Farmers Bank N.A.

Suggestions to help prevent Identity Theft

The Federal Trade Commission states that identity theft affects approximately 10 million Americans each year. To keep you from becoming one of the 10 million Americans affected, we'd like to offer some tips on reducing your chances of exposure. We do not guarantee that you will never be a victim of identity theft, but we offer ideas to help protect you and your loved ones.

Mail:

Using a locked or secure mail box, such as a post office box, help to deter persons from gaining access to your mail
If you use an unlocked mail box, retrieve your mail each day immediately after delivery
Do not leave bills with a check in the envelope in your mail box to be picked up; either put the mail that is being sent in the box right before pickup or take them to a secured drop box
When ordering new checks, retrieve them immediately from your mailbox, after they are delivered, to reduce the likely hood of another person gaining access to your personal, financial information.
If you fail to receive a bill or it doesn't arrive on time, contact the company to verify your correct address
If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 or your local post office to request a vacation hold
Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding and credit offers you get in the mail
A study released by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB) and Javelin Strategy & Research shows that ID theft is more likely to occur as the result of a lost or stolen wallet or checkbook, not because of Internet-related fraud

E-Statement:

Retrieving statements through a secure website, you reduce the chance of unauthorized persons getting your personal financial information.
E-Statements are delivered the next day after they are assembled for your viewing.
You "reduce the high paper" risk with email statements and can either print them yourself or save them on your computer.

Bill Pay:

By using Bill Pay, your payments have a better chance of arriving on time electronically
If your bill payment is sent by check, none of your personal information is on the check. Metavante, the company printing the checks, will have their information on the check and help reduce exposure to your information.
You will write less paper checks, thus reducing the chances of someone taking the bills out of your mailbox and using that information.
Bill Pay helps to reduce the number of chances of unauthorized persons having easier access to your personal information.

Emails:

Many people are receiving emails from companies asking them to verify their information for numerous reasons. Some are as follows:

“We recently noticed one or more attempts to log in to your ____ account from a foreign IP address…”
“In order to service you better and combat fraud…”
“We regret to inform you, that we had to block your _____ account because we have been notified that your account may have been compromised by outside parties…”

The emails that these companies are sending are being called “Phishing.”
If you receive an email from a person or company that you do not recognize, PLEASE delete the email without opening the email.
The fake emails may also contain a virus known as a “Trojan horse” that can record your keystrokes. The virus may live in an attachment or be accessed via a link in the email
Don't click on links within a suspicious email. Go to your web browser and re-type or cut and paste the address into the address line
Activate a pop-up window blocker to reduce your chances of viruses and “Trojan Horse” software
Use e-mail based account “alerts” to monitor transfers, payments, low balances and withdrawals

General Tips:

Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having work done to your home
Place passwords on 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. When opening new accounts, you may find that businesses still have a line on their applications for your mother's maiden name. Ask if you can use a password instead.
If you are a member of the military and away from your usual duty station, you may place an active duty alert on your credit reports to help minimize the risk of identity theft while you are deployed. Active duty alerts are in effect on your report for one year. If your deployment lasts longer, you can place another alert on your credit report.
Don't give out personal information, including account numbers, on the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you've initiated the contact and sure you know whom you're dealing with.
Don't carry your social security card; leave it in a secure place
Carry only the identification information and the credit and debit cards that you'll actually need when you go out
Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; do the same with copies of administrative forms that have your sensitive personal information
Don't write your personal identification number (PIN) on your ATM or debit card. Don't write your social security number or credit card account number on a check. Cover your hand when you are entering your PIN number at an ATM
Use a 10-digit combination of letters and numbers for your passwords and change them periodically
Keep a list of all your account and card numbers, expiration dates, credit limits, information and customer service telephone numbers
Carefully review the monthly accounts, credit card statements and utility bills (including cellular telephone bills) for unauthorized charges as soon as you receive them. If you suspect unauthorized use, contact the provider's customer service and fraud departments immediately
If your state uses your Social Security number as your driver's license number, ask to substitute another number
Order a copy of your credit report from the three credit reporting agencies every year and make sure all the information is correct, especially your name, address, and SSN. Look for indications of fraud, such as unauthorized applications, unfamiliar credit accounts, credit inquiries and defaults and delinquencies that you did not cause
Check your Social Security Earnings and Benefits statements once each year to make sure that no one else is using your Social Security number for employment
Be sure to read all agreements before you sign them and keep a copy of all signed agreements for your records
Authorizations for Direct Payments must be made in writing and must be signed by the customer or authenticated by “digital signature.” (Digital signature refers to authorization via computer device using a secure password or code, such as an ATM personal identification number.)
If you want to stop making payments by Direct Payment, you should notify the company. Information about how to contact the company should be included on your authorization form.
If your checks are lost or stolen, contact your financial institution immediately
When a retailer offers a Point-of Purchase, make sure that the check you supply for your account information is returned to you stamped void before you leave the store
Remove your name from marketing lists to reduce the number of offers that you receive. Your name and address remain in the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) consumer exclusion files for five years. Contact the DMA at www.dmaconsumers.org
Despite growing fears about identity theft and online fraud, of the victims that know the identity and method used by the criminal, these crimes are more frequently committed offline than online. Internet-related fraud problems are actually less severe, less costly and not as widespread as previously thought.
How safe are you? Take an Identity Safety Quiz at www.idsafety.net