<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=331510594798275&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Skip to Content Oregonians Credit Union Oregonians Credit Union
  • Save & Spend
    Save & Spend See an Overview
    • Current Rates
    • Disclosures
    • Fee Schedule
    • Credit Calculators
    • Savings
      • Regular Share Accounts
      • Youth Savings
      • Homebuyer Savings
      • Money Market Accounts
      • Club Accounts
      • Share Certificates
      • IRA Accounts
    • Checking
      • My Rewards Checking
      • My Interest Checking
      • Checking Comparison
    • Credit
      • Credit Cards
      • Overdraft Line of Credit
    • Digital
      • Digital Banking Online
      • Mobile App
      • Digital Payments
      • Mobile Wallets
  • Borrow
    Borrow See an Overview
    • Current Rates
    • Mortgage Rates
    • Loan Calculators
    • Mortgage Calculators
    • Auto
      • New & Used
      • First Time Auto Buyer
      • Local Car Search
    • Home
      • HELOCs
      • Fixed Rate Equity
      • Mortgages
      • Home Improvement
    • Personal
      • Personal Loans
      • Line of Credit
      • Share Secured Loans
    • Recreational
      • Bicycles & Electric Bikes
      • RVs & ATVs
      • Motorcycles
  • Plan
    Plan See an Overview
    • Retirement Calculators
    • Financial Planning
    • Insurance
      • Auto
      • Home
      • AD&D
      • Life
    • Protections
      • Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
      • Mechanical Repair Coverage (MRC)
      • Debt Protection

    Featured Program

    Oregonians Financial Planning image with father and baby walking

    Oregonians Financial Planning

    Plan for the road ahead and manage your wealth along the way.

    Learn more
  • Business
    Business
    • Current Rates
    • Disclosures
    • Fee Schedule
    • Business Checking
      • Business Membership
      • Small Business Checking
      • Business Interest Checking
    • Business Loans
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Investment & Rental Property
      • Equipment Loans
      • Term Loans
      • Credit Cards
      • Line of Credit
    • Business Resources
      • See all
  • Learn
    Learn See an Overview
    • Education Explore videos, blogs, fraud prevention tips, and our knowledge base of information..
      • InfORmed Blog
      • FAQs Knowledge Base
      • Fraud Watch
    • Financial Tools Browse calculators, applications, disclosures, and apply for hardship assistance.
      • Resources & Disclosures
      • Calculators
      • Hardship Assistance

    Featured Resource

    It’s a Money Thing

    Get money savvy fast with fun videos and lesson plans on earning, saving, and more!

    Learn more
  • About
    About
    • About Us
      • Who Can Join
      • Community Involvement
      • Scholarships
      • Latest Annual Report
      • Careers
    • Locations
      • Beaverton
      • Gresham
      • Milwaukie
      • NE Portland
      • Oregon City
      • Prineville
      • St. Johns

    CO-OP logo

    30,000+ fee-free ATMs

    Get cash at 30,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide, many of which will take deposits into your Oregonians accounts.

    Find an ATM
  • I want to...
    • Become a Member
    • Talk to Someone
    • Apply for a Loan
    • Open an Account
    • Check Loan Status
    • See Current Rates
Account Access
  • Forgot Password
  • Forgot User Name

Don't have an account?

Enroll
Routing #: 323075709
  • Locations
  • Rates
  • Contact
Call or Text: 503-239-5336
Join
  • I want to...
    • Become a Member
    • Talk to Someone
    • Apply for a Loan
    • Open an Account
    • Check Loan Status
    • See Current Rates
  • Locations
  • Rates
  • Contact
Account Access
  • Forgot Password
  • Forgot User Name

Don't have an account?

Enroll
It's a Money Thing
    • Earning Income
    • Spending
    • Borrowing
    • Investing
    • It's A Money Thing Junior
    • Saving
    • Credit
    • Credit Union Advantage
    • Managing Risk
  • Managing Risk

Foiling Identity Theft

 

IAMT-Icon

  • View the Article PDF
  • View the Activity PDF
  • View the Infographic
  • Download the Lesson Plan

Identity theft is nothing new, and yet it still manages to cost its victims billions of dollars (yes, that’s billions with a “b”) globally each year—not to mention the time and hassle involved in recovering a stolen identity.

The good news is that there are tons of things you can do to deter identity thieves. The bad news is that many of us do little beyond choosing a decent password—and some people don’t even bother doing that! Here are the top 5 information jackpots for identity thieves, along with helpful tips on what you can do right now to protect yourself.

  1. Your Trash Can

Foiling identity theft-1

Even if you’re really careful about the information you put online, your trash bags and recycling bin can still be an easy target for identity thieves. Dumpster diving may sound old school, but it’s still an easy way for identity thieves to get access to your personal information.

