Identity Theft

Defining identity theft

Identity theft occurs when a criminal has enough of your personal information to pretend to be you. That information can be stolen in various ways, including scams, phishing and data breaches. In certain cases, this theft could result in risk to your reputation if your social media or email accounts are hacked. In more serious cases, your money could be stolen and/or your credit impacted if a criminal applies for a loan using your name.

How Monterra protects you

• As a financial institution, Monterra has very strong security systems and protocols in place to protect your personal and financial information.
• All Monterra employees are trained on how to handle sensitive data to avoid theft.
• If your debit or credit cards are ever compromised, or fraud is suspected, Monterra may lock your cards or reissue them, depending on the severity of the risk.
• Multi-factor authentication is available to log in to online and mobile banking.
• Monterra will never ask you to provide personal information over email or by text. We will only discuss these details with you in a secure environment or in-person/over the phone after we have verified your identity.

Ways to protect yourself

• Be extremely cautious about sharing your personal information on social media and other websites and ensure your privacy settings are set to ensure only those you want to see your posts can see them.
• Check your credit report regularly for loans and accounts you did not open.
• Only share information with verified merchants you are making a purchase or entering into an agreement with them that requires that information.
• Use your EMV Chip, Tap to Pay, or Digital Wallet whenever possible and avoid swiping your card at point-of-sale machines.
• Avoid using isolated stand alone ATMs. They are vulnerable to being compromised.
• Sign up for Account Alerts so that you get notified of purchases made on your cards/accounts as they occur.
• If you lose or misplace your credit card, debit card, or checks, inform Monterra Credit Union at once.
• Regularly change your online and mobile banking passwords and make them difficult to guess.
• Let us know when you’re traveling and where you’re going, especially when you leave the country.

Additional resources

• FTC website for reporting identity theft
• ID Theft Center to learn more about steps you should take if you've been victimized
• If it appears someone is using your Social Security number, call the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213.

If you see suspicious transactions on your Monterra account or think you may have been the victim of identity theft, contact us immediately at (650) 363-1725. Then, immediately contact all three credit bureaus.