"The impact of identity theft is staggering, and frankly, unacceptable. It can't go unchecked," said Gordon R. Dames, President and CEO of Mountain America Credit Union.
On March 1, 2005, Mountain America Credit Union introduced a new program to help members fight identity theft. Teaming with CyberScout, Mountain America now offers members who fall victim to this growing epidemic a free program that includes a personal advocate to help restore identity after it's been stolen, preparation of all needed documents, and fast, effective notification of all credit bureaus, agencies, and businesses. The program also includes access to an educational web site filled with up-to-date news and information about the latest identity theft scams and defenses.
"For our part, we are stepping up our efforts even more to fight this ugly crime," said Dames. "We've already been on the leading edge of educating our members and have taken bold steps to protect their personal information. Now we're adding to those efforts by offering the CyberScout program. It strengthens the education and protection measures already in place and gives the members the added value of resolution and monitoring services. Our hope is that this program will be both a deterrent and a source of added peace of mind to our members."
The CyberScout resolution service is available to all members who have a checking account and use either direct deposit, online Bill Payer, or a Mountain America Visa credit card. There is no need for Mountain America Credit Union members to sign up for the free program, which is an automatic service provided by the credit union and CyberScout. For those who want an added preventative measure, an upgraded solution is available to members for a small fee. That service includes credit monitoring, fraud alerts, and a three-in-one credit report.
"The recent revelations that ChoicePoint and Bank of America have lost track of massive amounts of personal information — or, in the case of ChoicePoint, had it directly compromised by identity thieves — underscore the urgency of the identity theft crisis for American consumers," said Sheryl Christenson, CEO of CyberScout. "Mountain America Credit Union has been a leader in educating its members about identity theft and protecting their personal information against abuse. We are proud to join that effort by providing identity theft education, monitoring, and victim resolution to Mountain America Credit Union members."
Mountain America has long been a proponent of member education and conducts several free identity theft prevention seminars each month at branches and employee group worksites. For more information about attending a seminar or the CyberScout resolution service, visit the Mountain America web site at mtnamerica.org.
