Avoiding Identity Theft
THE FIRST NORTHERN BANK & TRUST - IDENTITY THEFT INFORMATION GUIDE:
While some financial institutions go about their daily business routine with little acknowledgement to their customers that Identity Theft is increasing at an alarming rate, the First Northern Bank & Trust believes that this Customer Service Guide will help you to protect yourself, your family, and your friends from being a victim. Please take a few minutes of your time and carefully read the following information.
New technology spawned a new variety of crooks called identity thieves. Their stock in trade? Your everyday transactions, which usually reveal bits of your personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income; your Social Security number (SSN); or your name, address, and phone numbers. An identity thief obtains some piece of your sensitive information and uses it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.
HOW CAN I TELL IF I'M A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT?
Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Other indications of identity theft:
- Failing to receive bills or other mail signaling an address change by the identity thief;
- Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply;
- denial of credit for no apparent reason; or
- receiving calls from debt collectors or companies about merchandise or services you didn't buy.
MANAGING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
So how can a responsible consumer minimize the risk of identity theft, as well as the potential for damage? When it involves your personal information, exercise caution and prudence. Use passwords for your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having service work done in your home.
EVERYDAY DILIGENCE
Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know who you're dealing with. Identity thieves can be skilled liars, and may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs), or even government agencies to get you to reveal identifying information. Before you divulge any personal information, confirm that you're dealing with a legitimate representative of a legitimate organization. Double check by calling customer service using the number on your account statement or in the telephone book.
Guard your mail and trash from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office instead of an unsecured mailbox. Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, contact your local U.S. Postal Service to ask for a vacation hold. To thwart a thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications or offers, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, and expired charge cards.
Keep your Social Security card in a secure place and give your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
Limit the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you carry to what you'll actually need. Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
CONSIDER YOUR COMPUTER
Your computer can be a goldmine of personal information to an identity thief. Here's how you can safeguard your computer and the personal information it stores:
- Update your virus protection software regularly. Computer viruses can have damaging effects, including introducing program code that causes your computer to send out files or other stored information. Look for security repairs and patches you can download from your operating system's Web site.
- Don't download files from strangers or click on hyperlinks from people you don't know. Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program that could hijack your modem.
- Use a firewall, especially if you have a high-speed or "always on" connection to the Internet. The firewall allows you to limit uninvited access to your computer.
- Avoid using an automatic log-in feature that saves your user name and password; and always log off when you're finished.
- Read Web site privacy policies. They should answer questions about the access to and accuracy, security, and control of personal information the site collects, as well as how sensitive information will be used, and whether it will be provided to third parties.
IF YOUR IDENTITY'S BEEN STOLEN
Even if you've been very careful about keeping your personal information to yourself, an identity thief can strike. If you suspect that your personal information has been used to commit fraud or theft, take the following three steps right away. Remember to follow up all calls in writing; send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company received and when; and keep copies for your files.
IF YOUR IDENTITY'S BEEN STOLEN
Even if you've been very careful about keeping your personal information to yourself, an identity thief can strike. If you suspect that your personal information has been used to commit fraud or theft, take the following three steps right away. Remember to follow up all calls in writing; send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company received and when; and keep copies for your files.
1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports.
Call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three major credit bureaus (listed below) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts on your credit report, and you may receive your credit report free of charge by going to the following federally approved government site: www.annualcreditreport.com
- Equifax - To report fraud, call:
1-800-525-6285, and write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 - Experian - To report fraud, call:
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742), and write: P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 - TransUnion - To report fraud, call:
1-800-680-7289, and write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Once you receive your reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries you didn't initiate, accounts you didn't open, and unexplained debts on your true accounts. You also should check that information such as your SSN, address(s), name or initial, and employers are correct. Inaccuracies in this information also may be due to typographical errors. Nevertheless, whether the inaccuracies are due to fraud or error, you should notify the credit bureau as soon as possible by telephone and in writing. You should continue to check your reports periodically to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.
2. Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Credit Accounts
Credit accounts include all accounts with banks, credit card companies and other lenders, and phone companies, utilities, ISPs, and other service providers. If you're closing existing accounts and opening new ones, use new Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords. If there are fraudulent charges or debits, ask the company about the following forms for disputing those transactions:
- For new unauthorized accounts, ask if the company accepts the ID Theft Affidavit. If they don't, ask the representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms.
- For your existing accounts, ask the representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms.
- If your ATM card has been lost, stolen or otherwise compromised, cancel the card as soon as you can. Get a new card with a new PIN.
Checks
If your checks have been stolen or misused, close the account and ask your bank to notify the appropriate check verification service.
3. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
Keep a copy of the report or at least the report number. You may need it to validate your claims to creditors.