• Account Fraud & Identity Theft
• Fraud Prevention
• Internet Phishing
• Lost/Stolen Credit - Debit

Account Fraud and Identity Theft

If your name, account number or any form of personal identification has been used in a fraudulent scheme or transaction, you may wish to contact the agencies listed below.

Report any fraudulent activity on your deposit account such as lost or stolen checks, and other unauthorized transactions found in your account statement.

Credit Bureaus

Request a copy of your credit bureau report and look for unknown inquiries or approved credit. Request a statement be placed on your record that no further credit be approved unless you are contacted directly before approval is granted.

Merchant Check Guarantee Firms

Report any credit union account set up fraudulently under your name to:

• Telecheck (800) 366-2425

• National Processing Company (800) 526-5380

• SCAN (800) 262-7771

• CrossCheck (800) 552-1900

• Market Block List (888) 567-8688

These agencies will place information in their systems about checks that are reported as stolen or lost. They will also make note of accounts that were opened for the purpose of true name fraud. This information is then made available to merchants who subscribe to their service.

Fraudulent Charges on Your Account

Report fraudulent charges on your Ladish Community Credit Union account(s) using the numbers below.  Review your account activity to ensure there are no unauthorized transactions.

• Ladish Community Credit Union: 414-481-6220

• Lost Debit/ATM card: 1-800-554-8969

• Lost MasterCard Credit Card: 1-800-808-7230

Social Security Services

Report victimization and improper use of your Social Security Number to the SSA Hotline at (800) 269-0271. For additional information, visit your local Social Security office.

United States Post Office and Local Police Department

• United States Postal Inspectors Office
  Contact your local post office to report any crime involving stolen mail, or use of mail in furtherance of a fraudulent scheme.

• Local Police Department
  File a police report with your local police department. Make sure you keep a copy of the report for your records.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

If your driver's license is stolen, report the theft immediately to your local DMV. Ensure that a duplicate license was not recently issued in your name to an imposter.  

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The FTC Consumer Response Center provides information, logs complaints, and helps victims of identity theft rectify damage to their credit and personal reputation. Contact the FTC through one of these methods:

• (877) 438-4338

• Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov/idtheft

Fraud Prevention
Protecting yourself and your good name.

• Do not give out personal information, such as account or credit card number, on the phone or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know whom you are dealing with.
• Dispose of personal information safely. Tear up or shred credit card and ATM receipts, statements, or unused financial solicitations.
• Protect your PIN numbers and other passwords. Keep you PIN number secure. Only you should have the PIN number and you should never give it out over the phone.
• No one from the credit union, Credit Card Company or other institution will call you and ask you to verify your account number or your PIN.
• Review your monthly statements carefully to make sure all withdrawals or charges were authorized.
• Protect your social security number. Do not carry your card with you. Give it out only if absolutely necessary.
• Never click on links in the unsolicited e-mails: instead type in the web address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and antivirus software to protect your computer (keep them up to date).
• Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or having work done in your home.
• Carry only cards you are going to use. Leave all other cards at home in a safe place.
• Watch merchants perform the card authorizations and make sure purchases are recorded properly before signing the receipt.
• Commit passwords and PIN numbers to memory so no one can see them in writing.
• Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. Never use your mailbox for outgoing mail. Notify the post office to put a hold on your mail when you are out of town.

Internet Phishing Fraudulent e-mail or websites

• Phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with — for example, an Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to "update," "validate," or "confirm" your account information. Some phishing emails threaten a dire consequence if you don't respond. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization's site. But it isn't. It's a bogus site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

• If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don't click on the link in the message, either. Legitimate companies don't ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization mentioned in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company's correct Web address yourself. In any case, don't cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser — phishers can make links look like they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.

• Area codes can mislead. Some scammers send emails that appear to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a "refund." Because they use Voice Over Internet Protocol Technology, the area code you call does not reflect where the scammers really are. If you need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card. And delete any emails that ask you to confirm or divulge your financial information.

• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.
  
  Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
  A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It's especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Operating systems (like Windows or Linux) or browsers (like Internet Explorer or Netscape) also may offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.

• Don't email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization's website, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser's status bar or a URL for a website that begins "https:" (the "s" stands for "secure"). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.

• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.

• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer's security.

• If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC's Identity Theft website at ftc.gov/idtheft. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. While you can't entirely control whether you will become a victim of identity theft, you can take some steps to minimize your risk. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these new accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit reporting companies. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.

• Learn other ways to avoid e-mail scams and deal with deceptive spam at ftc.gov/spam

Lost or Stolen Master Card Credit Card or Master Money Debit Card

• Call 1-800-808-7230 for a Master Card Credit Card
• Call 1-800-554-8969 for a Master Money Debit Card
• These phone numbers are available 24 hours a day