Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card or establish a telephone account in your name. If identity theft is not resolved quickly, some victims may lose substantial sums of money and time trying to clear their name. Identity theft can severely damage a victim’s credit report, along with their ability to obtain loans, buy a home or car, and even get a job. In rare cases, a victim may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.

We advise all our customer take these steps to protect their information:

1. Secure your Social Security card in a protected location like a safety deposit box. Don’t carry your card in your wallet.
2. Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards to prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information.
3. Use extreme caution when sharing personal information (birthdate, Social Security number, or bank account number). Ask the requestor why they need that information and how they’ll protect it.
4. Collect mail every day. Place a hold on your mail when you’re away from home for several days.
5. Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender; a bill or statement that didn’t arrive may have been stolen for the financial details it contains.
6. Review your credit card and bank account statements. Compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
7. Review your credit reports once a year to ensure they don't include accounts you didn’t open.
8. Use the security features on your mobile phone.
9. Update sharing and firewall settings when you're on a public wi-fi network. Use a virtual private network if you use public wi-fi.
10. Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
11. Create complex passwords that identity thieves cannot guess. Change your passwords if a company that you do business with has a breach of its databases.

Find other tools and advice at https://staysafeonline.org or https://www.ftc.gov.

If you see potentially fraudulent activity on any account or credit card and think your identity has been stolen, immediately:

• Contact us so we can freeze your accounts.
• Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review them for any unauthorized activity.
• Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
• File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online or at at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).