How to Safeguard Yourself Against Identity Theft
- Do not reply to any unsolicited email, pop-up message or phone call asking for personal and/or financial information. Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you with an urgent request for personal information. it is unlikely that a legitimate businesses will ever engage in these practices.
- Do not click on any email link if you suspect the message is fraudulent, not even to “unsubscribe”. Instead, call the business directly by using the number found on the back of your card or on your monthly statement to confirm the legitimacy of the email. Never send any personal or financial information via email.
- Do not let your debit card out of sight when purchasing goods or services. Although credit card information can also be skimmed, the theft of your debit card data involves greater risk because it is associated with your checking and sometimes savings accounts.
- Review account statements and/or log into your online banking regularly to verify all transactions. This review should include checking, savings and credit card accounts. Immediately report any unauthorized activity to the Bank or credit card company.
- Change your debit card PIN and your online banking password periodically. You may not want to do this too often for recollection reasons however you do not want to use the same PIN or password year after year.
- Review our credit report every year. According to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) you are entitled to one free credit report each year. To request your free credit report, call (877) 322-8228, or log on to www.annualcreditreport.com.
Additional Steps You Can Take to Prevent Fraud
- Shred all personal and/or financial documents before disposing of them
- Destroy unused credit, ATM and debit cards
- Remove all mail promptly from your mailbox
- Memorize PINs, Passwords and social security numbers…never write it down
- Sign all debit and credit cards immediately
- Notify financial institutions of address changes and when you will be travelling out of town in advance