Education & Tools

Identity Theft

Identity theft can happen to anyone, anytime.  Gate City Bank has provided information on this page to help people prevent identity theft, discover signs that they may be a victim, and protect their confidential information from possible identity theft. In addition to the resources below, you can also visit Protect Your ID Now.org, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling's website specifically designed to educate consumers on identity theft.

If you suspect your identity has been stolen, contact your nearest Gate City Bank office or call your local Phone Banking number.  We have identity theft specialists who are trained to assist you.

10 Ways to Protect Your Identity

1. Do not give personal information, such as account numbers or Social Security numbers, over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you initiated the contact or know with whom you are dealing.
2. Store personal information in a safe place and shred old credit card receipts, ATM receipts, old account statements and unused credit card offers before throwing them away.
3. Protect your PINs and other passwords. Avoid using easily available information, such as your mother's maiden name, your date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your phone number, etc.
4. Carry only the minimum identifying information and credit cards you need.
5. Pay attention to billing cycles and statements. Contact the bank if you do not receive a monthly bill - it could mean the bill has been diverted by an identity thief.
6. Check account statements carefully to ensure you authorized all charges, checks or withdrawals.
7. Guard your mail. If you have a mailbox with a flag to signal that you have outgoing mail, do not use it to mail bills. Promptly remove incoming mail.
8. Order copies of your credit report once a year.

   Annual Credit Report Request Service
   P.O. Box 105281
   Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
   www.annualcreditreport.com
   877-322-8228

   If you find an error, contact the credit reporting agency or the creditor regarding the problem.
9. If you prefer not to receive pre-approved credit card offers, you can opt out by calling 888-5-OPTOUT.
10. If you want to remove your name from many national direct mail lists, send your name and address to:
    DMA Mail Preference Service
    P.O. Box 9008
    Farmington, NY 11735-9008

Protect Your Passwords

Keep your passwords in a secure place, and out of plain sight. Don't share them on the Internet, over email, or on the phone. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) should never ask for your password.

In addition, hackers may try to figure out your passwords to gain access to your computer. To make it tougher for them:

• Use passwords that have at least eight characters and include numbers or symbols. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack. A 12-character password is stronger than one with eight characters.
• Avoid common words: some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary.
• Don't use your personal information, your login name, or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords.
• Change your passwords regularly (at a minimum, every 90 days).
• Don't use the same password for each online account you access.

Learn more about Identity Theft (Federal Trade Commission)

Sources:
Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Office of Consumer and Business Education, FTC Consumer Alert, October 2006.
Federal Trade Commission, Deter, Detect, Defend - Avoid ID Theft, February 2006.
OnGuard Online - 7 Practices for Computer Safety, November 2008.