  • Get a shredder (a basic model will run you $20 to $30 at a big-box store) and use it!
  • Get into the habit of shredding things before throwing them out, especially things like bank statements, expired credit cards, utility bills, cellphone bills, paycheck stubs, old boarding passes and travel itineraries, and ATM receipts.
  • Don’t forget to check your envelopes! Anything with your name and address on it needs to be shredded, too.
  1. Your Phone

Foiling identity theft-2

Odds are that you’re carrying a lot more in your phone than just your contact list. With smartphone theft on the rise, protect yourself:

  • Have a password-protected lock on your home screen. This is a standard feature on all smartphones for a reason, so take advantage of it! Bonus points if your smartphone also has location tracking (also known as the “find my phone” feature).
  • Public Wi-Fi networks are not secure, so avoid checking your bank accounts or doing your online shopping from the local coffee shop or during your layover at the airport.
  • Do not store sensitive information on your phone—storing passwords or login information in a note-taking app is bad news.
  1. The PIN Pad

It seems like every few months a new point-of-purchase scheme emerges—skimming devices, keystroke loggers, ATM hacking… the list goes on! Here are some good practices for when you’re out and about:

  • When making a purchase, keep your debit or credit card in sight at all times.
  • Use your hand to block the buttons when entering your PIN number, even if there’s no one immediately behind you—a camera can always be watching.
  • Choose a good PIN. Avoid PINs derived from your personal information, like your telephone number, address or birthday. Avoid an easy-to-guess PIN, like the dreaded “1234.”
  • Change up your PIN, especially if you use the same combination for your debit card and for unlocking your cellphone.
  1. Your Mailbox

Foiling identity theft-3

Like the trash-picker approach mentioned above, mail tampering is a low-tech but relatively easy way for identity thieves to compromise your personal information. Here’s what you can do:

  • Familiarize yourself with your billing cycles. A late credit card statement or a bill that never shows up could be a sign of mail tampering.
  • Identity thieves will sometimes request a change of address to illegally reroute your mail to a different location. If you suddenly stop receiving mail, check with the post office to make sure this isn’t the case.
  • Use a mailbox with a locking system to deter thieves.
  1. Your Computer

You would think that this one would be common knowledge by now, but every so often a virus or scam comes along that trips us up. Stay one step ahead of scammers:

  • Keep your firewall, anti-virus and operating system software up-to-date. No matter how new and fast your laptop is, it still needs protection.
  • Enable spam filters on your email accounts.
  • Look out for sketchy links and emails. Ignore any suspicious password reset requests, unexpected tracking numbers or anything that asks for your personal information via email.
  • Don’t overshare on social media. Do your Facebook friends really need to know what year you were born? Can people tell when no one is home based on your Instagram feed? Keep your accounts private and make sure you’re not accidentally broadcasting sensitive information.

By being aware of the top 5 information jackpots and by implementing these simple strategies, you can keep identity thieves at bay.


Foiling Identity Theft Infographic


Was this information useful? Visit our  It's A Money Thing home page for more quick videos and helpful articles to help you make sense of your money, one topic at a time! Check back, new topics will be introduced regularly.

Topics Covered

  • Managing Risk

Related Lessons

Spending 4 min
Paying for Pets
Earning Income 4 min
Let's Talk Taxes
Earning Income 4 min
Common Money Beliefs

Oregonians Credit Union

6915 SE Lake Road, Milwaukie, OR 97267 

Call or Text

503-239-5336

Out of Area

800-982-2974

Routing #

323075709

Download our App

  • App Store Download
  • Google Play Store Download
  • Save & Spend
    • Open a New Account
    • Savings
    • Checking
    • Credit
    • Digital Banking
  • Borrow
    • Apply for a Loan
    • Vehicle Loans
    • Home Loans
    • Recreational Loans
    • Personal Loans
    • Business Loans
  • Plan
    • Insurance
    • Protections
    • Financial Planning
  • Learn
    • Informed Blog
    • Fraud Watch
    • It's a Money Thing
    • Calculators
    • Hardship Assistance
  • Business
    • Business Accounts
    • Business Loans
    • Business Resources
  • About
    • Become a Member
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Locations
    • Careers
    • Privacy & Disclosures
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Site Map
    • Digital Banking Login

  • NCUA
  • Equal Housing Opportunity
©2025 Oregonians Credit Union All rights reserved.

You are leaving OregoniansCU.com

By accessing this link, you will be leaving Oregonian Credit Union's website and entering a website hosted by another party. Please be advised that you will no longer be subject to, or under the protection of, the privacy and security policies of Oregonian Credit Union's website. We encourage you to read and evaluate the privacy and security policies of the site you are entering, which may be different than those of Oregonian Credit Union.

 

Subscribe

It's a Money Thing