ID Awareness & Security

However, by requesting your report separately from each credit bureau, you can check your report three times a year.

• Equifax: 888-766-0008; www.equifax.com
• Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com
• TransUnion: 888-909-8872; www.transunion.com 

2. Monitor Your Billing Statements of Existing Accounts for Unusual or Unauthorized Activity.

3. Be Cautious about Giving Personal Information out Over the Internet.

4. Protect Your Computer.  Installing up-to-date Anti Virus software, spyware and firewalls will minimize the risk of your computer being compromised or hacked.

 

 

How We Protect Your Financial Information
At New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union, we have policies and procedures in place to protect your card and transaction data:

• We constantly monitor our members' credit card and Visa^® Check Card accounts and flag suspicious activity. When it seems appropriate, we contact you to verify the purchasing information, and, if necessary, block or close the account.
• We protect your data through multiple layers of security, above mandated state or federal regulations. Data is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, external examiners evaluate the security of our systems and identify new ways to protect that data. Our neural network program monitors and protects your card information against fraud and theft using the industry's most sophisticated technology.
• Although we hope that your credit card or Visa Check Card data is never compromised, fraud losses on those accounts are protected by Visa's and MasterCard's Zero Liability Policies.

If you feel that your personal financial information has been compromised, please immediately email us or call 889-7755 (800-347-2838 if you live outside the Albuquerque area).

 

If You Suspect Theft or Fraud

1. If you discover a new account has been opened in your name without your authorization, immediately contact the three major credit bureaus and ask that a fraud alert be placed on your record at www.annualcreditreport.com.
   • Equifax www.equifax.com 888-766-0008
   • Experian www.experian.com 888-397-3742
   • TransUnion www.transunion.com 888-909-8872
   
   Once the alert is placed, future creditors will be required to contact you directly before opening new accounts or making changes to existing ones.
2. Filing a police report that provides specific details of the identity theft is considered an Identity Theft Report, which entitles you to certain legal rights when it is provided to the three major credit reporting agencies or to companies where the thief misused your information.
3. Notify the creditors involved and disputing any unauthorized transactions are two steps you must take immediately to restore your good name. Take good notes. At every step, pay attention to detail and remember that businesses and agencies may want to see paper or electronic files. For each contact, record the name of the person you spoke with, the date and time of the conversation, the address, phone number, and full name of the business, and what was discussed.
4. Be sure to follow up. Send all important correspondence via registered mail, with return receipt requested, and send copies, not originals. Keep the paperwork on hand for several years. Once you and a creditor have settled a claim, ask the firm to mail a letter confirming that the matter is settled. This letter is your best protection if the same phony claim reappears.

 

 Additional Identity Protection Steps

• Buy a cross-cut type shredder.  Make it a habit to shred all your important papers --
• Beware of "dumpster diving." Make sure you don't put anything in your trash that someone could use to steal your identity.
• Have your name removed from promotional lists by writing: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P. O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.     
• When you order new credit cards in the mail or your previous ones have expired, watch the calendar to make sure you receive the card within the expected timeframe.
• Cancel all credit cards you don't plan to use or have not used in six months.
• Review all statements for each of your credit cards every month. Better yet, check your account activity every week online.
• Immediately correct all mistakes on your credit reports in writing.  Identify the problems item by item and send your letter Return Receipt Requested, along with a photocopy of the credit report back, to the credit reporting agency. You should hear from them within 30 days.
• Don't put checks in the mail from your home mailbox. Drop them off at a U.S. Mailbox or at a U.S. Post Office.
• If you don't have a mail slot in your front door, get a post office box or a locked mailbox, if you possibly can.
• Empty your wallet of all extra credit cards, Social Security numbers, etc. Don't carry any identifiers you do not need. 
• Make a list of all your credit card account numbers and financial account numbers with customer service phone numbers, and keep it in a safe place. (Don't keep it on the hard drive of your computer if you are connected to the Internet.)
• Be cautious at ATM's and when using prepaid phone cards in public.
• Ask all financial institutions, hospitals, doctors' offices, etc. how they protect your private information.
• If someone calls you at home or at work and you don't know the person, never give out any of your personal information. If they say they are a credit grantor of yours, call them back at the phone number that you know is the true number, and ask for that person to discuss your personal information. Provide only information that you believe is absolutely necessary.
• Learn how to keep your computer and the personal information it contains safe.
• Guard passwords and PINs that allow you to access your credit card, financial and phone accounts - and avoid using easily available information such as your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN) or your phone number.
• Don't click on links or attachments in e-mails unless you know what they are and who sent them. If you get unsolicited e-mail asking for personal data such as your SSN number or financial account numbers - for any reason -report it to www.fraud.org and delete it.
• Secure personal information in your home. Remove your new mail from the mailbox promptly and send outgoing mail from the post office or other secure mail boxes. Shred your charge receipts, pre-approved credit offers, physician statements, checks and bank statements.
• Opt out of receiving pre-screened credit card offers by calling toll-free 888-567-8688.
• Review your account statements on a regular basis, and use online or phone balance and transaction review features. These are among the best ways to watch for fraudulent activity on all of your financial accounts.
• Find out who has access to your personal information at work and verify that records are kept in a secure location.
• Don't carry your Social Security card - leave it in a secure place at home or in a safe deposit box.
• Don't carry any credit cards you don't need. And keep the ones you plan to use while shopping somewhere other than your wallet.
• Before inserting your card at an ATM, feel along the edge of the insertion slot to make sure it hasn't been tampered with.
• Order a copy of your credit report at least once a year by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. . Make sure it's accurate and includes only the activities you've authorized.
• Consider joining a credit-monitoring service that tracks your credit activities and alerts you when someone applies for credit in your name or when account information is altered.

