Valley Bell Credit Union provides you with credit union news, product and service updates, special promotions, and articles to assist you with your financial planning needs.
 
 
 


 

 

How Your Identity is Stolen
    How to Protect Yourself
 
 
  Situation 1:
  “Phishing” (pronounced “fishing”) You may
receive an e-mail that appears to be from a company you know or it may state it is from a government agency.  There will always be a request for immediate action regarding your account and it will encourage you to “click” on a button to go to the company website or it will provide a toll-free telephone number for you to call.  If you “click” the button, it may appear to go to the company’s website or it can go to the company website but a pop-up window may appear.  In either case, there will be a request to update personal information or a request to verify password or other account information.
 
  Solution 1:   Do Not “click” or Do Not call the toll-free
number.  Reputable companies do not ask for this type of information unless you contact them; they will only request such information to verify your identity.  Ignore unsolicited requests for personal information.  If you need to contact the company, use a telephone number found on your statement or in the phonebook.
 
 
  Situation 2:
  Identity thieves steal purses and wallets that
usually contain driver’s license, credit card, Social Security card and other personal information.
 
  Solution 2:   Keep your purse or wallet secured.
Do not carry your Social Security card and carry only the identification, credit cards, or ATM/debit cards you need.
 
 
  Situation 3:
  Identity thieves steal mail from unsecured
roadside mailboxes that contain bank account statements, credit card statements, personal checks, or tax information.  They steal outbound mail from these same mailboxes that may contain credit card or other payments; one bill payment will have account number information and your checking account information.|
 
  Solution 3:   Take your outgoing mail to a secure post
office mailbox and remove mail from your home mailbox as soon as possible.  If you are going to be away for a few days, do not have your mail delivered; it is a sign to thieves of all kinds that your home is vacant. Contact the U.S. Postal Service at 800-275-8777 or online at www.usps.gov and request that they hold your mail until you return.
 
 
  Situation 4:
  “Dumpster Diving” – Discarded expired credit
cards, credit card or bank statements, pre-approved offers of credit, deposit receipts, credit card receipts, ATM/debit card receipts, and insurance forms are just a few items that can be found in everyday trash that contain personal information and identity thieves know this.  They also know that some businesses are careless with how they dispose of your personal information.
 
  Solution 4:   Shred these documents thoroughly before
placing in the trash.  When a company collects your personal information, it is your right to know how they will protect and store your information as well as how they will destroy the information when they no longer need it, so do not be afraid to ask.
     
 
  Situation 5:
  The National Crime Prevention Council reports that
someone the victims know commits 50% of identity theft crimes.
 
  Solution 5:   Store your personal information in a secure
place, especially if you have roommates, visitors, employ outside help, or if you are having work done on your house.  Share your personal information with family members only when necessary.
     
 
  Situation 6:
  Theft of personal information at work is a growing
trend.
 
  Solution 6:   Ask your employer if there is a policy to
protect your personal information and who has access to it.  Keep your purse or wallet in a secured place.
     
 
  Situation 7:
  Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) and
Passwords
 
  Solution 7:   Do not use birth dates, Social Security numbers,
favorites sports teams, name of pets, children’s names or other such information.
     
 
  Situation 8:
  Members of the Armed Services
 
  Solution 8:   If you are being deployed from your normal
duty station, place an “Active Duty Alert” in your credit file.  Creditors must verify your identity before granting any credit; this will help prevent anyone from using your personal information to obtain credit while you are away.  The alert is good for one year.  It can be renewed by anyone for you.
     
 
  Situation 9:
  Be Alert to Signs that Indicate Your Identity Has
Been Stolen
 
  Solution 9:    
  • Bills do not arrive as normal – Identity thieves may have changed the mailing address with these companies and obtained new credit cards.
  • You receive unexpected credit card statements or other similar items.  Identity thieves have opened accounts with your personal information.
  • You receive denials of credit when you did not apply.
  • You cannot identify transactions on your account when reviewing your bank statement.
     

What to Do if You Suspect or if Your Personal Information Has Been Stolen
 
 
  Situation 10:
  Place a “Fraud Alert” in your credit file
by contacting any one of the three major credit bureaus:
  • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 or www.equifax.com
  • Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742) or www.experian.com
  • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 or www.transunion.com
  • Order a copy of your credit report and review your file.  Verify your personal information such as Social Security number, address and employer.   If any of it is incorrect, get it removed.  The credit bureaus have forms and procedures for doing this. 
  • Look for creditors reporting accounts that you did not open or credit inquires you know you did not initiate.
Close the accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.  Contact the fraud or security department of each company to find out their procedures for reporting the fraud.  Take notes of the conversation such as whom you spoke with, time and date.  Do not end the call until you have all your questions answered or you fully understand what to do.  Always follow-up with a written notification and do this immediately as the company must have this notice within 60 days of when they first sent the bill to you.   Send good photocopies of the documents they request keeping the originals for your file.
 
  Solution 10:   A Fraud Alert can help prevent identity
thieves from opening more accounts in your name.  When the alert is in your credit report, a business has to verify your identity before they grant credit; this means they may need to talk to you first.  There are two types of Fraud Alerts:

1). Initial Alert – Stays on in your credit file for 90 days.  Use this when you suspect your identity has been stolen or if your purse, wallet or other critical documents have been lost or stolen.  You are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies.

2). Extended Alert – Stays in your credit file for seven years.   Use this when you are a victim identity theft and can provide a copy of an official Identity Theft Report filed with any of the law enforcement agencies.   You are entitled to two free credit reports within the first 12 months from each of the three credit reporting agencies.You will be required to prove your identity, so have your personal information available you when you contact a credit bureau.
 
   
  Situation 11:
  File a report with the local police
 
 
  Solution 11:   Be sure to get a copy of the report -
you will need it to help prove identity theft.  If the police are reluctant to take the report, try the state police or the Attorney General’s office.
   
 
  Situation 12:
  Report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC)

www.consumer.org/idtheft

Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338)
 
  Solution 12:   The FTC can refer your complaint to other
government agencies for further action.  Always contact them when you have information to update.
   
 
  Situation 13:
  If your driver’s license or Social Security card is
lost or stolen

www.consumer.org/idtheft

Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338)
 
  Solution 13:   Contact the local offices to alert them of the
loss and for instructions.
   
 
  Situation 14:
  Contact all the companies in which you have credit
or other accounts
 
  Solution 14:   Alert them of the problem even though
accounts may not be affected by the identity theft.  Find out their procedures to protect you in the event the identity thieves attempt to commit fraud at these places.  Most companies will probably close all your accounts and re-open new ones with new account numbers and new passwords.

 


The enhancements and upgrades being implemented will allow us to serve our members more efficiently and in a more secure environment.  The upgrades will also allow the Credit Union to continue to offer products and services that often require new and advanced technology. 
 
ACH Postings – ATM/Debit Card Transactions –
Balance Inquiries – Share Drafts
ACH, ATM/Debit Card and Share Draft transactions will not be processed during the period of time the office will be closed
The balance shown on ATM/PIN transaction and balance inquiry receipts may not be accurate during the down time
Home Banking Schedule
Transactions performed after 7:30PM on Monday, June 23rd will be posted to member accounts by 10:00AM on Wednesday, June 25th
Transactions performed during this timeframe will be viewable via our Home Banking Link by 12:00Noon on Wednesday, June 25th






Home Banking transactions performed Monday through Friday after 3:00 PM will be posted by 10:00 AM the following business day and will be effective on the date of the posting.

Home Banking transactions performed on Saturday after 11:30 AM will be posted by 10:00 AM the following business day and will be effective on the date of the posting.

Home Banking transactions performed on Sunday or a Valley Bell CU holiday will be posted by 10:00 AM the next business day and will be effective on the date of the posting.

If you should have any questions or inquiries concerning the Home Banking transactions, please feel free to call Valley Bell Credit Union any time at 847-741-3403.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account…

What this means to you - When you make application to open any account at Valley Bell Credit Union, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We will ask to see and copy your Driver's License and/or other identifying documents.
 

Reminder to members with small balance inactive accounts… A monthly dormant account fee of $2.00 is deducted from all share accounts with balances of $15.00 or less and having no activity for 24 months. Activity is defined as any financial transaction initiated by the account owner. The primary reason for this change was the escalating costs of monitoring and maintaining these accounts. Please consider re-activating your account by making a deposit to your account at your earliest convenience.
 

Receipts are no longer mailed to members unless the member specifically requests a return receipt. This practice was implemented to eliminate excessive postage expenses and more importantly, as a preventive measure to keep your account information from getting into the hands of the wrong person…

All deposits and/or loan payments made through payroll, U.S. Mail or EFT-ACH from another financial institution can be verified and confirmed by receipt of your cancelled check and/or quarterly statement or by logging on to the Valley Bell CU Home Banking site. And don't forget you're always welcome to call the office to verify receipt of specific deposits and/or payments.