Benefits for AFGE Members

When you join the union, you have access to these AFGE benefits. These benefits are backed by the collective strength of over 10-million members of AFL-CIO unions. By using one or two of the programs, many members save as much as their annual dues.

These Money-Saving Benefits are Available Only to AFGE Members:

TSA EMPLOYEES: Identity Theft

TSA EMPLOYEES:

YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION HAS BEEN COMPROMISED
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that an external hard drive containing personnel data (including name, social security number, date of birth, payroll information, financial allotments, and bank account and routing information) was discovered missing from a controlled area at the Headquarters Office of Human Capital.

WHAT TO DO:

^{File a Fraud Alert:}

There are two types of fraud alerts: an initial alert, and an extended alert.

An initial alert stays on your credit report for at least 90 days. You can ask that an initial fraud alert be placed on your credit report if you suspect you have been, or are about to be, a victim of identity theft. When you place an initial fraud alert on your credit report, you're entitled to order one free credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, and, if you ask, only the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports.

An extended alert stays on your credit report for seven years. You can have an extended alert placed on your credit report if you've been a victim of identity theft and you provide the consumer reporting company with an Identity Theft Report. An automated Identity Theft Report, such as the printed ID Theft Complaint available from this Web site, should be sufficient to obtain an extended fraud alert. When you place an extended alert on your credit report, you're entitled to two free credit reports within twelve months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. In addition, the consumer reporting companies will remove your name from marketing lists for pre-screened credit offers for five years unless you ask them to put your name back on the list before then.

How To Detect Misuse Of Your Information

What are the signs of identity theft?
Stay alert for the signs of identity theft, like:

• accounts you didn't open and debts on your accounts that you can't explain.
• fraudulent or inaccurate information on your credit reports, including accounts and personal information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers.
• failing to receive bills or other mail. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.
• receiving credit cards that you didn't apply for.
• being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, for no apparent reason.
• getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn't buy.
• How do you find out if your identity was stolen?
• Unfortunately, many consumers learn they their identity has been stolen after some damage has been done.
• You may find out when bill collection agencies contact you for overdue debts debts you never incurred.
• You may find out when you apply for a mortgage or car loan and learn that problems with your credit history are holding up the loan.
• You may find out when you get something in the mail about an apartment you never rented, a house you never bought, or a job you never held.

What personal information should I monitor regularly?

Early detection of a potential identity theft can make a big difference. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity by routinely monitoring:

• Your financial statements. Monitor your financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking closely for charges you did not make.
• Your credit reports. Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have and how you pay your bills. The law requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting agencies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. To find out, order a copy of your credit reports.

Once you get your reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. Check that information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it removed. See Correcting Fraudulent Information in Credit Reports to learn how. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after you discover the identity theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.

How do I get my free annual credit reports?

An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.

To order your free annual report from one or all the national consumer reporting companies, visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually; they provide free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Under federal law, you're also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance or employment, and you request your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company that supplied the information about you. You're also entitled to one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; you're on welfare; or your report is inaccurate because of fraud. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for any other copies of your report. To buy a copy of your report, contact:

Equifax: 800-685-1111; www.equifax.com
Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com
TransUnion: 800-916-8800; www.transunion.com

Should I use a credit monitoring service?

There are a variety of commercial services that, for a fee, will monitor your credit reports for activity and alert you to changes to your accounts. Prices and services vary widely. Many of the services only monitor one of the three major consumer reporting companies. If you're considering signing up for a service, make sure you understand what you're getting before you buy. Also check out the company with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General to see if they have any complaints on file.

_{information courtesy of the FTC.}

AFGE makes these myFICO credit score monitoring tools available to members:

Score Watch™ - the only FICO score and credit report monitoring product on the market. Continuous monitoring of your credit file and score, notifies you when you qualify for better interest rates, delivers alerts when changes are detected in your score and report and shows you key factors affecting your FICO score and how a lender views you.

Suze Orman's FICO® Kit Platinum - includes three FICO scores and credit reports and shows you how to: get the lowest rates on your credit cards, get out of debt quicker, save on your mortgage and car loans, and correct credit report errors.

FICO® Deluxe - all 3 scores and 3 credit reports from TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax, plus the FICO Score Simulator.

FICO® Standard - 1 FICO score and 1 credit report from any 1 of the 3 credit bureaus.

myFICO® Identity Theft Security Deluxe tracks your TransUnion credit report and more than 400 other data sources for signs of identity theft.

Access: This benefit is only available to members of AFGE. If you are a member of AFGE, please login to the Members Only section. If you are not a member, but would like to find out how to become one, please visit the Join AFGE section.

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