identity theft
You can avoid becoming a victim by understanding and following these tips...
-
Do not provide your detailed personal, financial or credit card information to an unsolicited telephone call, fax, letter, or e-mail.
-
Avoid having your social security number or driver’s license numbers pre-printed on
your checks. -
Be careful of who you give your social security number, passwords or PIN (Personal Identification Number) to. Do not give this information to any
e-mail requests. Financial institutions do not verify this information via the internet. -
Watch out for people who may be trying to listen to personal information you are giving out.
-
When creating your PIN and/or passwords, avoid using the last digits of your social security number, your birth date or that of a close family member, wedding anniversary dates or maiden names. These items are easy for thieves to discover.
-
Destroy all ATM, bank and credit card receipts. This includes all old credit cards and pre-approved credit card mail items. It’s not unlikely for thieves
to pick through your garbage to obtain personal information. -
Have your name removed from Direct Marketing Lists to reduce your personal information that’s available and to cut down the number of credit offers received.
-
Mail your bill payments from the Post Office. Items are more easily stolen from your home mailbox.
-
Review all account statements on a regular basis and your credit report annually to monitor any suspicious activity.
Should you have any reason to believe that you have provided information through an unauthorized solicitation, contact a Bank representative immediately. You should also contact the three major credit bureaus to request a fraud alert be placed on your credit report.
Equifax 1-800-685-1111 Experian 1-888-397-3742 TransUnion 1-800-888-4213
