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4 Steps to Take After Identity Theft

identify theft illustration

Have you been the victim of identify theft? Here are some helpful steps to take.

Step 1: Call your financial institution

You may be contacted by your credit union about unusual charges, or you may see them on a statement. In that case, the first step is to contact your financial institution, dispute the charges and ask them to lock or close the account. You’ll want to get a new Debit Card to get a fresh start. The credit union makes it easy for you and will help you every step of the way.

Step 2: Check your statements

Pull up your other accounts and scan old statements for other charges that you don’t recognize. Don’t forget to review dormant or infrequently used accounts as well. The credit union makes it simple for you to review your statements at all times with eStatements. Don’t forget to also look at your credit report to assess whether you’re a victim of credit card fraud or a stolen identity. Request copies from all three major reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion – and look for any accounts you may not recognize.

Step 3: File fraud paperwork

You should contact your local police department and file a report. Although the police may not be able to do anything if your identity was stolen by criminals online or overseas, your report could help them track down someone who is stealing information locally. When I was a victim of the Schnucks breach several years ago, filing a police report helped them catch the criminal.

Step 4: Sign up for credit monitoring

If your information was accessed in a data breach, you’ll want to invest in a credit monitoring service. This can range in price, but I chose to go the free route and check mine all the time through CreditKarma. It is a free service where you can see your accounts, your last reported balances and what’s affecting your credit scores. If your credit report had fraudulent activity, you’ll want to follow up with the credit bureaus and request a fraud alert be placed on your account.

Remember, anyone can become a victim of identity theft. So, whether you shop online (or not), use a debit card (or not), or take advantage of mobile banking services anyone can become a victim of identity theft at any time. Just remain calm, follow these steps, and trust Alltru to help you get back on track.

If you are a member of Alltru and think you may be a victim of identity theft, please contact us.

Stay safe my friends,

Alltru Credit Union Employee, Chelsea Springli's Signature

Chelsea Springli

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