Identity theft is an ever growing statistic. Skilled thieves use a variety of methods to gain access to your data, including everything from stealing your mail to rummaging through your trash. Phishing is just one way technology savvy thieves use to obtain your identity.

Steer clear of phishing by following these few tips.

• If you get an email or a pop-up message asking for personal or financial information, do not reply or click the link in the message. Phishers will send emails or pop-up message claiming to be from an organization you are familiar with asking you to "validate," "update," or "confirm" your personal information.
• If you are ever in doubt about the validity of an email, contact the organization directly prior to taking any action. Regardless of what the message says or threatens to do, legitimate companies would not ask for personal information (credit card numbers, account numbers, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information) via email.
• Make it your practice never to email personal information. Email is not a secure method of communication. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide personal information via an organization's Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure. Look for a padlock icon in the browser's status bar (lower right hand corner of your screen) or that the Web site URL begins with "https:".

These are just a few ways you can protect yourself from becoming an identity theft statistic.

Contact us if you receive anything suspicious claiming to be from Veridian Credit Union. Visit the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov for more information on identity theft.