Identity theft is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personal information, such as a Social Security number or driver's license number, for the purpose of obtaining credit, merchandise or services in a victim's name.

Criminals get your information in a variety of ways. They might steal your wallet or purse. They may take bank and credit card statements or pre-approved credit card offers from your mailbox. Identity thieves may rummage through trash looking for personal data in a practice commonly referred to as "dumpster diving."

Other ways an identity thief might obtain your information include capturing personal data you share while "surfing" on the Internet. Or they may purchase customer information from "inside" sources with access to confidential client data. With the "phishing" technique, the thief sends hoax e-mails that appear legitimate to potential victims. The e-mail will either request to verify sensitive information or provide a link to a site that appears to be authentic.

Thieves also use "pretext calling" as a means of getting personal data. Here's how it works: Someone calls to ask you to participate in a survey. During the call, you may be asked to provide your date of birth, address, Social Security number, or other personal information. Once the caller has your information, he or she will contact your financial institution and pretend to be you in an attempt to gain additional information about bank and credit card numbers or balances in your accounts.

In addition to the many fraudulent tactics used by identity thieves, consumers may also volunteer their personal information by providing their Social Security number or credit card number as a means of identification when purchasing goods or writing a check.

PSECU has initiated many precautions to help you prevent identity theft. For well over a decade, we've required a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to access account information over the phone. Your PIN is needed for calls to a PSECU representative and calls placed through our automated phone services.

So you can be assured that e-mails are truly from PSECU and not a bogus company trying to "phish" you, we include a "Unique Identifier" in our promotional or educational e-mails. The identifier is a four-digit code that only PSECU can generate. The numbers will have relevance to you and when you see them, you'll know it's a legitimate PSECU e-mail. If the code is not present or if it is not correct, you'll know immediately that the e-mail is bogus.

As an organization, we have made a commitment NOT to sell your information. Details are explained in our comprehensive Privacy Policy, but basically it states we will not sell, divulge or otherwise reveal our members' personal, non-public information. Also, PSECU provides the opportunity for you to change your assigned PSECU account number if the account was opened prior to July 11, 2001. The account number change service replaces your previously assigned account number with a new randomly generated account number.

PSECU also uses state-of-the-art firewalls and other security software, including the best commercially available encryption technology. These systems are monitored around the clock. In addition to the member's PIN, an online account access password is required to log into psecu@home®. More recently, PSECU increased security of members' personal and financial information by implementing layered security within psecu@home.

Another feature in psecu@home can help you prevent ID theft while reducing clutter in your home. Instead of receiving paper account statements, you can sign up to receive an electronic version of these important documents. Once you've started e-Statement service, paper statements will stop, thereby eliminating the risk of mailbox theft. For your convenience and reference, your e-Statements are archived so you eliminate the need to store paper statements, too.

The following tips are actions you can take to help protect your personal information. Please keep these in mind at all times:

• Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) should be memorized.
  Never write a PIN on the back of a debit or credit card. Do not use PINs that can be easily guessed such as your date of birth or portions of your phone number. Additionally, memorize your Social Security number and never carry your card with you.
• Review your monthly credit union, bank and credit card statements carefully and report any invalid charges, no matter how small the amount. Additionally, follow-up with creditors if your bills do not arrive on time. Missing bills or statements could mean an identity thief has taken over your account or changed your billing address.
• Guard your mail against potential theft.
  Take all outgoing mail to a post office collection box or your local post office. Be sure to promptly remove mail from your mailbox after it has been delivered. Additionally, if you are planning to be away and cannot pick up your mail, contact your local post office and instruct them to hold your mail until you return.
• Secure items with personal information.
  Always shred credit card receipts, unused pre-approved credit card offers, pre-printed catalogue order forms, insurance forms, expired credit cards, or other items containing sensitive account and personal information you receive through the mail.
• Keep abreast of personal, home computer security practices.
  Visit the PSECU Security Center often and be aware of the privacy and security practices of the Web sites you visit.
• Be familiar with privacy practices before giving out personal information.
  Request copies and understand the privacy policies of companies and associations with which you do business. "Opt out" of receiving unsolicited credit card or insurance offers through the mail. Ask to be excluded from unsolicited telemarketing calls.
• Contact state and federal "Do Not Call" registries.
  The registry puts consumers in charge of the telemarketing calls they get at home. For more information, please use the link provided through the PSECU Security Center Security links under Protecting Yourself.
• Never give out your account or personal information on the telephone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you are dealing.
• Always find out how personal, identifying information will be used.
  You should only give out your Social Security number when it is absolutely necessary. In addition, keep in mind that PSECU will never call you and ask for your Personal Identification Number (PIN.)
• Monitor your credit report … for free!
  Federal rules give consumers the ability to order one free credit report every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. If you contact a different agency every four months, you'll have a better chance of detecting problems than if you just ordered one a year. More information on the free credit report is found within our Web site. The free credit report shows credit-related information such as dates when new accounts were opened, balances and collection activity. If you spot possible fraudulent activity, PSECU recommends that you immediately report loans or credit cards opened without your permission to the issuing financial institution.

There are four actions you can take if you are the victim of identity theft. The sooner you take action, the better your chances of minimizing the damage.

1. Make contact with the fraud department at one of the three major credit bureaus.  Let them know that you were the victim of identity theft. Request that a "fraud alert" along with a victim statement be placed in your credit file. Once that credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, it will automatically notify the other two credit bureaus to place fraud alerts. This will reduce the likelihood of additional fraudulent accounts being opened in your name. Additionally, you should request an updated copy of your credit report. The credit bureaus will supply this information free of charge to you if you are reporting suspected identity theft.
2. Contact the creditors for any accounts that have been altered or opened fraudulently. You will probably need to file an affidavit of forgery or something similar with these creditors. This affidavit is a notarized document declaring that you did not initiate or benefit from the fraudulent activity.
3. File a report with your local police department. This action not only helps to re-establish your good name, but it may aid in the identification and arrest of the criminals responsible for stealing your identity.
4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC collects consumer complaints about the crime from the people who have been victimized. The FTC also provides informational materials to assist victims in resolving financial or other matters that were the result of this crime. (To read the FTC's consumer information on identity theft, click on the "Security Links" on the side menu of the PSECU Security Center.)