What is Identity Theft?
Identity thieves use another person's personal identification information - name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, etc. - to open new credit card accounts, take over existing accounts or obtain loans in the victim's name.

Thieves can easily obtain the identifying information they need to impersonate you by going through your trash, stealing your mail or purchasing information about you from an information broker. That's why it is very important for you to protect your personal information. Your Social Security number is the key to identity theft. With it thieves can gain access to your medical, financial, credit and educational records.

According to the FTC, it takes on average 12 months for a person to realize their identity has been stolen. While you cannot prevent identity theft, you can minimize your risk.  

 Fraud Alert…Don’t Get Hooked!
“Phishing” is the online scam that hopes you’ll bite and give out personal information that can be used to steal your identity. Emails claim to be from companies that you trust like PayPal, Visa, Internet Service Providers, the IRS and financial institutions.  Currently, there are two common Internet “phishing” schemes:   

• An email instructs you to provide personal account information online. You are linked to a false web site that’s been constructed to resemble that of the real company and you are told to verify certain information.
• An email instructs you to call a special phone number.  Once you call, an automated system asks you to verify your identity by punching in your credit card number and PINs to verify your information. 

The fake email may have one of these messages: 

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account.  To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”

 “During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information.  Please click on the link or call the toll-free number to update and verify your information.” 

Scammers want information such as: your social security number, credit union or bank information, PINs, and date of birth.  LA DOTD Federal Credit Union will NEVER ask you for your account information through email or a phone call.  However, if you initiate the call, we will ask for some identifying information before we disclose any information on your accounts.  This also protects you from thieves who want to access your accounts. If you receive any emails that appear to be from LA DOTD Federal Credit Union requesting you to verify your confidential information you should: 

• Treat the email with suspicion and do not reply to the email or open any attachments contained in the email. Do not dial any phone number contained in the email or click on a link within the email message.
• Call the LA DOTD FCU Call Center at 225-387-5646 or 800-436-8328. 

If you feel that you have been a victim of identity theft, please contact our partner Identity Theft 911 at 1-877-432-7463.  A personal advocate will work with you every step of the way until your identity has been restored at no cost to you.

Identity Theft Solutions
If you are a victim, Identity Theft 911's services can help restore your identity and your good name. Identity Theft 911 knows exactly what to do to help you solve the problem and get on with your life. And the best part is... it's completely FREE to our members!

Identity Theft 911, America’s leading identity theft solution company, understands that each case is as unique as the individual living through it. That’s why they give victims what they need most, a one-on-one relationship with a trained, dedicated fraud specialist. Each victim is assigned an expert personal advocate who gets to know every aspect of the problem so each detail gets the attention it deserves.Your personal advocate will work with you from the first call you make to report the problem until the crisis is resolved. Identity Theft 911 will notify the appropriate agencies, businesses, and institutions, and create a comprehensive case file for insurance companies and police. And they’ll follow through on every aspect of the case until your identity has been restored. Identity Theft 911 gives you and your family the information you need to reduce your risk and protect against identity theft. If you are victimized, Identity Theft 911 will walk you through the process step-by-step, while providing you with the following services:

• Personal advocate assigned to the victim works one-on-one, from first call to crisis resolution.
• Family members are also covered.
• Proactive assistance to explain notification letter.
• Unlimited access to the Identity Theft 911 toll-free number, (877) 432-7463.
• Advocate-assisted fraud alerts placed with TransUnion, then passed to Experian and Equifax.
• Assistance and guidance in filing a police report.
• Creation of fraud victim affidavit.
• Preparation of all documents and phone calls needed for credit grantor notification.
• Assistance in notifying relevant government agencies, etc.
• Assistance in replacing identification cards.
• Enrollment in one year of credit monitoring (TrueCredit) and fraud monitoring (MyFICO) with weekly alerts.
• 3-in-1 credit report.
• Optional credit file freezes in states where available.
• Optional submission to FTC Consumer Sentinel database for use by law enforcement.
• Comprehensive case file creation for insurance claims and law enforcement.
• Full year of active follow-up to judge both the success of resolution and to detect recurrent fraud.

Click here to visit Identity Theft 911's home page.

Identity Theft Links:
Identity Theft 911
LifeLock
Tips to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Federal Trade Commission ID Theft Resources
ID Theft When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name
ID Theft What's It All About Privacy Choices for Your Personal Financial Information
Phishing Scams and How You Can Fight Identity Theft