July 29, 2019 - Edward Azul, branch manager at Golden 1 Credit Union in Oakhurst, said identity theft is on the rise and was the third most common type of consumer fraud in 2018 according to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Sentinel Network.

“Last year, nearly 445,000 identity theft complaints were submitted to the FTC, a twenty percent increase over 2017,” he said.

On Saturday, August 10, 2019, Azul will conduct a workshop at the Oakhurst Branch Library where participants will learn the tricks identity thieves use to gain access to your confidential information, tools for preventing ID theft and steps to take should identity theft occur. The event is scheduled from 10:30 A.M. to 12:00 noon in the library’s Community Room at 49044 Civic Circle Drive, Oakhurst.

Azul said he learned firsthand that identity theft can happen to anyone at any time when he was victimized by identity theft in 2008.

“My credit card number was compromised, and charges were made on my account while I was at work – at a bank! Since then many new tools have been developed to help consumers monitor their accounts to prevent this from happening,” he said.

However, while consumer protections have improved, Azul said identity thieves have become more sophisticated.

Azul, who lives in Clovis, said Golden 1 Credit Union also offers a free Financial Wellness Portal. Anyone who visits www.golden1.com/financialwellness can choose to watch a short video, listen to a podcast, participate in a webinar or view a learning lab module on topics that include home buying, understanding credit, raising money smart kids and other personal finance lessons. The portal was launched in 2017.

The free workshop is sponsored by the Friends of the Oakhurst Branch Library. For more information, call the library at (559) 683-4838 or visit www.oakhurstfobl.com.