Chime/Go2Bank Alert

Learn more about suspicious Chime/Go2Bank solicitations for new bank accounts.

What We Know About the Solicitations

UC recently learned that names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of some members of the UC community are being used to open unauthorized bank accounts at financial institutions named Chime and Go2Bank. We do not believe UC accounts have been compromised, and we suspect the personal information being used to create these unauthorized accounts was obtained from prior data breaches. Affected UC community members are receiving emails from these institutions asking them to confirm the new account by clicking a link in the email.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

• Watch out for suspicious communications from Chime/Go2Bank: Be on the lookout for email or physical mail notifications suggesting an account that you do not recognize has been opened. These may come in different forms — notification of a new account, requests to confirm your email address, or physical debit/credit cards sent to your home address.
  
  **Anyone receiving an email from Chime or Go2Bank asking them to confirm a new bank account they do not recognize should not click any links in the email itself, and forward the email to their local information security office.
  
  
• Follow the UC San Diego Identify Theft Protection Tips: Visit our campus resources for securing yourself online. 

• Promptly close unauthorized accounts: If you believe an account has been opened without your permission, contact the company immediately and inform them that you believe someone has fraudulently opened an account. Ask the company to close the account and confirm the closure with you once complete.
  
  Individuals may contact Chime at 844-244-6363 and support@chime.com. Individuals may contact Go2Bank at 855-459-1334 or by using one of the methods listed at https://www.go2bank.com/help/contact-us.

• Monitor and set up alerts for bank account(s): Monitor bank account(s) for suspicious transactions and report any to your bank. Ask the bank for online monitoring and alerts on your account. 

• Place a fraud alert on your credit file: We recommend impacted individuals place a fraud alert on their credit file by contacting one of the three nationwide credit bureaus listed below. If a fraud alert is placed on a consumer’s credit file, certain identity verification steps must be taken prior to extending new credit.
  • https://www.equifax.com/personal/
  • https://www.transunion.com
  • https://www.experian.com/
    
    
• Sign up for credit monitoring: If they haven’t already done so, we recommend impacted individuals sign up for the Experian credit monitoring service being offered by UC.
  
  
• Reminders for protecting personal information: Here are five rules for protecting one’s information. In addition, individuals may take additional identity theft measures described at https://www.identitytheft.gov/databreach

What UC is doing

• We are communicating with Chime and Go2Bank to request additional information about this situation and the placement of fraud alerts on accounts originating from UC email addresses.
• We are reaching out to the relevant law enforcement agencies.
• We are monitoring systems to determine whether there are additional similar communications from these or other institutions.