COOPER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Capital One says it will be offering free credit monitoring and identity protection for any customers affected by the massive data breach. In Pennsylvania, bank managers are also taking action.
"I think one of the most important things that comes to mind when an unfortunate incident like this happens, is just making sure that we're doing our part to remind everyone how important it is to take advantage of the security options available to you," said Colleen Phillips, Service 1st vice president of marketing.
Service 1st Federal Credit Union has 12 locations across northeastern and central Pennsylvania. At the Corporate Center near Danville, managers want to make sure their members are aware of what is happening even if they are not Capital One credit card holders.
"Breaches like this generate a lot of scam emails and phone calls and if you click on a bad link, you're going to go somewhere you shouldn't. If you give information over the phone, that's never good," said Service 1st President and CEO Bill Lavage.
The team at Service 1st Federal Credit Union says this is a good reminder for any member of any financial institution to be proactive, not just Capital One card holders.
"There are some great resources at your financial institutions. There are some great resources at those credit card companies when these things happen. Federal Trade Commission is another great resource to help walk us through times like this," Phillips explained.
All financial institutions have their own identity protection resources; at Service 1st, the program offered is called SHERPA.
You can also sign up for text alerts from your bank or credit card company, and make sure you are changing your passwords often.
"Generally, what happens is the people that steal this information assume you're using the same username and password everywhere. Then, they have access to a lot of information," Lavage said.
If you believe your financial information has been compromised, you can contact one of the three major credit bureaus and take advantage of the one free credit report offered a year.