Eglin Federal Credit Union

Equifax Data Breach - What to Do

Recently, Equifax reported that they had a data breach potentially affecting 143 million American consumers. If you are one of those consumers, there are steps you can take to help protect your information from being misused.

Visit Equifax's website at www.equifaxsecurity2017.com to:

Find out if your information was exposed.
Sign up for one year of free credit monitoring. Whether or not your information was exposed, U.S. consumers can get a year of free credit monitoring and other services. The site will give you a date when you can come back to enroll. Write down the date and come back to the site and click "Enroll" on that date. You have until November 21, 2017 to enroll.
Access frequently asked questions about the Equifax data breach.

Here are other steps to take to help protect yourself after a data breach:

Check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - for free - by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don't recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do.
Monitor your financial statements closely for charges you don't recognize.
Sign up for EFCU's free CardValet^® on Debit Cards, and free CardNav^SM for credit cards. You can set alerts for when these services are used to enable you to take prompt action. You may also set up alerts for your savings and checking account in Home Branch, to do so select "Alerts" under the "eServices" tab.
Password protect your accounts with strong, unique passwords (including phone inquiries at your financial institutions). To learn more about how to create strong passwords read through our "Tips for Staying Safe Online" section on our Safety and Security page. We also recommend changing your password every 90 days, but be certain to create a new, unique and strong password each time.
Consider placing a fraud alert on your files. A fraud alert warns creditors that you may be an identity theft victim and that they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name really is you.
File your taxes early as soon as you have the tax information you need, before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS.
Visit www.Identitytheft.gov/databreach to learn more about protecting yourself after a data breach.

10 Ways to Avoid Fraud

According to Federal Trade Commission reports, crooks use clever schemes to defraud millions of people every year. They often combine new technology with old tricks to get people to send money or give out personal information. Here are some practical tips to help you stay a step ahead.

Spot imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company you do business with. Don't send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request regardless of whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.
Do online searches. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like "review," "complaint" or "scam." Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like "IRS call." You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
Don't believe your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren't always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
Don't pay upfront for a promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you've won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear.
Consider how you pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods don't. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it's nearly impossible to get your money back. That's also true for reloadable cards like MoneyPak, Reloadit or Vanilla. Government offices and honest companies won't require you to use these payment methods.
Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert or just tell a friend.
Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Don't press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls.
Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don't recognize.
Don't deposit a check and wire money back. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you're responsible for repaying the bank.
Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC. Get the latest tips and advice about scams sent right to your inbox.

If you spot a scam, report it to the FTC by clicking here. Your reports help the FTC and other law enforcement investigate scams and bring crooks to justice.