Data Breach

First American Title Insurance Company Announces Data Breach

First American Title Insurance Company (First American), which is widely used to provide real estate title insurance to homebuyers, recently announced it experienced a data breach. According to statements on its website, www.firstam.com/incidentupdate, it has identified over 75,000 records, which are being reviewed to determine if non-public personal information may have been exposed. Of the records reviewed so far, First American has reported only a small percentage contain sensitive information and believes the vast majority of records exposed did not contain non-public personal information. Consumers who received a title insurance policy or escrow/closing services from First American on or after January 2, 2003, may obtain one year of complimentary credit monitoring services through Equifax by visiting the First American website. To determine if First American is the underwriter of your title insurance, refer to the title insurance policy you received at or after settlement.

Capital One Data Breach 

According to Capital One, a data breach on March 22 and 23, 2019, exposed personal information related to credit card applications from 2005 to early 2019 for approximately 106 million consumers, applicants and small businesses in the U.S. and Canada. Capital One detected the breach on July 19. Among the personal data exposed were names, addresses, dates of birth, credit scores, transaction data, Social Security numbers, and linked bank account numbers. Capital One is offering free credit monitoring and identity protection to those impacted. To learn more, visit https://www.capitalone.com/facts2019/.

In light of this and other recent breaches, following are some tips to help avoid compromising your personal information:

• A text alert from us warning of suspicious activity on your card will NEVER include a link to be clicked. Never click on a link in a text message that is supposedly from us. A valid notification will provide information about the suspect transaction and ask the cardholder to reply to the text message with answers such as ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘help’, or ‘stop’. It will never include a link.
• A text alert from APGFCU's credit card provider will always be from a 5-digit number and NOT a 10-digit number resembling a phone number.
• A phone call from APGFCU's credit card provider automated dialer will only include a request for your zip code, and no other personal information, unless you confirm that a transaction is fraudulent. Only then will you be transferred to an agent who will ask questions to confirm that you are the actual cardholder before going through your transactions with you. If at any point you are uncertain about questions being asked or the call itself, hang up and call us directly at 800-225-2555, Option 1. If a call is received by the cardholder, claiming to be our call center and asking to verify transactions, no information should have to be provided other than your zip code, and a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the transaction provided.
• APGFCU's credit card provider will NEVER ask you for your PIN or the 3-digit security code on the back of your card. Don’t give the code out to anyone, no matter what they say. Hang up and call us directly at call us at 800-225-2555, Option 1. Fraudsters will often ask cardholders to verify fake transactions. When the cardholder says no, they did not perform those transactions, the fraudster then says that their card will be blocked, a new card will be issued, and that they need the card’s PIN to put it on the new card. Many people believe this and provide their PIN. The 3-digit CV2 code on the back of the card will allow a fraudster to conduct card-not-present transactions.
• Regularly check your account online to see if there are any suspicious transactions that have occurred, but especially if you are unsure about a call or text message you’ve received. If anything looks amiss, call us at 800-225-2555, Option 1 for assistance.
• If you have received a voice- or a text-message from us and are unsure about responding to it, call us at 800-225-2555, Option 1 for assistance.