New Year, New ...You?

While the hustle and bustle of the holidays are behind us, it’s important to stay vigilant about the latest fraud schemes impacting our community. Cedar Point aims to protect and minimize the impact of fraud on our members through anti-fraud awareness year-round and encourages you to start the year off on the right foot by learning how to combat Identity theft.

Identity theft is a type of fraud that occurs when a bad actor uses your personal or financial information without your permission, usually to open new accounts or use existing accounts. The sensitive information stolen can include your name, address, credit card or bank account numbers, social security numbers, and medical insurance account numbers.
Bad actors use various methods to steal sensitive information. One of the most common scams used to get information is phishing. Phishing is when fraudsters try to get you to reveal personal or sensitive information to access accounts, often impersonating a legitimate source. Many phishing attempts use fraudulent phone calls, texts, or emails. Remember, if you receive a call, text, or email asking for personal information from someone claiming to be your financial institution, do not respond. Instead, call to verify the legitimacy of the communication.

In addition to phishing, Scammers may steal IDs, credit, and bank cards or go through your trash to retrieve documents with sensitive information, like bank statements. They may also steal information digitally. They can use skimming, where scammers tamper with ATMs, cash registers, and fuel pumps to get card information. Bad actors even look through your social media accounts to find identifying information in posts or photos and gather information from your phone when you use public Wi-Fi.
In many instances, you may not immediately know you are a victim of identity theft. Red flags that you may be a victim of identity theft include bills for items you didn’t buy, debt collection calls or entries on your credit report for accounts you did not open, denials of loan applications, or mail not being delivered or missing from your mailbox.
Here are a few ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Do not answer phone calls, texts, social media messages, or emails from numbers or people you do not know.

 Do not share personal or sensitive information like your bank account number, Social Security number, or date of birth.

Collect your mail daily. When you go out of town, you can place a hold on it or arrange for someone you trust to collect it for you.

Review credit card and bank account statements weekly for unauthorized or suspicious transactions.

Be cautious about what you access on public wi-fi

Store personal information in a safe place. Do not carry it in your wallet.

Place a credit freeze or fraud alert on your credit reports

Despite our best efforts, accidents can happen. If you suspect that you or a loved one has become a victim of identity theft, notify your financial institution immediately and report it to the major credit reporting agencies and The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov.

Citations

U.S. General Services Administration, (May 3, 2024) “Identity Theft”, Accessed December 2024. https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft

Federal Trade Commission, (September 2024) “What To Know About Identity Theft”, Accessed December 2024. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-identity-theft

Posted by: Ashton Osborne, Public Relations Specialist