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Simple
Ways To
Safeguard Yourself! |
The Provident Bank offers the following
tips to help you
protect yourself against identity theft.
- Keep your credit cards, debit cards,
personal
identification numbers (PINs), checks,
social
security number, driver’s license
number, and
other personal information in a safe place.
- Keep deposit slips, withdrawal slips
and credit
and debit card receipts where they will
be safe.
Always shred them first before they’re
disposed of.
- Shred expired credit, debit, ATM and
identification
cards, as well as credit card solicitations,
credit
card statements, financial institution
statements,
utility bills, insurance information,
medical bills,
and investment updates, before disposing
of them.
- Put your trash containing discarded
identification
or financial information out shortly before
it will be
picked up.
- Place mail in your curbside mailbox
shortly before
it will be picked up.
- Take your mail out of your curbside
mailbox as
soon as possible after it is delivered.
If you’re
traveling, have the U.S. Postal Service
hold your
mail or have someone you trust pick it
up daily.
- Limit the information on your checks
to only that
which is absolutely required.
- DO NOT carry any more credit or debit
cards
than necessary.
- DO NOT give any of your personal information
to
anyone in person, over the telephone,
or over the
Internet unless you have a very good reason
to
trust them.
- DO NOT provide any of your personal
information through websites that do not
offer
security protection. Look for the 
or 
icons
at the bottom of the browser – these
sites have
security.
- Use a firewall if you have a high-speed
Internet
connection. This software can be purchased
on-line or from most software retailers.
- DO NOT use personal identification
numbers
(PINs) or other passwords that are easy
to guess
(such as family birth dates or your pet’s
name).
- Examine your credit card, debit card,
and
financial institution/bank statements
immediately
when you receive them to determine whether
there are any unauthorized transactions.
Report
unauthorized transactions immediately
to the
financial institution.
- Make a prompt inquiry if bills or statements
are
not received in a timely manner - this
could mean
statements are being intercepted.
- Obtain copies of your credit report
annually from
each of the three major credit-reporting
agencies
(listed on the back of this brochure)
to ensure the
reports are accurate and only list credit
accounts
that you have authorized.
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