Member security: How to protect yourself from identity theft
You’ve worked hard to get where you are. Your personal information — from your Social Security number to your financial accounts — represents your identity in the financial world. That’s why it’s so important to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your sensitive information and uses it to impersonate you, access your money or open new accounts in your name. Becoming the target of identity theft can create headaches in the short term and jeopardize your financial wellness in the long term. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to protect yourself.
At OCCU, your financial security is our top priority. We’re here to help you keep your money and your identity safe by providing secure access to your accounts and keeping you up to date on the latest fraud trends. Here are our top tips for protecting yourself against identity theft:
Shop securely
Anytime you make a purchase, either online or in person, your account information becomes temporarily vulnerable — but there are ways to make shopping safer. Your OCCU debit card, for example, provides an extra layer of security by generating a one-time code to protect your payment information.
When shopping online, you can make payments more secure by using a digital wallet, an app that contains secure, digital versions of your credit and debit cards. These digital transactions are tokenized and encrypted for your security. You can also protect yourself by:
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Using a firewall program to prevent your computer from being accessible to hackers.
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Looking for the lock icon on your browser’s status bar and only shopping at URLs that begin with “https.”
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Using a strong password with a combination of upper- and lowercase letters and numbers.
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Shopping only on a secure network — never on public Wi-Fi.
Practice good digital hygiene
We perform a lot of daily tasks online, so it’s important to develop good digital security habits. Use a password manager to create and store complex, unique passwords for your online accounts, and take advantage of security options such as multistep authentication.
Keep your browser and security software up to date on all your devices, as the latest updates often contain security patches to address known vulnerabilities. You should also be aware of what you’re posting on social media; the more you share, the more information there is for identity thieves to mine.
Learn more about practicing good digital hygiene.
Monitor your credit report and financial statements
Your credit report, bank accounts and monthly credit card statements often provide the first clue that your identity has been compromised. It’s a good idea to examine your financial statements each month and stay on top of what’s happening with your checking and savings accounts.
You can easily monitor all your accounts in one place through MyOCCU Online & Mobile. If you spot anything suspicious, call your financial institution immediately. You should also check your credit rating periodically to make sure it hasn’t taken a sudden dip.
Guard your sensitive data
Think of your Social Security number as the master key that unlocks your financial identity. Guard it carefully, and don’t give it to anyone who requests it in an email or text. A legitimate organization should never contact you to ask you to reveal personal information, by phone or by email. If you are asked to provide your Social Security number, ask why it’s needed and how it will be protected.
Any paperwork that contains sensitive information, such as credit card statements, investment statements or documents that contain your Social Security number, should be either securely stored or shredded with a crosscut shredder.
Monitor the mailbox
Even in today’s digitized world, snail mail remains one of the easiest ways to steal someone’s identity. Bring in your mail daily, and have your mail held if you’re going out of town. You can even sign up for Informed Delivery through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which sends you a preview of your mail so you’ll know if anything goes missing.
Be wary of email
Scammers often send emails that appear to be legitimate but are attempts to steal your information. Never respond to an email with your private information and avoid opening attachments or clicking on links unless you’re 100% certain you know who sent them.
Remember: Legitimate businesses understand that sharing information online is risky, and they won’t request your financial or personal information through an unsecured channel. If you’re unsure whether an email is legitimate, look up the phone number on the entity’s official website and call to verify.
Avoid common scams
Scammers are constantly shifting their ways to take advantage of the latest technology. Stay up to date on the latest scams:
If you suspect you’ve become a victim of identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission online to report the theft and begin taking steps toward recovery. And don’t forget to inform your financial institution right away.
OCCU is here to help! Visit our Security page to learn more about how to protect your personal information and finances, and check out our member security playlist on YouTube.
