Identity Theft involves personal information such as name, address, date of birth, social security number or a mother's maiden name being stolen in order to assume an individual's identity. This information allows the thief to commit many types of fraud. Example types of fraud are applying for loans, apartment rentals or establishing phone and utility services.
Most identity theft victims never know how their information was obtained. It can be from inadvertently providing sensitive personal information on the internet, stolen mail or a stolen purse or wallet. A method that is common is called Phishing. Phishing is an attempt to acquire sensitive information by posing as a trustworthy entity via electronic communication. Another common method is pretexting. The identity thief poses as a legitimate representative of an entity such as a financial institution, employer, service provider or government agency. They contact you to "verify" data. No trustworthy entity would initiate contact to verify sensitive personal information.
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Vermont Federal Credit Union is a $900 million-plus full-service, not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution that has served Vermonters for more than 70 years, with eight locations currently serving over 50,000 members. Members are part of a cooperative, meaning they share ownership in the Credit Union and elect a volunteer board of directors. Vermont Federal Credit Union provides membership to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in all of Vermont. Vermont Federal Credit Union is committed to supporting its communities and helping Vermonters prosper, no matter where they may be on life’s journey. Learn more about Vermont Federal Credit Union.