Protecting you
When it comes to fraud prevention, Synchrony has an experienced team dedicated to protecting and educating our customers. Our team’s mission is to ensure we guard your ability to safely and confidently use your credit cards and online accounts.
We take proactive measures to protect your information, including:
- Monitoring transactions on your account and alerting you in the event that something requires your attention.
- Verifying key elements of information when communicating with you online, on the telephone or via mobile services.
- Resolving inquiries as quickly as possible, with minimum inconvenience to you.
Take steps to minimize your risk:
Your actions can go a long way toward minimizing opportunities for fraud, identity theft, and other compromises of your account. Here are three of the most important steps you can take:
1.) Protect yourself from identity theft
Safeguarding your personal information is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from identity theft. Keep in mind this applies to both physical documents and online activities:
- Protect your social security number.
- Shred all documents that contain personal information.
- Create passwords that are unique and do not reveal personal information about you.
- Use a unique password for each account.
- Verify sources before sharing information.
- Store information in a secure location.
2.) Routinely monitor your accounts
Make a habit of monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements on a regular basis. Check your credit report as part of your routine. Be alert to signs that require immediate attention:
- Bills that do not arrive as expected.
- Calls or letters about purchases you did not make.
- Credit cards arriving in the mail that you did not apply for.
- Inaccurate or fraudulent information on your credit report.
3.) Respond immediately to any concerns
Take immediate action as soon as you suspect you may be a victim of identity theft. Maintain your records and follow these steps to respond and recover:
- Place a “fraud alert” on your credit reports, and examine your reports carefully.
- Close accounts which you know, or believe, have been compromised or opened without your permission. Contact law enforcement and file a police report.
- Work with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If you suspect you are a victim, call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338). For additional information from the FTC, please visit: http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft
Reporting fraud
If you become a victim of fraud or identity theft, you’ll want to respond and begin to recover as quickly as you can. The process should include working with your card issuer, local law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission , State and Local agencies and the credit bureaus
Credit bureau information
Notify the three major credit bureaus using the contact information below. Please remember that initial Fraud Alerts expire after six months, so it may be helpful to learn how to extend the alert if necessary. You may also consider filing a statement with the bureaus asking for notification to you before any new accounts are opened or any existing accounts are changed in your name. This could uncover illegitimate attempts to open additional accounts in your name
Equifax
Credit Report: 1-800-685-1111
Report Fraud: 1-800-525-6285
http://www.equifax.com
Experian
Credit Report: 1-888-397-3742
Report Fraud: 1-888-397-3742
http://www.experian.com
TransUnion
Credit Report:1-800-888-4213
Report Fraud: 1-800-680-7289
http://www.transunion.com
Request and regularly review copies of your credit report from each credit bureau. If information contained in your report is not accurate, you may dispute it and request that it be changed. Regular reviews will help you confirm that the requested changes have been made and if your report has been changed without your knowledge.
A free copy of your credit report is available annually, at http://www.annualcreditreport.com.
Online safety
How often do you check if your web session is secure? Get in the habit of checking every time you log in to a website and you can be confident your information is protected. Look for the small lock symbol, usually located in the lower corner of your browser window, and "https://" at the beginning of the URL.
Your security is important.
When it comes to email, keep these guidelines in mind:
- We will never email you with a request for information.
- If anything in an email prompts you to provide any private information — DON'T DO IT.
- It is not our practice to share your name or information in a way that is inconsistent with our privacy policy.
Please exercise caution when reading email that may appear to have been sent by us. An increasingly common tactic used by criminals is called "phishing" (pronounced "fishing").
There are many variations, but in general, phishing often takes on one of the following forms:
- Warning of unauthorized access to your account.
- Threatening to suspend or deactivate your account.
- Notification of suspicious or fraudulent charges.
- Offers or rewards for completing a survey.
- Notification of changes or upgrades to our online services.
Some other ways to keep your information secure include:
- Sign new credit cards immediately — before someone else does.
- Memorize your Social Security Number and passwords.
- Don't use your date of birth as your password.
- Never leave transaction receipts when shopping, banking or buying gasoline.
- Monitor the expiration date of your credit cards and contact the issuer if you don't receive a replacement card before it expires.
- Don't carry your Social Security card or birth certificate.
Additional fraud prevention tools
If you have an existing fraud case with Synchrony, please contact us at 1-866-412-7866, or see the FAQ section for additional information.
Nonprofit organizations
Identity Theft Resource Center
1-888-400-5530
www.idtheftcenter.org
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
1-619-298-3396
www.privacyrights.org
State and local government agencies
It may also be useful to contact your State Attorney General's office or local consumer protection agency to inquire if your state has laws related to identity theft or fraud protection.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
If you know or suspect your Social Security Number (SSN) may be involved in identity theft it may be helpful to contact the SSA and report the problem.
1-800-269-0271
https://oig.ssa.gov/report/
U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
The USPIS is the entity of the U.S. Postal Service which investigates identity theft when it involves stolen mail or other violations of the integrity of the mail service.
1-877-876-2455
www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov
FAQ
Q. What do I do if I suspect I have become a victim of fraud or identity theft?
A. Take action as soon as you suspect an issue. The faster you respond, the faster the issue may be able to be resolved.
- Contact Synchrony @ 1-866-834-3205 to alert us of your concern.
- A member of our team will assist you in gathering the necessary information to open a claim.
- You may receive a Fraud Investigation Form within two weeks of notifying Synchrony that you have been victimized.
- To protect your rights, it is very important that you return the Fraud Investigation Form to Synchrony via email or fax. Instructions will be included with the form.
- Keep in mind the following can help expedite the handling of your claim:
- Identify which transactions were made by you and which were not, including the merchant name, transaction date and amount.
- The name of the person, if known, who made unauthorized purchases on the account.
- Upon receipt of the form, our investigations team will review the documents.
- You can expect to receive a letter indicating the outcome of the investigation once a decision has been reached.
- We take great care to conduct a thorough investigation, which includes reviewing your information and gathering all necessary documentation.
- Resolution of claims typically takes 60 days.
Q. What happens after I have reported fraud on my Synchrony account?
A. If you have reported fraudulent charges on your account, a claim will be opened and your account will be assigned an investigator. Additionally, the following is important to remember;
- A temporary credit will be applied to your account, pending the outcome of the Investigation.
- You are still responsible for payment on any non-fraudulent transactions made by you.
- Depending on the type of claim you file, a Fraud Investigation form may be required. If so, you will receive a Fraud Investigation Form within 2 weeks of notifying Synchrony of fraud charges on your account.
- It is important that you return the Fraud Investigation Form to Synchrony via mail or fax. Failure to return the form may affect your claim.
- Upon receipt of the form, an investigator will review the documents.
- You will receive a letter indicating the outcome of the investigation, once a decision is reached.
- Due to the time it takes to gather all the documents relevant to your claim, it may take up to 90 days to complete the fraud investigation.
Q. How do I fill out the Fraud Investigation Form?
A. When completing the form, please be mindful of the following:
- It is critical to indicate whether or not the transaction listed is fraud or made by you.
- If you know who used your card, please include this information.
- Don't forget to sign the form.
- It is not necessary to get the form notarized.
- Please add any additional fraud charges on the form, including the merchant name, transaction date and amount.
- If you recognize charges and are no longer claiming fraud, you can return the form with the transactions marked as valid.