Provided as a Service to the
Valued Customers of
IDENTITY FRAUD
PROTECTION BULLETIN
Technology
has made
it more
convenient
than ever to
manage your
finances.
Services such as online banking,
electronic bill payment, mobile
banking and e-statements offer
tremendous advantages over
the previous time-consuming
methods of working with your
accounts. However, along with
the benefits of technology come
a few cautions.
Technology savvy thieves and
scam artists have developed
a large assortment of tricks
designed to separate you from
your money. While most fraud is
still perpetrated using the same
“low-tech” methods that have
been used in the past, criminals
are more frequently turning to
“hi-tech” deceptions.
The best defense against these
modern scammers is to keep
yourself educated and alert.
This bulletin contains helpful
tips that will assist you in
receiving all the benefits today’s
technologies have to offer...
without becoming one of a
growing number of victims of
fraud and identity theft.
Tips You Can Bank On:
Protecting your finances on-line
On-line banking is more prevalent than
ever, but there are important safety tips
you may still need to know. We want
to help you avoid some of the common
pitfalls associated with accessing your
funds on the internet.
Look for the symbol that assures the
safety of your funds. The FDIC symbol
you see on our web pages provides you the
assurance that your deposits are backed
by the full faith and credit of the United
States Government up to the standard
maximum deposit insurance amount. If
you deposit money with an institution not
displaying this symbol, you may putting
your hard earned savings at risk.
Protect your Personal Identification
Number and password. Select your
PIN and password carefully. It’s a bad
idea to use any number that can be easily
guessed, such as your phone number or
birthday. Get in the practice of changing
your PIN and password from time to time
so that if they are stolen you will limit the
thief’s access to your account. Never give
anyone your password and PIN over the
phone! We won’t ask for this information;
be suspicious of anyone who does.
Always keep your computer’s online defenses up to date. An anti-virus
program is a good start, but it’s also
necessary to update it routinely. Crooks
are constantly seeking new ways to take
advantage of vulnerabilities. Regularly
check for updates to enhance the security
In 2010, the FTC received over 1.3 Million consumer complaints:
% (725,087) were related to fraud and
% (250,854) were attributed to identity theft.
54
SPRING / SUMMER 2012
19
- Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, for January-December 2010, March 2011
of your operating system and don’t neglect
to modify settings to limit physical access
to the control of your computer. Think
twice about using a publicly accessible
computer whose security safeguards are
unknown to you!
Don’t send sensitive financial or
personal information unless you are
certain of the security of the transaction.
We utilize state-of-the-art encryption to
keep your financial transactions secure
from prying eyes. When you are on our
secure website, your browser software
will provide an icon in the corner of your
browser window to indicate that you can
proceed with a secure online submission.
Never initiate a transaction of sensitive
information unless you see the small
“lock” or “key” icon in the corner of
your browser window.
Know the facts concerning
your right to privacy. We also make
our privacy policy available on-line
for your convenience.
You can read how we protect and
use the information you provide to us
during your on-line visit by clicking
on our privacy policy link on our
home page:
www.floridabusinessbank.com
You must act
quickly to minimize
the damages of
electronic fraud
REG E provides consumers
with certain rights,
but prompt action is required.
Electronic Fund Transactions, involving
money being electronically debited or
credited to a consumer account, are regulated by a specific set
of rules established by the Federal Reserve Board. Regulation
E limits the amount of losses consumers are liable for if their
accounts are victimized by fraudulent EFTs. This liability
limitation depends on how quickly notification is provided
under the following circumstances:
If your notify us:
You may be held
liable for up to:
within 2 days after discovering
the loss or theft of an access device
(such as an ATM or debit card)
of fraudulent EFTs
after 2 days of discovering
the loss or theft of an access device
(such as an ATM or debit card)
after 60 days of receiving your
periodic account statement
displaying the fraudulent EFT
$50
$500
of fraudulent EFTs
the FULL amount
of fraudulent EFTs
that take place
after 60 days
It is very important that you promptly check your
statement when you receive it for any signs of
fraudulent activity!
If you discover that your debit or ATM card has been lost or
stolen or that you have unauthorized transfers from your account
don’t wait to let us know. Failure to act can wind up costing
you hundreds of dollars and potentially a lot more! Notify us
immediately in person, by telephone, or in writing.
Remember to Take Advantage of
Your Free Annual Credit Report
Thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, one
free copy of your credit report is available to you each year from
each of the three major credit bureaus. We strongly encourage
you to take advantage of this opportunity to review your credit
report annually. You should check it carefully for any errors
and for signs of fraudulent activity. The federal government
required the creation of a centralized location where consumers
may reliably obtain their free credit reports.
IDENTITY THEFT
CHECKLIST:
Steps you MUST take
when your identity
has been stolen
If you become a victim of identity theft, take the
following steps as quickly as possible to minimize the
potential damage to you:
3
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File a police report with your local law enforcement
agency. You will need a report on file in order to
dispute unauthorized charges.
Contact the fraud departments of each of the three
major credit bureaus to report the identity theft and
request that the bureaus place a fraud alert status in
your file. You are also entitled by law to receive a free
copy of your credit report if you are a victim of identity
theft. To report fraud to the major credit bureaus, call:
EQUIFAX.......................................800-525-6285
EXPERIAN ....................................888-397-3742
TRANS UNION .............................800-680-7289
3
Contact the Federal Trade Commission’s toll-free
Identity Theft Hotline. To contact the hotline call:
1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338)
The FTC will take a report and place your name in
the nationwide “Consumer Sentinel” consumer
fraud database shared by local, state and federal law
enforcement agencies.
3
Finally, contact your creditors and inform them.
Close your accounts, change all account passwords,
and obtain new credit, debit and ATM cards. For
additional information on what you can do if you
believe you are a victim of identity theft, visit:
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
To receive your free annual credit reports:
Visit www.annualcreditreport.com
Call 1-877-322-8228
Mail your request to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
keystoneexpressions.com • 800-648-5785
NB-1202