Identity Theft

Sharing is nice. But not when it’s your identity.

ID Theft Protection and Remediation Services

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, address, Social Security number (SSN), bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes.

The IDSafeChoice service includes the following protection and recovery services:

Fully-Managed Identity Recovery

Dedicated certified Recovery Advocate will work on your behalf to restore your identity.

Member Education

Dedicated website updated with the latest identity theft news, scams legal and regulatory updates, and prevention tips.

Monthly Identity Theft Newsletter

A monthly newsletter with the latest news on identity theft and the latest scams.

Credential Vault

Securely store information for up to 50 credentials such as credit cards, checking accounts, savings accounts, personal loan information, passport, retirement accounts, and more!

Lost Document Replacement

Guard against the unexpected loss of your critical information or documents commonly carried in your purse or wallet.

Expense Reimbursement

Receive reimbursement on out of pocket expenses incurred by recovering your identity.

Internet Surveillance

Proactive tool used to identify thieves trading your personal information in high risk areas of the internet, including black market and social networking sites.

Packages including credit report monitoring are also available.

Learn More and Enroll

Ways to Prevent Identity Theft

Although no one is completely immune, you can take action to avoid having your identity stolen. The following are a few suggestions on how to best protect your name and your good credit:

Safeguard your personal information

Carefully guard your personal information and be selective with whom you share it. Personal information includes such things as your name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, social security number, bank account number, credit card numbers, birth date, and mother’s maiden name.
Never give out personal information on the phone, text message, email, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or are sure you know who you’re dealing with.
Shred documents that contain your personal information and account numbers before you throw them away. This includes unsolicited credit card applications.
Don’t print your driver’s license or social security number on your checks.
Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having service work done in your home.
Keep a list or photocopies of all information you carry in your wallet or purse. Store this information in a secure location.

Stay safe online

Don’t reveal personal information via email or text message. Emails and text messages can be masked to look like they are coming from a trusted sender when they are actually from someone else.
Opening files attached to emails can be dangerous especially when they are from someone you don’t know as they can allow harmful malware or viruses to be downloaded onto your computer or phone.
Never log in from a link that is embedded in an email message. Criminals can use fake email addresses and make fake web pages that mimic the page you would expect. To avoid falling into their trap, type in the URL address directly and then log in.
Be aware that if you navigate to a website from a link you don’t type, you may end up at a site that looks like the correct one, when in fact it’s not. Take time to verify that the Web page you’re visiting matches exactly with the URL that you’d expect.
Logoff from sites when you are done, rather than just closing the page.

Monitor your accounts

Monitor your credit report by pulling one report a year for each of the three credit reporting agencies at annualcreditreport.com. Pull one in the spring, one in the summer, and one in the fall. That way you will be able to see if there are any unauthorized credit accounts or application. Then file disputes with each agency when/if you find any.
Keep a close eye on the balances and transaction details of your accounts (Checking, Savings, Credit Card, etc) by reviewing your monthly statements and using Online and Mobile Banking. If you see a charge on your account you aren’t familiar with report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
Set up security and account alerts through Online or Mobile Banking to monitor unusual account activity.
Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.

Follow strong password security protocols

Use strong passwords which contain capital letters, numbers & special characters. It is more secure to pick a phrase of several random words put together to form a stronger password (ZebraRainbowFilbert). Only change it when you receive word of a breach or you have some reason to believe it has been discovered by someone else.
Be mindful that your email address is the most important digital account you have since it often is used as a way to reset passwords for all sorts of other accounts. It is very important to have a strong & unique password in place on your email account to prevent fraudsters from resetting your other passwords that have access to your email account.
Place passwords on your credit card, credit union, and phone accounts

Keep your mail secure

Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, request a vacation hold from the Postal Service.
When ordering new checks, pick them up at the Credit Union, rather than having them sent to your home mailbox.

Card Security

You can Use the Card On/Off feature on our Mobile Banking App to control when your card is active and inactive.
In the case of fraud, while both Credit & Debit cards offer protections against fraudulent transactions, recovering from fraud on a Credit Card is much less burdensome than attempting to recover lost funds from a checking account.

Keep your member info up-to-date

Make sure your financial institution has your correct contact information. Update the Credit Union should your phone number, email address or physical address change. Not only does this help prevent fraudsters from receiving information that does not belong to them it also helps the Credit Union reach the member in case of an emergency.

Beware of phony phone calls

Fraudulent actors may attempt to impersonate Trailhead employees. If you receive a cold call or text message from Trailhead or the Trailhead Fraud Department requesting account or personal information please hang up, and contact Trailhead at 503-220-2592 to ensure you are speaking directly with a Trailhead representative.
We will NEVER call, email or otherwise contact you and ask for your user name, password, credit card information, or other online banking credentials.

FAQs

A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, is the best way to help prevent new accounts from being opened in your name. You may do so by contacting each of the three credit bureaus:

TransUnion: www.transunion.com | 1-800-680-7289
Equifax: www.equifax.com | 1-800-525-6285
Experian: www.experian.com | 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

If you suspect that your personal information has been used to commit fraud or theft, take the following steps right away:

Visit the Federal Trade Commissions Identity Theft website at www.identitytheft.gov to file a report and get a recovery plan. They will provide a list of steps to take base on the type of identity fraud you experienced.
Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus below and tell them you have been a victim of identity theft. Ask them to place a “fraud alert” in your file, as well as a “victim statement.”
- Equifax – 1-800-525-6285
- Experian – 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
- TransUnion – 1-800-680-7289
Contact Trailhead, any other financial institutions you use, and your creditors to protect your accounts and close them if necessary. You may want to report stolen checks to the following agencies:
- TeleCheck: 800-710-9898
- Equifax Check Systems: 800-437-5120
- ChexSystems: 800-428-9623
File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy of the report because you may need it to validate your claims to creditors.
Report stolen mail to your local postal inspector at 503-279-2060.
Report your incident to the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 800-269-0271.

Monitor your credit report by pulling one report a year for each of the three credit reporting agencies at annualcreditreport.com. Pull one in the spring, one in the summer, and one in the fall. That way you will be able to see if there are any unauthorized credit accounts or application. Then file disputes with each agency when/if you find any.
Keep a close eye on the balances and transaction details of your accounts (Checking, Savings, Credit Card, etc) by reviewing your monthly statements and using Online and Mobile Banking. If you see a charge on your account you aren’t familiar with report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.