Identity Theft Prevention

Did you know that an estimated 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft last year? Typically, it takes 14 months before a victim discovers that their identity has been stolen and then it can take years to resolve. Don't become identity theft's next victim! Contained on this page are simple precautions that will help keep your identity safe.

Keep Ahead of the Identity Thieves

There are simple precautions that will help keep your identity safe. Please review the latest Fraud Alerts to keep abreast of the "tricks" identity thieves are using. This information is provided to assist AFCU members in protecting themselves from identity fraud and other criminal activities. Review the links and information to learn how to protect your personal and financial information.

How to Deter Identity Theft

Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information; listed below are steps that you can take to help deter Identity Thieves:

• Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before discarding them.
• Protect your Social Security number. Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier.
• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
• Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know. User firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date.
• Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house.

Common Ways Identity Theft Happens

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to steal your personal information, including:

1. Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.

2. Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.

3. Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.

4. Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a "change of address" form.

5. Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records from their employers, or bribe employees who have access.

Inspect Your Credit

Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have and your bill paying history. The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it.

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228, a service created by these three companies, to order your free credit reports each year. You can also write:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Credit Reporting Agencies

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 - equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) - experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 - transunion.com

Be Aware of Signs of Possible Identity Theft:

1. Bills that do not arrive when expected.
2. Unexpected credit cards or account statements.
3. Denials for credit for no apparent reason.
4. Calls or letters about purchases you did not make.

Falcon Alert helps Prevent Debit and Credit Card Fraud

Arkansas Federal Credit Union subscribes to a state-of-the-art technology called Falcon, to help prevent potential debit and credit card fraud. Based on previous card usage, if a debit or credit card purchase looks suspicious, we'll try to contact you at your primary, secondary or alternate phone numbers to verify if the card was used by its rightful owner-or determine if the account has fallen into the wrong hands. If the account is being used fraudulently, we can prevent additional activity from occurring.

For Falcon to work, you may receive a call from an AFCU representative asking you about the purchase made with your AFCU Visa® Check Card (also known as a debit card), VISA® Classic, Visa® Secured Credit or Platinum Rewards MasterCard®. We'll ask you to take a moment to verify your debit card or credit card account activity. Note: AFCU will not ask you any debit or credit card number specifics or AFCU account specifics.

What You Can Do to Help

Because the Falcon system relies heavily on accurate contact information, it's important for members to keep that information current. Please keep AFCU informed of your current address and phone numbers. If you move or change your phone, you can complete a change of address form to update your address or phone numbers or add any additional contact phone numbers.

Traveling Out of the Area?

If you are planning to travel and use your AFCU debit or credit card in an area where you don't usually use your card, please take note of the following information. Contact AFCU that you are planning on traveling outside your area and provide us with the dates and locations that you plan on traveling to so that we can notify Falcon. It's best to have more than one method for spending and payments. Besides your AFCU debit or credit card, take an additional form of payment, such as travelers cheques. Our Card Services Department may not be able to contact you if you are in a foreign country for instance, and you want to make sure you have another method of payment if your card is temporarily blocked due to unusual activity. For more information, call 501.982.1000 or 800.456.3000 for more details.

Fraud Awareness Resources

Federal Trade Commission
Your National Resource for ID Theft

ID Theft Resource Center
A nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft.

Arkansas Federal Credit Union does not ask our members for personal information. If you receive a phone call or e-mail that purports to be from AFCU and you are asked for account/member information, you should consider it to be a fraudulent attempt to obtain your personal account/member data for an illegal purpose. If you responded to such a phone call or e-mail and provided any confidential account information, please contact us immediately in central Arkansas at 501-982-1000 or toll-free 800-456-3000 or e-mail us at info@afcu.org.