Your best defense against fraudsters and scams is to remain vigilant, know what to look for (via email, phone, snail mail, text, etc.), and don’t fall for their tricks. If, however, you learn that you’ve been scammed and someone has access to your personal information, there are steps you can take to get ahead of the issue and do damage control.
Here are three key things you’ll want to be sure and do as quickly as possible:
Contact your bank and financial institutions
If the scam involved your debit or credit card information or login details for your financial accounts, contact your bank immediately to notify them of potential fraud and any unusual activity on your accounts. You can cancel your cards and receive new ones with different numbers. If you use online banking, it’s key to update your account password. You can also add a verbal passcode for added security, so we know it’s truly you when you contact us by phone. If you’d like to request that, simply give us a call or send us a secure message within online banking.
Our Customer Care Team can be reached 24/7 at 800-860-8821.
Pro Tip! Be aware of tech support scams, as often times fraudsters are looking to gain access to your device in addition to passwords and payment methods. If you’ve fallen victim to a tech support scam, it’s critical to do a scan on those devices prior to changing your password to ensure there isn’t any malicious software installed. If you need help assessing or fixing the problem on your device, be sure to go someone you know and trust locally.
Contact the credit bureaus
The three national credit reporting agencies—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax—maintain and provide access to your credit reports. If you think someone has obtained your personally identifiable information, especially your Social Security Number, contact each of the credit bureaus to freeze or restrict access. This can be useful in preventing an identity thief from opening a new credit account in your name.
Carefully review your credit reports, and if you see unusual accounts or activity on your report, be sure to contact the financial institutions directly.
Credit bureaus can be reached at:
- Experian: 888.397.3742 or experian.com
- TransUnion: 800.680.7289 or transunion.com
- Equifax: 888.766.0008 or equifax.com
Continue monitoring your credit reports and financial accounts
Credit bureaus are legally required to provide you with a free credit report annually, and experts recommend that you review your report at least annually (you can request access to your report here). Each of the credit bureaus reports information to lenders, and it’s important to note that the information contained on one company’s credit report may be different than the information on another company’s report. This is why it’s so important that you check each report regularly for accuracy. If you’ve fallen victim to fraud or identity theft, it can be well worth the added cost of checking your report more than once a year to be sure everything is correct.
As always, review your banking accounts and activity regularly, and confirm that your contact information is up-to-date. That way, we can contact you right away if we detect any fraud. You can even set up customized account activity alerts (via text or email) so you’re notified if your card is used, transactions are made over a certain amount, and more. Be sure to notify us right away if you suspect unauthorized access.
When it comes to protecting your privacy and personal information, we’re in this together, and we’re supporting you around the clock. Learn more about what we’re doing to protect your accounts from fraud, and if you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
