Vista FCU Offers Identity Theft 911

BURBANK, Calif. - Vista Federal Credit Union has joined a long list of credit unions tapping Identity Theft 911 to provide victim resolution and proactive education services free to its members. "For years, our credit union has stressed The Vista Difference," said Vista FCU President/CEO John Jancleas. "One essential aspect of The Vista Difference is the delivery of exceptional service. In keeping with that mission, we've chosen Identity Theft 911 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." In addition to having a personal advocate who works with victims one-on-one until the crisis has been resolved and a full year of follow-ups and status checks, members will have also have access to the consumer education component which provides ongoing threat alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated Web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of this crime. With California and Florida identified as areas especially hard-hit by identity theft according to Identity Theft 911 President Steve Christenson, "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." "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 this coverage will add even more value to the members' relationship with Vista."