Protect Yourself From Identity Theft!

LGFCU is proud to offer the most convenient services for your finances. Unfortunately, while advances in technology make life easier for consumers, your personal information is also more widely distributed and criminals have easier access to steal it for their own gain. The Credit Union diligently protects our member's personal information. Please review our privacy policy at the bottom of this page.

For resources on combating identity theft, read the information provided by the N.C. Department of Justice under LGFCU documents. Also, visit other helpful links located on the right.

If someone has already stolen your identity:

• Report the crime to the police immediately. Get a copy of the police report to show creditors as proof that the theft occurred.
  
• Cancel your credit cards, close your bank accounts and open new ones. Ask if you can have password-only access to the accounts. Get new ATM cards. Create new passwords and personal identification numbers (PIN).
  
• Contact the major credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experion and TransUnion. Ask each to place a fraud alert on your file to notify companies of the identity theft. Follow-up every monthly to see if someone has tried to use your identity again.
  
• Document any expenses you incur and actions you take to clear your name.
  
• File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law enforcement agencies use the FTC's database for investigations of identity theft cases.

How thieves get your information:

• Take it from files where they work
• Go through your trash
• Intercept data as you transfer it over the Internet.
• Watch over your shoulder as you make calls with a card
• Watch you as you work on public Internet computers

Start protecting yourself:

• Share as little personal information with companies as possible. Ask how your personal information will be used, who will share it and how it will be protected.
• Don't give out your credit card number unless you initiated the contact with a company and know that the method of communication is secure. Pay attention to your billing cycles and notify creditors immediately if your identification or credit cards are lost or stolen.
  
• When surfing the Internet use digital signatures and data encryption. Make sure the site is secure, usually indicated by a lock icon at the bottom of the page.
  
• Check your credit report from all three credit bureaus at least once a year.
  
• Choose difficult passwords and change them often. Don't carry them with you.
  
• Shred personal financial information such as statements, credit card offers, receipts, insurance forms, etc. before throwing them away.