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

Avoid Getting Hooked by a Phishing Scam

"Phishing" is the act of tricking someone into providing confidential information or doing something they normally wouldn't or shouldn't do. For example, a "phisher" could send an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The term is derived from the analogy of Internet scammers using e-mail bait to "fish" for passwords and financial data in the sea of Internet users. Here's how to avoid getting hooked:

• If you get an e-mail or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Contact the organization directly using a phone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Web browser and type in the company's correct Web address yourself.
• Don't be misled by area codes. Due to the advances of technology, the area code may not reflect where the scammers really are. Contact organizations using the phone number on the back of your credit card or on your account statements.
• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.
• Don't e-mail personal or confidential information. E-mail is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.
• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from e-mails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
• Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company impersonated in the phishing e-mail.
• If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov.

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.

Protect Yourself from Check Scams

There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back. Such a request is a clear sign that the person is trying to scam you. If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashier's check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or one with a branch in your area.

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.
American Bankers Association, Financial Education Corporation, Fake Check Scams, 2005.
OnGuard Online - 7 Practices for Computer Safety, November 2008.