UPDATE: Scammers are taking advantage of the Equifax breach by calling consumers and acting as Equifax to "verify account information." This is a scam. Do not give any personal information. If you've received a call you think is fake, report it to the FTC. Click here to read an article published in NPR about the breach.
The safety and security of our members’ accounts is our first priority. Equifax announced on Thursday, September 7, 2017, hackers recently gained access to the personal information of over 143 million U.S. consumers. If you haven’t already, visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com to learn whether your information has been compromised.
If you are potentially impacted by the cybersecurity incident, Equifax is offering one year of TrustedID Premier to all U.S. consumers, this includes:
- Copies of your Equifax Credit Report
- 3-Bureau Credit File Monitoring (monitors and automatically alerts key changes to your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit files)
- Equifax credit report lock
- Social security number monitoring by searching suspicious websites for your SSN
- $1 million in identity theft insurance to help pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses in the event you are a victim of identity theft
How can you protect yourself?
Monitoring your credit and personal information are both crucial to protecting yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or stolen identity.
Take these steps to protect yourself:
- Set alerts with the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to get notified of fraud on your accounts
- Reset your financial account login information
- Review all account statements and credit reports diligently
- Watch out for fake emails or websites asking for personal information (phishing scams)
- Set up and manage spending alerts in Online Banking
- Report any suspicious activity to us or your other financial institution(s) and IdentityTheft.gov
- Monitor your personal information and credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com
- Enroll in a credit monitoring service
Whether or not you are impacted by this breach, hacking incidents and phishing emails are becoming more prevalent in today’s world. It’s important to stay alert and on top of your accounts to minimize your risk.
As a reminder: Unless you reach out to us in regard to opening an account or questions about your account, we never send emails or call you requesting personal information. If you receive anything from us that looks suspicious, contact us immediately. We’re always here to help.
Additional Resources:
General Electric Credit Union (GECU) does not endorse individual vendors, products, or services included above. We provide information and listings only which we hope are helpful.
