Identity Theft
What we are doing to keep your identity safe.
Substantial measures are in place to protect your identity against theft and fraud:
Internal Confidentiality - Access to nonpublic information about you is limited to employees who need to know that information to provide you with our products and services.
Privacy Policies - Our Privacy Policy Protects your personal and financial information~ These policies are stringent and enforced with employee training which is provided regularly.
What you can do to protect yourself.
1) Safeguard your financial information such as checking and credit card numbers, and your Social Security number. Unless you know the person or organization you're dealing with, don't give it out, even to someone claiming to be from your bank. Exercise EXTREME CAUTION when asked for personal identification information i.e. SSN, account numbers, etc over the phone or email.
2) Report lost or stolen checks immediately. Review new deliveries of checks to make sure none have been stolen in transit.
3) Notify your bank of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."
4) Shred financial solicitations or financial statements before disposing of them.
5) Deposit your mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box.
6) If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change-of-address notice to divert your mail and steal your identity.
7) If your bills include questionable items, investigate immediately. This is often the first sign of identity theft fraud.
8) Avoid phishing scams. Never reply directly or click on a link in response to an email that asks for personal or financial information. If you are concerned about your account, contact the company or institution via a web site you know to be genuine. Remember your bank will never contact you "out of the blue" to ask for personal financial information.
9) Never leave your purse or billfold unattended. Examples, in your car, motel room etc.
10) PROTECT all PIN's and Passwords. Change them often. Use a combination of lower and upper case letters and numbers.
11) DO NOT open email from unknown sources.
12) Use Virus Protection software.
Questions & Answers
If the check turns out to be fake, isn't it the banks problem?
You are responsible for the checks you deposit. That's because you are in the best position to determine how risky the transaction is-you are the one dealing directly with the person who is arranging for the check to be sent to you. If it bounces, you owe your bank the money you withdrew. The bank may be able to take it from your accounts or sue you to recover it. In some cases, law enforcement authorities could bring charges against the victims because it may look like they were involved in the scam and knew the check was counterfeit.
How can I protect myself from fake check scams?
There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back-that's a clear sign that it's a scam. If a stranger wants to send you a check, insist on a cashiers check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or one with a branch in your area.
Free Credit Report Fast Facts
A new law (The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACT Act) requires each of the three credit reporting companies to provide you a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. A credit report contains information about you and your credit/payments history. This information is used to validate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, renting a home and for other purposes.
You can get your report at www.annualcreditreport.com. or call 877-322-8228.
You can also contact the credit reporting companies:
Equifax (www.equifax.com)
800-685-1111
Experian (www.experian.com)
888-397-3742
TransUnion (www.transunion.com)
800-888-4213
Other helpful websites:
www.idtheft.com
