Protect Your Identity
Protecting Yourself
- Safeguard Your Financial Information such as checking and credit card numbers, and your Social Security number. Unless U know the person or organization you’re dealing with, don’t give it out, even to someone claiming to be from the bank.
- Report Lost or Stolen Checks Immediately. Review new deliveries of checks to make sure none have been stolen in transit.
- Notify Your Bank of Suspicious Phone Inquiries such as those asking for account information to “verify a statement” or “award a prize”.
- Shred Financial Solicitations or financial statements before disposing of them.
- Deposit Your Mail Into a Secure Official Postal Service Collection Box.
- If Regular Bills Fail to Reach U, call the company to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change-of-address notice to divert your mail and steal your identity.
- If Your Bills Include Questionable Items, investigate immediately. This is often the first sign of identity theft fraud.
- Avoid Phishing Scams. Never reply directly or click on a link in response to an email that asks for personal or financial information. If you are concerned about your account contact the company or institution via a web site you know to be genuine. Remember – your bank will never contact U “out of the blue” to ask for personal financial information.
Measures Your Bank Takes
Substantial measures are in place at your bank to protect your identity against theft and fraud:
- Privacy Policies – Our privacy policies protect your personal and financial information. These policies are stringent and enforced, with employee training provided regularly.
- Internal Confidentiality – Access to nonpublic information about U is limited to employees who need to know that information to provide U with products and services.
Check List for Victims
If U become a victim of identity theft U should do the following:
- File a police report.
- Contact your banker.
- Notify credit bureau fraud units.
- Place a fraud alert statement on your credit report.
- Request that credit bureaus identity accounts closed due to fraud as “closed at consumer’s request”.
- Request free credit reports (fraud victims are entitled to two free credit reports from each of the credit bureaus).
- Report check theft to check verification companies.
- Check post office for unauthorized change of address requests.
- Follow-up contacts with letter and keep copies of all correspondence.