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.
Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Other indications of identity theft:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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
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:
Checks
If your checks have been stolen or misused, close the account and ask your bank to notify the appropriate check verification service.
Keep a copy of the report or at least the report number. You may need it to validate your claims to creditors.