City & Suburban Federal Savings Bank Holds Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Day
According to City & Suburban Federal Savings Bank officials, the number one white collar crime today is identity theft, affecting over 1,400 people each day. Identity theft is the unlawful use of another personÂ’s identification. It can take many forms including credit card or other financial institution fraud, phone or utility service theft, and the taking of government documents or benefits. Thieves are finding new ways of using the identity of their victims everyday.
(PRWEB) May 19, 2004
To Protect Personal Information And Prevent Identity Theft Crime
The number one white collar crime today is identity theft, affecting over 1,400 people each day. Identity theft is the unlawful use of another personÂ’s identification. It can take many forms including credit card or other financial institution fraud, phone or utility service theft, and the taking of government documents or benefits. Thieves are finding new ways of using the identity of their victims everyday.
“Our Identity Theft Awareness and Prevention Day,”said Thomas Schettino, President of City & Suburban Federal Savings Bank, “aims to educate and provide direct solutions for individuals to protect their personal information and prevent them from becoming a victim.”
City & Suburban has combined with Shred-It, an international shredding company. Organizations around the world trust Shred-It for the protection of their most vital asset – information. Shred-It trucks have been made available to destroy documents that members of the public bring to our Identity Theft Awareness and Prevention Day. One of the aims of the event is to protect the privacy of individuals and to provide education about the great importance of destroying personal information.
At the heart of identity theft crime is the thief obtaining information that most people would assume only the true owner of the information would know. Common examples are social security numbers, driverÂ’s license numbers, financial institution account numbers, motherÂ’s maiden names and passports.
Once a thief has possession of the information, the thief will apply for credit cards, loans, phone services, or just about any other service where economic gain can be realized without actual payment. When applying for credit cards, loans, or other services, thieves will often intentionally use incorrect addresses or complete change of address forms on existing accounts so that the victim will not be immediately aware of the crime.
Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft
The following are just some of the ways individuals can reduce their risk of identity theft:
Keep credit cards, debit cards, personal identification numbers (PINs) and other passwords, checks, social security cards or documents which bear your social security number, health insurance cards, driver’s license and number, and other personal information where they will be safe. When disposing of these items, do so by shredding. Keep your deposit and withdrawal slips, credit card purchase receipts, financial institution statements, utility bills, medical bills, insurance information, investment updates, and credit card solicitations where they will be safe. When disposing of them, do so by shredding. Put your trash out only when it is about to be picked up. Mail bill payments and other items that contain personal information at a U. S. Postal Service drop box rather than in your curbside Take your mail out of your curbside mailbox as soon as possible after it has been delivered. If you are travelling, have the U. S. Postal service hold your mail or have someone you trust pick it up daily. Limit the information on your checks, and don’t carry around any more cards than necessary. Don’t give any of your personal information in person, over the telephone, or over the Internet to anyone – unless you have a very good reason to trust them. Don’t give any of your personal information in response to an unsolicited e-mail claiming to be from your financial institution or some other highly credible source. This is a technique referred to as ‘phishing.’ Be sure to validate the request before providing the information (for example, contact the customer service telephone number on your account statement to ask about this request). Don’t give any of your personal information to any web sites that do not use encryption or other secure methods to protect it. Use a firewall if you have a high-speed Internet connection. This software can be purchased on-line or from most software retailers. Don’t use PINs or passwords that are easy to guess (for example, don’t use birth dates or spouse, child or pet names). Examine your credit card and financial institution statements immediately upon receipt to determine whether there were any unauthorized transactions. Report any that you find immediately to the financial institution. Make a prompt inquiry if bills or statements are not received in a timely fashion – this could mean that they are being diverted by an identity thief. Obtain copies of your credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting agencies to ensure that they are accurate.
ATM Safety
While our City & Suburban Federal Savings Bank ATMs are designed to serve C&S customers and cardholders from other participating financial institutions, unauthorized individuals sometimes enter these facilities. For your safety, please follow these simple guidelines:
Always be alert of your surroundings Be aware of suspicious people near the ATM entrance If you are concerned about your safety, do your transaction at another time Use well lighted, well populated ATMs Avoid ATMs that have unlocked doors Use mirrors, positioned at the ATM to see behind you and make sure you block any other personÂ’s view when doing your transaction Put your money away and take your card and receipt before exiting your ATM Your card is exclusively for your entry only, therefore, be sure the door closes behind you
Confidence Games or Scams
Be on the alert when strangers might approach you either in person, on the telephone, via the Internet or by mail with opportunities to make quick and easy money. Be alert to schemes where a person would say to you any one of the following:
‘Here’s a without risk investment’
‘Offer too good to be true!’
‘It’s free, just pay us for …’
‘You must decide now’
‘Do we have your account number correct?’
‘It’s easy, we’ll bill your account’
‘You’ve won! We’ll take the taxes out’
