- Shred any documents with sensitive information.
- Don’t carry your Social Security Card with you, and don’t give it out unless it is absolutely necessary.
- Only give out personal information over the phone when you have initiated the call.
- Keep your computer’s security (firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software) up-to-date.
- Choose passwords that are easy for you to remember, but hard for others to figure out.
- Keep any sensitive information in your home in a secure place. (Vault, alcove, safe deposit box at the bank)
- Protect yourself from Internet “Phishing” scams. Phishing is an online scam that uses a replica of an existing Web page or email you are familiar with to “spoof”
or trick you into submitting personal, financial or password information. To keep
your sensitive personal information protected and avoid online theft, always be
suspicious of emails seeking personal information; refuse to give out your SSN,
PIN or account number by email; and review account statements for accuracy. - Check your credit report at least annually to make sure everything is correct. (www.annualcreditreport.com is the ONLY government-sanctioned website where you can check your report for free once a year.)
- Contact your financial institution(s) about the situation and close any accounts that have been affected or that have been opened fraudulently
- Contact the three major credit bureaus, review reports for any other signs of Identity Theft and place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports
- Equifax:1-800-525-6285
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
- File a police report
- Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission
- www.ftc.gov/idtheft
- 1-877-438-4338 or TTY 1-866-653-4261
- Identity Theft Clearinghouse , Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580
- Document the entire process
ID Theft
State Bank & Trust believes Identity Theft is a serious crime. It occurs when someone takes your personal information without your knowledge and uses it to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity Theft can damage your credit and cost you. Recent statistics from the US Government suggest that you can expect it to cost on average $1,200 and take around 600 hours to repair your credit.
How Do I Protect my Identity?
Enhanced Login Security
In our quest to protect our customers, State Bank & Trust has extra security on Internet Banking at: www.banksbt.com. We have added levels of security above and beyond the firewalls, encryption, and password protection. With Enhanced Login Security, you can have security questions that only you know the answer to every time you login. That means that not only is your information protected with a password, your computer is recognized as well.
Unfortunately, Identity Theft can strike any of us. If you have been a victim of Identity Theft, here are some steps you can take to minimize the impact:
Additional Online Resources
