Dealing with Identity Theft
Mar 05, 2021
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information such as your name, Social Security number or credit card number to commit fraud or other types of crimes.
How can I find out if my identity was stolen?
Check your accounts, bank statements and credit reports thoroughly and often. Look for any unfamiliar transactions or unauthorized account openings.
Dealing with Identity Theft
If you're a victim of identity theft, follow these important steps. For checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process, go to IdentityTheft.gov
1. Notify all your banks and financial companies as soon as you realize your identity has been stolen or an account is at risk.
- Ask them to close or freeze your accounts.
- Change the logins and passwords for all of your online accounts.
- Our customers can call 1-833-357-0010 to initiate a dispute for fraud transactions shown on their MFS accounts.
2. Place a fraud alert and check your credit reports.
- Look for any fraudulent transactions and unauthorized changes.
- Check the inquiry section for fraudulent applications or accounts. If you see any, ask the agency to remove or mask the inquiry. A masked inquiry will only be visible to you.
3. Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- You can do so online at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338.
4. An extra step you can take is to file a report with your local police department.
- You can give a copy of the report to creditors as evidence of fraud.
- If the police cannot file a theft report, ask them to file a miscellaneous incident report.
How MFS protects you from Identity Theft:
- In partnership with EnFact, we provide industry-leading technology, tools, and the expertise to manage fraud. Experienced fraud analysts work around-the-clock, watching for any suspicious card activity, and they will contact you immediately if they detect potential fraud on your card.
- We offer a service called Card Valet that protects your card against fraud. You can set card controls through your mobile device, making it easy to set alerts, lock your card and more. Access this feature through the MFS mobile app.