Identity Theft Prevention

Identity theft is when someone else uses your name, Social Security Number, and/or other personal information to steal from you.

According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, every 60 seconds about 28 people become victims of identity theft. The silver lining to this gloomy statistic is that you have more control over prevention than you may think.

At MIT Federal Credit Union, we take the responsibility of protecting your personal information very seriously, and we encourage you to take care with your personal information. Following these steps will help you keep your identity your own.

PREVENT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM BEING LOST OR STOLEN

• Through your mail or trash:
  Shred all mail or documents with personal information on it. Sign up for MITFCU e-Statements and e-Bills (online bill pay). Since 90 percent of data comprised is through traditional offline channels and not via the Internet, e-Statements and online bill pay drastically reduce the amount of paperwork with your personal information.
• Through electronic methods:
  Always be highly suspicious of e-mails, text messages, or other calls and messages that ask you to provide sensitive personal and account information. Rather than provide information, call MITFCU or any company you do business with directly and verify the validity of the message. MITFCU will NEVER call or e-mail you asking you for your account information. If you are ever suspicious, call our Member Services department at 617.253.2845 or e-mail us at mitfcu@mit.edu.
• By an employee of a business you deal with:
  Be careful about who you do business with and only reveal personal information that is absolutely necessary for the transaction you are doing. MITFCU employees are trained professionals, and MITFCU has procedures in place to monitor employee activity to prevent security breaches.
• If your purse or wallet is lost or stolen:
  Don't carry your Social Security card, passport, or birth certificate in your purse or wallet. Keep them in a safe place at home. Reduce the number of credit cards you carry, and keep an emergency phone list to contact if your cards are lost or stolen. For MITFCU ATM or Debit Cards, call 800.264.5578 (701.461.0621 internationally). For MITFCU Visa Credit Cards, call 800.234.5354.

Plus, experienced fraud analysts work around the clock, watching for suspicious card activity. They will contact you immediately if they detect potential fraud on your card. So if you ever get a call from "Fraud Prevention Services" or "FALCON", know that our watchdogs are doing their job and preventing potential fraudulent use of your card. Fraud is serious business, and can hit any time. That is why we are always on guard to detect and prevent fraud from happening to you.

Monitor your credit report for fraudulent activity
Stay alert to illegal use of your information by checking your credit report each year. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) allows you to receive a FREE copy of your credit report from each reporting agency every 12 months by going to annualcreditreport.com or calling 877.322.8228.As another line of defense, MITFCU debit cards are protected by FraudWatch® PLUS and Visa credit cards are protected by the FALCON Alert System.
 

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT THE SITES & ARTICLES BELOW:
 

Home and Family Finance has resources on How to Prevent Identity Theft, Medical Identity Theft: Now What's the 911? and Identity Theft: Getting Back to Square One.

Identity Theft Resource Center has resources for victims and consumers. It also has information about Id Theft in the workplace.

Deter. Detect. Defend. Avoid ID Theft is a national resource to learn about ID Theft the Federal Trade Commission.

Identity Theft is a brochure from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number is from the Social Security Administration.