Online Fraud - Online Training Module

FBI Fraud Alert (pdf)

Preventing Identity Theft
How can I prevent identity theft from happening to me?

• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox.
• Carry only essential credit cards and identification.
• Report all lost or stolen credit cards or checks immediately.
• Check all statements carefully to ensure you have authorized all charges.
• Maintain a list of the credit cards you use and cancel the ones you do not use.
• Don't carry your Social Security card or birth certificate—leave them in a secure place.
• Store all personal information in a safe place and shred old credit card receipts, old account statements, and unused credit card offers before discarding.
• Write down or photocopy the front and back of all credit cards and keep in a secure location. Do the same for all bank and investment accounts.
• Don't give out personal information over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know whom you're dealing with.
  

Additional resources:

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or 1-877-IDTHEFT
FTC resource guide: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft
Download an ID Theft Affidavit

Identity Theft Resource Center

Request Your Free Annual Credit Report:
You can order your free annual credit report online at AnnualCreditReport.com, or by calling 1-877-322-8228.

Request your free fraud-prevention DVDs from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Common Scams
NEW Identity Theft and Tax Time Tips

ATM/Debit Card Fraud — Perpetrators have begun targeting ATM and debit cards as a primary source to gain unauthorized access to your accounts. Many new ATM cards double as debit cards and, even without knowing your PIN (Personal Identification Number), a crook can clean you out. Scammers may gain access to your card number (not the card itself) in a variety of ways:

• A thief may find your discarded receipts/carbons in the trash A dishonest clerk makes an extra imprint of your card for his personal use
• You are tricked into giving your card number over the phone or on the Intranet

Jury Duty Scams — A scammer calls claiming to work for the local court and claims you've failed to report for jury duty. He tells you that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. The victim will often rightly claim they never received the jury duty notification. The scammer then asks the victim for confidential information for "verification" purposes. Specifically, the scammer asks for the victim's Social Security number, birth date, and sometimes even for credit card numbers and other private information — exactly what the scammer needs to commit identity theft. This is when you should hang up the phone. It’s a scam. Online Job Scams — People are being solicited for what appears to be a lucrative position that will allow them to work as an independent agent or from their home. Tips to avoid this type of scam:

• Be cautious of any employer offering employment without an interview (either in person or by phone). Please investigate thoroughly any employer requesting that you transfer funds or receive packages for reshipment, especially if they are located overseas. Most of these employment offers are check-cashing or shipping scams! Do not provide your social security number or any other sensitive information unless you are confident that the employer is legitimate.
• Be cautious of job links sent to you in emails…they could be phishing scams.

Account Verification — An unsolicited email or telephone caller asks you to verify your account information including personal information. Companies will never ask you to verify your password or ask for credit card information through email or through a telephone call
that you did not initiate.Travel Fraud — While some travel opportunities sold over the phone or offered through the mail, Internet or by fax are legitimate, many are scams that defraud consumers out of millions of dollars. Don't give your credit card number or bank information over the phone unless you know the company.

Advance Fee Scams ( aka Nigerian 419 Scam) — A so-called “representative” of a foreign government asks you to help move money from one account to another. You are then asked to provide up-front or advance fees for various taxes, attorney fees, transaction fees or bribes.

Lottery Scams — Fraudsters use e-mail, in conjunction with letters and phone calls, to convince victims they’ve won an overseas lottery. The scammer's goal is to trick consumers into sharing bank account numbers or paying up-front fees to claim winnings that never materialize. Example of a Real Life Lottery Scam.

Bank Scams — A so-called “representative” of your financial institution calls and says they have discovered someone is writing checks on your account. The caller instructs you to retrieve your checkbook and read the number along the bot

Mail Fraud — Thieves steal mail from postal trucks, collection boxes, apartment mailbox panels, and neighborhood delivery and collection boxes. They want your checks, your credit card applications, your bank account statements. Report mail theft online. Here's what you can do to protect your mail from thieves:

• Sign up for CUofTX eStatements and reduce the risk of your statement being lost or stolen in the mail. Never send cash or coins in the mail. Use checks or money orders. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you're expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items. If you won't be home when the items are expected, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail. Have your local post office hold your mail while you're on vacation, or absent from your home for a long period of time. If you don't receive a check or other valuable mail you're expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately. If you change your address, immediately notify your post office and anyone with whom you do business via the mail. Always deposit your mail in a mail slot at your local post office, or hand it to your letter carrier.
• Consider starting a neighborhood watch program. By exchanging work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors, you can watch each other's mailboxes (as well as homes).

Check Washing — a process when ink is chemically removed from a stolen check. The check is then re-written to a different merchant or company for a higher amount and cashed. Here are some preventative tips:

• Use online bill payment services to reduce your chances of thieves getting ahold of your checks. CUofTX Bill Payer is a free perk to our Advantage, Mature Options and Premier Checking accounts.
• secure your signature with a special pen. These pens contain special color pigments that “trap” ink in the paper, making check washing virtually impossible. The pens can be purchased for less than $2 at most office supply stores and come recommended by former master forger Frank W. Abagnale. Mr. Abagnale, whose life is chronicled in the blockbuster movie “Catch Me If You Can,” is one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. Visit www.abagnale.com to learn more on about preventing check fraud.