Identity Theft

Is your identity safe? Identity Theft occurs when someone takes your personal information and uses it to commit fraud and other crimes. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen annually, costing millions of dollars. We do everything possible to help guard your identity. But there are things you can do to protect yourself, too.

Help reduce your risk of Identity Theft with these seven steps:

  1. Protect your Social Security number, passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), checks, bills and mail.
  2. Shred receipts, credit solicitations, cancelled checks and any financial documents.
  3. Use unique passwords on all accounts, and memorize them. Don’t write them down.
  4. Review all financial statements carefully and immediately report any unauthorized use. Set up alerts to let you know when your account has been accessed or your debit card used.
  5. Never give out personal or financial information by phone, mail, or on the Internet unless you've initiated contact and are confident of the source. WE WILL NEVER CALL TO ASK YOU FOR AN ACCOUNT NUMBER, PASSWORD, CODE, OR PIN. 
  6. Reduce the number of credit cards you carry and cancel unused cards.
  7. Review your credit report regularly. Use our free Credit Score service in Online and Mobile Banking.

If you are a victim of Identity Theft, you should take the following steps immediately:

  • Contact us and any of your other financial institution(s) to report suspected fraud.
  • Contact all three major credit bureaus. Place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit reports and request a free copy of your report to review from www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Close any invalid or tainted accounts.
  • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. 
  • File a report with your local police department. 
  • Report any fraudulent investment activity to the Securities & Exchange Commission. 
  • Remember to record all details of your conversations and retain copies of all correspondence.

ID Theft Info from Consumer Federation of America  www.idtheftinfo.org

Recovering from Identity Theft – Federal Trade Commission IdentityTheft.gov

Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST05-019