Preventing Identity Theft

Many people don’t know that they’ve become a victim of identity theft until weeks or months after the crime has been committed. 

Reduce your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft:

• Monitor your accounts online with our FREE Online Banking.
• Review your credit report annually. You can request one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) by going to www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877.322.8228.
• Guard your Social Security Number. Never carry your Social Security Card in your wallet or purse.
• Protect your personal information. Never give account numbers and other personal information to anyone contacting you via phone or email unless you have initiated the contact.
• Examine documents before you throw them in the trash. If the document contains personal information, shred it. 
• Use a locked mailbox to send and receive mail if possible.
• Know when your monthly credit card statements are due to arrive in your mailbox. If any are more than a few days late, contact the card issuer or arrange to receive eStataments and eBills where possible.
• Select passwords that contain several letters and numbers. Do not use birthdates, names or Social Security Numbers as passwords.

Physically Protecting Your Credit Cards 
It's important to keep your credit cards from falling into the wrong hands. Here are some tips to keep your cards more secure:

• Only have as many cards as you need and carry as few as possible.
• Keep seldom-used cards in a safe place.
• Keep a list of your credit card numbers and issuing companies’ phone numbers in a secure place.
• If you are expecting a new or re-issued credit card and do not receive it, contact the issuing company immediately.
• Activate and sign any new cards immediately when you receive them.

Protecting Your Credit Card Information 
To keep your credit card information secure, follow these guidelines:

• Never write your personal identification number (PIN) on your cards.
• Never give credit card information over the phone unless you initiated the call.
• If your credit card statement does not arrive as expected, contact the issuing company to make sure that someone else did not change your address and is receiving your statements.
• When writing a check to pay your credit card bill, do not put the full credit card account number on the Memo line.  Just use the last four digits.