Home › Protecting Against Identity Theft

Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft

Identity theft and account fraud are crimes committed when someone steals personal information such as your bank account number or Social Security number, then poses as you and takes funds from your account or accrues debt in your name.

To better protect yourself against identity theft and account fraud:

• Don't give out your account numbers or your Social Security number over the phone unless you initiate the call and you know whom you are dealing with.
• Report lost or stolen checks immediately. Promptly review all checks when you receive new deliveries of checks to be sure none have been stolen in transit.
• Store cancelled checks - and new checks - in a safe place.
• Notify financial institutions immediately if you receive a suspicious phone call from someone purporting to represent the institution and asking for account information "to verify a statement" or "award a prize". Call the client support number listed on your statement if you receive this kind of call from someone who says he or she presents your bank.
• Guard your ATM personal identification number (PIN) and all ATM receipts.
• Before throwing away, tear up all financial solicitations you receive in the mail. Do the same for all other financial statements, invoices, or ATM receipts you wish to discard. A small personal shredder is a good device to have to help with destroying financial documents rather than throwing in the trash.
• Do not put outgoing mail in your mailbox. All mail should be dropped in a secure Postal Service collection box. Thieves may use your mail to steal your identity.
• If regular bills fail to reach you, contact those companies to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change-of-address form to divert your information to his or her address.
• If bills include suspicious items, investigate promptly to head off possible fraud before it occurs.
• Periodically contact the major credit reporting agencies to review your credit file and be sure all information is correct. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of your credit report at any time. Contact the agencies at the numbers listed below:
  Equifax 800.685.1111
  Experian 888.397.3742
  TransUnion 800.916.8800
  

If you suspect account fraud, please immediately follow these steps:

• Contact all financial institutions with which you have accounts, including all credit card issuers. Be sure to include specific retail charge cards as well. You may contact BankDirect at 1.877.839.2737.
• Contact the major check verification companies to request that retailers using their databases be notified not to accept the stolen checks. You may contact these companies at the numbers listed below:
  Telecheck 800.710.9898
  International Check Services 800.631.9656
  Equifax 800.437.5120
  
• File a police report with your local police department.
• Contact the three major credit bureaus and request a copy of your credit report. Review your reports for an additional fraudulent activity. Request a "fraud alert" for your file and a victim's statement asking creditors to call you before opening any new accounts or changing existing ones.
• Watch for stolen mail. If you suspect that any mail is not being delivered to you, confirm with the sender and contact your local post office and police.

Keep written records of the incident. Include what happened, what was lost or stolen, and what steps you took to report the incident to law enforcement and the various agencies, banks, and firms involved. Be sure to include the date, time, telephone numbers called, who you spoke to, and any other relevant information.