Identity Fraud and Theft

Identity fraud is the stealing of personal information and then using it illegally. If you think you are a victim of identity fraud and you are a Altas Union customer, please contact Altas Union immediately.

Once thieves have enough personal information, whether they retrieve it from unshredded documents in your trash, steal your purse or wallet, or gather information that you have posted on the Internet, they may change your address with creditors and apply for new loans or credit cards in your name. You may not be aware of the theft of your identity until months or years have passed.

You can take certain basic steps to protect yourself from identity fraud:

Do not give account or card number information to anyone, whether in person, over the phone or online, unless you are confident to do so. Do not carry your Social Insurance Number card in your wallet unless it is necessary.

Don't write down your bank machine Personal Identification Number (PIN) or your online banking password. If you must write these down, keep them in a safe place and do not carry them in your wallet or purse. Never give this information to anyone, even a Altas Union employee. Our employees will never ask you for this information, so be suspicious of anyone asking for it.

Do not share your Personal Verification Question (PVQ) answers with anyone, and do not disclose them in any e-mails. Giving your PVQ answers to another person or company places your finances and privacy at risk. Altas Union will never send you an e-mail requesting this information. Your PVQ answers for Altas Union Internet Banking should be unique - do not use PVQ answers that you have used previously on other web sites.

If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen, contact Altas Union immediately to block your accounts and cards from use.

If you don't want a pre-approved credit card offer, tear it up or shred it. Identity fraud often occurs by thieves going through trash looking for these offers. As well, tear up or shred any personal information you are going to throw away, such as receipts that show your card numbers or bank statements.

Ensure that all transactions on your statement are genuine. Report suspicious transactions immediately to Altas Union.

When entering your Personal Identification Number (PIN) at a bank machine or debit terminal, position yourself to block others from observing you enter your PIN. Stay alert when you are using a bank machine by yourself

Sign credit cards as soon as you receive them. Cancel inactive cards and don't lend your credit cards to anybody.

Identity theft is a growing concern in Canada and around the world. Identity thieves are criminals that will learn and use your personal information to access your financial accounts. Checking your accounts regularly and using the following tips will help keep your banking experience as secure as possible.

• Altas Union will never ask you to respond via e-mail to any requests for personal information, PINs or passwords
• Beware of people asking you to move money for them or notices that you have won a lottery you didn't play

• Your PIN and password are the keys to your account; never share your PIN or password with anyone
• For added protection, try covering your hand when entering in your PIN number; this will prevent others from seeing it
• Before you recycle old documents, be sure to shred them first

• Installing up-to-date anti-virus/spyware software and a firewall on your computer will help make your Altas Union Internet Banking experience a safe one