Vista Federal Credit Union (VFCU) and CyberScout announced today that the California- and Florida-based credit union will provide CyberScout victim resolution and proactive education services free to VFCU members.
"For years, our credit union has stressed The Vista Difference," said John Jancleas, President and CEO of Vista Federal Credit Union. "One essential aspect of The Vista Difference is the delivery of exceptional service. In keeping with that mission, we've chosen CyberScout to help our members protect their identities, and to provide one-on-one, start-to-finish assistance from an expert personal advocate if their identities are stolen."
Under the program, CyberScout's industry-leading victim resolution services will be available free to Vista Federal Credit Union members. Members will also have access to the nation's leading consumer education program on identity theft risks and defenses. The consumer education component provides members with ongoing threat alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of this crime.
Founded in 1960 in Burbank, California, Vista Federal Credit Union originally operated out of a trailer on the Disney Studio lot. In 1971, Disney asked Vista to expand into Florida to serve employees of the then-new Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Vista now serves employees and retirees of The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries (along with family members and roommates) in all 50 states and more than a dozen countries worldwide. Vista also serves a distinct group of Disney-related companies.
"Our credit union has never had a situation that exposed our members' personal information, and we take tremendous precautions to make sure that won't happen," said Jancleas. "But even the most stringent security on our part can't prevent identity theft by other means -- a stolen wallet, mail theft, or a compromise like those happening regularly at other companies. Our members' peace of mind is of the utmost importance to us. We're confident that the coverage from CyberScout will add even more value to the members' relationship with Vista."
"California and Florida have been especially hard-hit by identity theft," said CyberScout President Steve Christenson, "and, unfortunately, this crisis is going to get worse before it gets better. Survey after survey shows that consumers are terrified of becoming victims, and that they're looking to their most trusted institutions to help them deal with that threat.
By giving its members this safety net against identity theft, Vista Federal Credit Union is living up to that trust."
CyberScout Victim Resolution and Education Services
The CyberScout victim resolution service provides:
- A personal advocate who works with the victim one-on-one until the crisis has been resolved
- Systematic notification of agencies, businesses, and institutions
- Comprehensive case file creation for insurance and police
- Preparation of all needed documents
- Credit reports from all three credit bureaus
- Ongoing proactive consumer education
- One year of credit monitoring and fraud monitoring
- A full year of follow-up alerts, phone calls, and status checks to avoid recurrence
The consumer education component provides members with emailed threat alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of identity theft.
