Financial Education

Identity theft is "the fraudulent acquisition and use of a person's private identifying information, usually for financial gain." In other words, someone who is not ;you using your information to better their situation, often leaving you in debt and your personal records – like your credit score - in bad shape.

The IRS often warns consumers about tax scams this time of year. While it’s important to keep an eye out as you work with your tax preparer or do your own yearly tax filing, watch out for many of these scams that happen year-round.

What should you do with junk mail that relates to your finances?

3Rivers has recently been made aware of fraudulent phone calls and text messages happening in our area.

As National Consumer Protection Week continues, here are some basic steps you can take to protect yourself. Phishing and identity theft are serious problems, costing banks, credit unions and consumers millions of dollars every year. In many cases involving credit card fraud, your bank or credit union assumes most of the risk. But even in cases where the customer is made whole, and the bank or credit union covers the fraudulent charge, the consumer pays a price in terms of inconvenience and occasionally with a hit to their credit that takes time and effort to clear up.