ID THEFT

GAF Linden Employees Federal Credit Union

More and more we find ourselves reading about it, watching about it or hearing about it. We say, "Those people are so stupid" or "That could never happen to me." Guess what? IT CAN! And in today's world you probably know someone it has happened to. Or you may be saying "Now you tell me."

We're talking about ID THEFT. We're talking about FRAUD.

Whatever you want to call it, there are only 3 things you can do about it.

Protect yourself
Protect yourself
Protect yourself

Information you think not important, is important to someone inclined to commit a crime. It can be as high-tech as a keystroke-recording device or as mundane as someone rifling through trash for an intact credit card slip. It's not fair. It shouldn't happen. But it does. And when it does happen, It's your good name, It's your good credit, And it's up to you to fix it.

We hope these tips can help. They sure can't hurt.

	Review credit reports annually (Equifax:1-800-525-6285, Experian:1-888-EXPERIAN, TransUnion:1-800-680-7289)
	Shred confidential documents
	Review all account statements promptly
	Use caution when asked for personal information over the phone or internet
	Be aware of current scam tactics over the phone or internet
	Safeguard User ID's and passwords
	Safeguard personal checks, check cards and credit cards
	If you would not release information over the phone, don't release that information over the internet
	Use informational web-sites to further educate yourself, such as www.consumer.gov/idtheft
	You may also protect yourself through: www.lifelock.com

We will update this page with more information as it becomes available to us, so check back soon.