If you think you are a victim of IDENTITY THEFT, please Contact Us immediately. You can also find helpful information at these websites:
- Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/identity-theft/identity-theft-and-identity-fraud
- Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft
- FDIC’s consumer protection page: http://fdic.gov/consumers
The Bank will NOT contact you by phone, e-mail or website to request your social security number, account number, passwords or PINs. However, if you call us, we may ask for information to confirm your identity.
WHAT CAN I DO TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT?
- Remove mail promptly from your mailbox. Place a hold on your mail when you are away from home for several days. Identity thieves raid mailboxes to steal credit card offers and financial statements.
- Guard your Social Security number. Never carry your Social Security number in your wallet or have it preprinted on your checks. Give your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary.
- Guard other personal information. Do not give out or share personal information like your PIN, debit card, Social Security number, account numbers or credit card numbers over the phone or the internet unless you initiated the transaction. Be very careful with receipts. Make sure you have them when you leave the store or ATM and do not throw them into a public trash receptacle. Thieves use these receipts to access your accounts.
- Review your credit card and bank statements. Promptly compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
- Review your credit report once a year to be certain that it doesn’t include accounts that you have not authorized. You may obtain your free annual credit report by visiting https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ or by calling 877-322-8228. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies every 12 months.
- Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards to prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information.
- Account for all new checkbooks when you receive them in the mail. If any checks are missing, report immediately. Keep new and canceled checks in a safe place. Do not carry around more checks, credit cards, or other bank items than you really need. Cancel all credit cards you no longer use.
- Block your ATM transaction with your body. Keep the keyboard from view and prevent someone from learning your PIN.
- Commit all passwords and personal identification numbers to memory. The less you have on paper, the less likely it is that someone will learn these numbers.
- Change your passwords if a company that you do business with has a breach of its databases.
- Create complex passwords that identity thieves cannot guess easily.
- Password protect your mobile devices.
- Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT?
Contact your financial institutions and credit card companies to close your accounts. The FBI suggests that you place passwords (not your mother’s maiden name, etc.) on any new accounts you open.
Contact the three major credit bureaus (numbers shown below) to tell them your identity has been stolen. Request that a FRAUD ALERT be placed on your file and that no new credit be granted without your approval.
- EQUIFAX: 888-766-0008
- EXPERIAN: 888-397-3742
- TRANS UNION: 800-680-7289
Call the Social Security Fraud Hotline: 800-269-0271
Change all your passwords, especially with the banks you use online services with.
Contact all your creditors to let them know you have had an issue with ID Theft.
Contact your doctors and dentists to let them know you have had an issue with ID Theft.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Hotline at 877-438-4338. You can download a complaint form online at https://www.identitytheft.gov, the agency’s website.
You may want to file a report with your local police department. If you do, obtain a copy of the report should you need proof of the crime later for your bank, credit card companies, etc.
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.