Identity Theft
Identity Theft is defined as the fraudulent acquisition and use of a person’s private identifying information, usually for financial gain. Fraudsters can get your personal information in many different ways, such as phishing, payment card skimming, or simply digging through someone’s garbage to find financial statements.
Visit ftc.gov to find information on how to combat and respond to ID Theft.
Federal Trade Commission Website
The following brochure outlines what you should do if you think you are a victim of identity theft.
Phishing
Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords. The information is then used to access important accounts and can result in identity theft and financial loss.
Never give out personal information to anyone who contacts you in an unsolicited manner. The credit union will not make unsolicited calls to you asking for personal information. If someone calls you posing as a credit union employee and you are unsure of their identity, hang up and contact us immediately.
Social Engineering
Social Engineering is the use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. This can happen when someone you don’t know gains personal knowledge of you via your social media profile or mines public records such as county real estate title recordings. Bad guys can also manipulate victims into giving up personal information by contacting them by telephone posing as legitimate companies, such as financial institutions.
Keep your personal information safe by not being open to the public on social media. Don’t become “friends” with people that you do not actually know. Even simple information such as birthdays, email address, and phone numbers can be enough for fraudsters to bluff their way past the security of many businesses and pose as you.