Page 10 - AAA Shelby County – AAA Now! – July/August 2019

MEMBER SERVICES
IDENTITY THEFT:
WHAT IS IT AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT?
ESCAPE
SHOP
ENJOY
Search "identity theft" on the Internet, and you'll get millions of results. With an overwhelming amount of information available on this growing crime, it can be tough to get a handle on how identity theft affects you, and more importantly, what you can do to keep your personal information safe.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone's personal information is fraudulently obtained and used for financial gain – often years after the original theft. Not only does identity theft invade your privacy, it robs you of your most valuable asset: peace of mind.
How do thieves steal your identity?
While the most common form of identity theft – 85 percent – involves the illegal acquisition of credit cards and account information, there are many methods thieves use to steal your private information, such as your Social Security number, to commit fraud, including:
• Data Breaches: A data breach occurs when
secure data is wrongly released to or accessed by unauthorized individuals. Breaches are perpetrated by a single hacker, an organized crime group, or even other governments. Thieves can sometimes wait years
after a data breach to sell or misuse stolen information. In 2016, more than 31 percent of data breach victims experienced identity theft, compared to less than 3 percent of those not notified of a breach.2
• The Dark Web: Think of the internet as a three-layer cake. Layer one is the public web where leading sites, like Google, reside. The second layer includes non-public sites, such as corporate intranets. The final layer is the Dark Web. The Dark Web is an illegal marketplace where visitors mask their identities
to buy and trade someone's personal information, including passport numbers, birthdates, and more.
• Phishing: Phishing scams attempt to retrieve personal and/or financial information, including computer passwords and credit card details, to defraud or steal someone's identity. “Phishers” try to convince you to share data, and if successful, use it to defraud you.
• Snail Mail Fraud: Despite digital delivery systems such as electronic bill pay, identity thieves still use mailboxes to steal personal information, including tax information, Social Security and health insurance data. Continued on page 12
FROM EVERYDAYTO EXTRAORDINARY
RECEIVE A
STATEMENT CREDIT1
after qualifying purchases
Turn everyday purchases into unlimited rewards with the AAA Member Rewards Visa® card.
APPLY TODAY!
Visit your local AAA.
For information about rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this card or to apply, visit your local AAA.1Statement Credit Offer (Valid 5/30/19–12/31/19). You will qualify for a $75 statement credit if you use your new credit card account to make any combination of Purchase transactions totaling at least $750 (exclusive of any fees, returns and adjustments) that post to your account within 90 days of the account open date. Limit 1 statement credit per new account. This one-time promotion is limited to customers opening a new account in response to this offer and will not apply to requests to convert existing accounts. Your account must be open with active charging privileges in order to receive this offer. Other advertised promotional statement credit offers can vary from this promotion and may not be substituted. Allow 8–12 weeks from qualifying for the statement credit to post to your account. The statement credit will generally be applied to your existing balance with the highest APR before being applied to any balances with lower APRs. Receipt of a statement credit does not affect your responsibility to pay your Minimum Payment Due shown on each statement you receive from us. Rewards Program Rules: Program Rules containing additional details will be sent to you with your new account materials. Other significant terms apply. Program subject to change. This credit card program is issued and administered by Bank of America, N.A. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association and are used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. AAA is a registered trademark of American Automobile Association, Inc. ©2019 Bank of America Corporation. ©2019 AAA. ARNFTYW6
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JULY/AUGUST 2019