Identity Theft

Frequently, we hear news reports of victims of identity theft and the horrors related to having their personal information compromised. Recent trends indicate identity theft is growing faster than any other type of crime.

Once a criminal obtains someone’s personal information they assume that person’s identity and can empty out their bank accounts, obtain credit in that person’s name and run up enormous debt. How does one protect themselves from this and other types of fraud? Here are a few tips:

• Never provide personal information over the phone or Internet unless you are the one that initiated the call or contact.
• Be sure to review your credit card statements and bank account statements immediately upon receipt. Don’t hesitate to contact your bank or credit card issuer to question transactions that appear suspicious.
• Use caution when responding to e-mails received from a bank, credit card issuer or bank regulatory agency. Many of these are “spoofs”, where criminals create a fraudulent website that looks just like a valid site (commonly known as phishing). When the user enters the site, they are asked for account information and passwords. Using the information provided, criminals can then access the victim’s accounts. Contact the sender of the e-mail to verify it is legitimate and ask for the reason the e-mail was sent.
• Keep all account numbers and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or other access codes secure. Never write them on your card and keep them in a secure place separate from your card.
• Review your credit report at least annually. The recently passed Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACT Act allows consumers to obtain a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus every 12 months. Consumer experts recommend ordering one report from each credit bureau every four months to get periodic updates and maximize your protection.

Additional information regarding ID Theft, Safe Internet Banking, Phishing, the FACT Act and other topics can be viewed at the following websites:

http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/index.html

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/alerts/index.html

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/index.html

Patriot Act

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, and date of birth, identification number and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents