Identity theft protection is critical to your peace of mind

Your life is too hectic to worry about identity theft…but its critical you do! Gold Coast has the answer for you!

LifeLock can detect and alert* you of potential threats to your identity and if you do become a victim of identity theft, LifeLock will work to fix it and reimburse funds stolen.*

Identity theft protection strategies and tools are important ways to help protect your Social Security number and other personal information. A stolen identity can cost you money and time as you may have to hire professionals and work with credit bureaus to clear your good name. Identity thieves can use your information to open fraudulent credit card accounts that can show up on your credit report and hurt your credit score.

By just monitoring your credit, you could miss certain identity threats. We see more^*, like if your personal information is sold on the dark web. And if you are a victim, our ID protection helps with identity restoration and even lost wallet coverage.

Due to the increasing amount of identity theft and fraud in our society, as added security to your account, please inform Gold Coast immediately if you change your address or phone number(s). All we need is a signature to compare with your signature on file. You can do this by mail or in person. That way if we encounter any unusual activity or have a problem with your account, Gold Coast personnel can contact you immediately.

If you are not sure if we have the correct information, please feel free to stop by one of our branches and visit our member services department or contact our member connect team. Any of our representatives will be glad to assist you in this matter.

As always, Gold Coast staff will NEVER ask you for your account number or PIN (Personal Identification Number) over the phone if we initiate the call. The address is listed below for your convenience.

Gold Coast
2226 South Congress Ave.
Palm Springs, FL 33406-7681 (561) 641-0100 Phone

Member Connect Number
(561) 965-1000

Protect Yourself
Below is a list of videos you can watch to help you avoid becoming a victim of identity theft:

Phishing: Don’t take the bait!
Identity Theft: Protect yourself!
Internet Fraud: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Social Media: Be careful who you trust!
Play it Safe with Portable Devices!

How to know if your identity has been stolen:

• You receive email notices of transactions you did not perform
• Your credit card bills show unauthorized charges
• You receive calls for payment on credit accounts you do not own
• Your credit rating takes a major dip because of delinquencies on loans or credit cards of which you had no knowledge
• You are denied employment, credit, loans, mortgages, government benefits, utilities and leases because your credit report and background checks show fraudulently incurred debts or wrongful criminal records

How your information gets stolen:

• Stolen wallet or purse containing your identification, credit cards and bank cards
• Stolen mail
• Diverting mail to another address by completing a change of address form
• Rummaging through your trash at home or work for personal information
• Posing as a landlord or employer to get personal information
• Accessing your business or personnel records at work
• Finding personal information in your home
• Purchasing personal information from inside sources, such as paying a store employee for information you provided on a credit application
• Using a pocket-sized scanner to get your credit card number when you present it for payment for goods or services
• Fitting a false ATM front on a machine that “swallows” your ATM card

General precautions

• Do NOT share personal information, account number, Social Security Number and other personally identifying information with suspicious sources
• Carry only necessary information with you. Leave your Social Security card at home. Only take it with you if you will need it. Confirm that it is needed rather than some other common personal identifier
• Limit paper statements. A paperless environment helps reduce the chance of identity theft. The fewer personal documents sent through the mail, the less chance there is for possible fraud. You can reduce paper statements by signing up for eStatements
• Shred documents containing personal or financial information before discarding. Most fraud and identity theft incidences happen because of mail and garbage theft
• Once a year, order your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies. We suggest your order comes from one agency every four months

Important Safety Tips

1. Keep a list of all account numbers in a secure, confidential place in case you experience problems with lost cards or theft of checks
2. Notify your financial institution immediately if you suspect your accounts have been compromised, or if you have lost any cards or checks
3. Store extra boxes of checks in a secure place
4. Do not provide any personal information to a third party unless you are confident of the purpose and feel secure that the information will not be misused
5. Keep credit cards, ATM cards, debit cards and check books always secure. Do not leave purses or pocketbooks unattended at any time
6. Place only minimal, personal information on the top of your checks
7. Be sure to carefully review all account statements regularly. Notify your financial institution immediately if there are discrepancies when you balance your accounts
8. Report any suspicious activity to law enforcement and to your financial institution
9. Do not store or write PIN information on plastic cards or in pocketbooks or purses
10. Shred or destroy any documents that contain personal information before putting them in the garbage
11. Remove mail from your mailbox promptly
12. Consider mailing payments and checks at the post office instead of leaving them in your mailbox for pickup
13. Please cooperate fully with merchants or financial institutions that request proper identification. They are doing it to protect your interest

Credit Bureaus:

• Equifax: 1-877-576-5734
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com/fraud
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com

Alerts
If you think you are a victim of identity theft, you can go to www.annualcreditreport.com to file an alert that will be sent to all three major credit bureaus.

A fraud alert is a 90-day alert on your credit file that blocks any information from being shared so that potential identity thieves can’t obtain your information. It prohibits by law the credit reporting agency from releasing the consumer’s credit report or any information from it without the express authorization of the consumer. www.annualcreditreport.com

Financially related frauds have become one of the major concerns facing consumers in recent years. To combat the growing threat, the U.S. government has created a website (stopfraud.gov) that is backed by the efforts of a task force comprising various government agencies (including the FBI, DOJ, DOL, Federal Reserve and Secret Service). The site offers a Report Suspected Fraud link, which will direct users on how to report any type of fraud—everything from elder abuse to securities fraud. Since this joint task force was launched in 2009, over $10 billion dollars in various fraud scheme losses have been uncovered nationwide involving well over 142,000 victims. It’s a great resource; check it out today.