Avoid Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft
The Independent Farmers Bank’s
website provides links to other web sites for convenience and informational
purposes only. Users should be aware
that when they select a link on the Independent Farmers Bank’s website, such as
those listed below, they will be accessing an external site and will be leaving
the Independent Farmers Bank’s site.
Linked sites are not under the control of our bank and as such, our bank
is not responsible for the contents of any linked site. Linked sites may have a
privacy policy different than that of Independent Farmers Bank; you should read
each site’s privacy policy before providing any personal information. Furthermore, linked third-party sites may
provide less security than the Independent Farmers Bank website. Independent Farmers Bank disclaims any
liability in regard to the information or data provided by these web sites to
persons or entities that use or access these sites, based on their reliance on
any information that is available through these websites.
Identity
theft is a growing problem. Many people
across the country have become victims of this crime. Here are a few basic steps you can follow to
avoid becoming a victim of identity theft yourself:
-
Don’t give out personal information. Never reveal your account numbers, personal
account information or social security numbers over the telephone, via mail or
over the Internet, unless you initiated the contact or know whom you are
dealing with.
-
Store your personal information in a safe place. Shred old credit card and ATM receipts, old
account statements and unused credit card offers before you discard them. Home shredders are inexpensive and available
at most department and office supply stores.
-
Protect your PIN numbers and other passwords. Avoid using information that can be easily
obtained. (e.g.: your mother’s maiden
name, your birth date, the last four digits of your social security number or
your phone number). Don’t leave your
receipts behind or throw them in the trash where thieves can easily retrieve
them. Once you no longer need them,
shred or tear them up into tiny pieces.
-
Carry only identifying information you routinely use. Keep your driver’s license, credit card and
related items close at hand. Never leave
your handbag, backpack, laptop, cell phone, etc... laying around where they
could be stolen or tampered with.
-
Watch your account information and billing statements. Know your billing cycles and review monthly
billing statements carefully. Make sure
that all charges, drafts or withdrawals were authorized. If you miss a bill a few months in a row,
your identity might have been compromised.
Call the company with whom you have the account, and check your customer
information.
-
Guard your mail against theft.
Remove incoming mail promptly, and deposit all outgoing mail at your
post office collection boxes. Don’t
leave outgoing mail in your mailbox.
-
Review copies of your credit report. Order copies of your credit report yearly
from each of the three major credit bureaus to ensure that they are reporting
accurate information.
- Watch
for signs that your information is being misused. For example, you may not
get certain bills or other mail on time. Follow up with creditors if your bills
don't arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken
over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks. Other
signs include:
·
receiving
credit cards that you didn't apply for;
·
being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like
a high interest rate, for no apparent reason; and
·
getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about
merchandise or services you didn't buy.
What To Do If Your Personal
Information Has Been Compromised
Companies or institutions that
keep personal information about you have an obligation to safeguard it. Still,
from time to time, the personal information they hold may accidentally be
disclosed or deliberately stolen. If your information falls into the wrong
hands, it may be misused to commit fraud against you.
If you get a notice that your
personal information may have been compromised, taking certain steps quickly
can minimize the potential for the theft of your identity.
If the stolen information
includes your financial accounts,
close compromised credit card accounts immediately. Consult with your financial
institution about whether to close bank or brokerage accounts immediately or
first change your passwords and have the institution monitor for possible
fraud. Place passwords on any new accounts that you open. Avoid using your
mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social
Security number (SSN) or your phone number, or a series of consecutive
numbers. The longer the password, the
more secure it is.
If the stolen information
includes your Social Security number,
call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three nationwide consumer
reporting companies and place an initial
fraud alert on your credit reports. This alert can help
stop someone from opening new credit accounts in your name.
Equifax:
1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com;
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN
(397-3742); www.experian.com;
TransUnion:
1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division,
An initial fraud alert stays on your
credit report for 90 days. When you place this alert on your credit report with
one nationwide consumer reporting company, you'll get information about
ordering one free credit report from each of the companies. It's prudent to
wait about a month after your information was stolen before you order your
report: suspicious activity may not show up right away. Once you get your
reports, review them for suspicious activity, like inquiries from companies you
didn't contact, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you
can't explain. Check that information — like your SSN, address(es), name or
initials, and employers — is correct.
If the stolen information
includes your driver's license or other
government-issued identification, contact the agencies that
issued the documents and follow their procedures to cancel a document and get a
replacement. Ask the agency to "flag" your file to keep anyone else
from getting a license or another identification document in your name.
Continue to read your
financial account statements promptly and carefully, and to monitor your credit
reports every few months in the first year of the theft, and once a year
thereafter. For more information on getting your credit reports free once a
year or buying additional reports, read Your
Access to Free Credit Reports at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/freereports/index.shtml.
If your
information has been misused, file a report about your identity theft with the
police, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission HERE.
Go to the FTC’s webpage Defend: Recover From Identity Theft for
detailed information on other steps to take in the wake of identity theft.
The Federal
Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair
business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help
consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint,
or to get free information
on consumer issues, please visit www.ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
Revised
10/07/2011