Additional Identity Protection Available

Additional products and services are available at a 25% discount if you have a checking account at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union. Before ordering supplemental products, call our Anywhere Advisors at 889-7755 (800-347-2838 from outside the Albuquerque area) and request your discount code word.  Then place your order online or by calling toll-free 866-443-3728 Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Mountain Time).

You can optimize your identity protection by adding:

Core Identity Protection ™

• $25,000 of broad identity insurance, including lost wages up to $10,000, reasonable legal fees and court costs, reasonable and necessary travel costs, and reimbursement for actual losses up to $5,000.
• Access to a comprehensive online resource guide that includes loss prevention steps to reduce the likelihood of becoming an identity fraud victim. 
• Detailed analysis of privacy and security issues, along with worksheets and action items to help gain back your identity.

Individual:   $24.95/year (18.71 with your discount)

Family:  $44.95/year ($33.71 with your discount)  

Identity Fraud Gold:
 
Identity Fraud Gold provides an annual subscription for 24-hr credit monitoring of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit records with daily alert notification back to the member of any significant changes. It also provides one Experian credit report and "smart" score and all of the benefits provided in the Core Identity Protection Plan, however, identity insurance is increased to a $1,000,000 limit.     
 
The alert notification means that the member will be notified of any significant changes to their credit reports on a daily basis (i.e., new accounts, change of address, etc.) Please note that credit rating changes such as past due indicators or payment changes are not considered significant and are deemed as normal activity. If there is nothing to report, a monthly email is sent to members indicating “No news is good news”.

Individual Plan: Member Price – $89.95/ Year 
 
Identity Fraud Platinum:
 
Identity Fraud Platinum services include 24-hr credit monitoring of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit records with daily alert notification back to the member of any significant changes, one Experian credit report and "smart" score, cyber monitoring, court/ criminal records monitoring, public records monitoring, non-credit loan monitoring and all of the benefits provided in the Core Identity Protection Plan, however, identity insurance is increased to a $1,000,000 limit.

Not all identity theft can be detected by monitoring credit reports. That's why Identity Fraud Platinum also monitors:

• Court Records: criminal actions associated with your name, birth date, and/or Social Security number.
• Public Records: names and addresses affiliated with your Social Security number, address history and any changes to the same.
• Non-Credit Loans: short-term, high-interest payday loan activity that doesn't require a credit inquiry.
• IF Cyber Monitor: Continuous internet surveillance of Web sites, chat rooms and bulletin boards for criminal selling or trading of your personal information online.
• Sex Offender Report: the only program that alerts you to sex offenders residing in your zip code or moving in to your neighborhood, as well as any use of your identity by known offenders nationally. 

 Individual Plan: Member Price – $139.95/ Year

The information provided here is for information purposes only.  All products are subject to specific terms, conditions and limitations.  Identity insurance in NY has a maximum $25,000 limit. Prices subject to change. 

Important Reminders 

Here are effective ways to continue protecting your financial data:

• www.nmefcu.org.  If you have one of our credit cards, online service is available at: www.eZcardinfo.com.
• Contact us immediately with any change in your address or phone number.
• New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union will NEVER ask you in a phone call, e-mail or letter for account numbers, credit card numbers, CCV numbers, PIN numbers, or any other private information. 
• Don't be tricked - even clicking on a link in an email can install unwanted programs in your computer that can steal your private information. If you receive any suspicious emails, delete them immediately. 
• Periodically check your credit reports distributed by the three major credit bureaus, and you have the right to receive one free copy of your credit report, once every twelve months.  To request this report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

Resources

• Identity Fraud, Inc.:  www.identityfraud.com/nmefcu or 866-443-3728
• Federal Trade Commission:   www.ftc.gov/idtheft or 877-438-4338
• Free Annual Credit Report:  www.annualcreditreport.com or 877-322-8228
• Identity Theft Quiz and Consumer Tips:  www.idsafety.net
• Identity Theft Resource Center (includes pages in Spanish):  www.idtheftcenter.org
• International Updates on Phishing Scams:  www.antiphishing.org
• United States Department of Justice: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html