Tag Archives: identity theft

Black gloved hand holding social security hard over keyboard

My Identity Has Been Stolen. Now What?

Discovering that your identity has been stolen can be a frightening and overwhelming experience. Here are the steps you should take immediately to protect yourself and minimize the damage:

  • Contact Your Bank and Credit Card Companies: Notify your bank and any credit card companies of the theft. They can help you freeze your accounts, issue new cards, and monitor for suspicious activity.
  • Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit Reports: Contact one of the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This will make it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
  • File a Report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Visit the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov website to report the theft and create a recovery plan. The FTC will provide you with a personalized recovery plan and help you track your progress.
  • Contact Local Law Enforcement: File a police report with your local law enforcement agency. This can help you document the theft and may be required by creditors or other entities.
  • Check Your Credit Reports: Obtain a copy of your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus. Review them carefully for any unauthorized accounts or transactions and report any discrepancies.
  • Change Your Passwords: Change the passwords for your online accounts, especially those related to banking, email, and social media. Use strong, unique passwords for each account.
  • Monitor Your Accounts: Keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements, as well as your credit reports, for any signs of fraudulent activity. Consider enrolling in a credit monitoring service for added protection.


For more detailed information and resources, visit our Scam Prevention page.

Taking these steps can help you regain control and protect your financial well-being. Stay vigilant and proactive to prevent further damage.

debit-card

Tips to Keep Your Cash Safe Online & In Stores

The holidays have hit, which means criminals are out and about looking to steal whatever information they can. Retail fraud attempts increased by 30% during the holidays in 2017. Being extra aware this season will help you keep your money safe, online and in stores, by using some of these simple tips!

Use Your Chip Card

Cards have upgraded to now have an EMV chip included in them. This offers an extra layer of security, as the card generates a one-time code for the transaction. If your card information is stolen, a thief can’t use that specific code to buy anything else so it prevents further losses.

Watch Your Surroundings

It’s very important during the holidays to think about protecting yourself, and not just your finances. Be alert when walking to your vehicle and don’t let strangers help you hold your bags, purse, phone or wallet. Make sure when you shop that you put your bags in your trunk and lock the car. This helps you lessen the chance of someone breaking in to steal your items if they can’t see them.

Update Your Computer

You will be doing plenty of online shopping, which means you’re entering your information over and over on different sites. It’s important to make sure you’re installing all updates, so your computer has less of a chance at getting a virus or malware. Keep your system operating smoothly by adding anti-virus software and setting all updates to be automatic.

Turn On Alerts

Many cards and accounts have alerts that will text and email you if a certain spending cap is hit. Set this up, so you can be notified of any purchases you didn’t make. Then you can cancel your card before it’s too late!

Check Your Statements

You can easily check your statements to make sure there is no unwanted activity, as well as look at your online account to see if any strange purchases have been made. You can also check your credit report, so you can report anything suspicious right away.

Avoid Pop-Ups

There will be plenty of crazy deals around this time popping up on blogs and sites. Don’t respond, click on the links or call the phone numbers. It’s better to be safe than sorry during these times. You can, however, click the links on trusted sources that garner the ‘s’ in ‘https://’ on a URL.

Lighten Your Wallet

Take out extra cash and cards – anything that you truly don’t need. This will keep your funds safer while you shop. Thieves are very good at taking anything they see as an opportunity, especially when shoppers are distracted trying to find the best prices in the store.

With these great tips, you’ll be able to keep your money safe in stores and online this holiday season. We also offer safe and secure online and mobile banking – here you’ll be able to check your finances to be sure everything is as it should be!

Peoples Bank & Trust Co.

Member FDIC

Equal Housing Lender

identity-theft

Identity Theft Tips For This Holiday Season

Online shopping and in-store deals will bring everyone out this holiday season. This also means that with the shoppers come criminals. Identity theft is on the rise with all the different ways information can be stolen. Peoples Bank & Trust wanted to offer these top tips this season to help you keep your identity safe and secure.

Use Secure Sites

When you see an ‘s’ at the end of ‘http’ in the URL, that means the site has an SSL which means it’s secure. LifeLock states, “You should also be sure that emails sent to you with promotional links don’t point back toward an altered link, often with one or two letters missing or changed. This could signal a phishing scam, designed to fool you into entering personal information, like your credit card number or your email and password, which may later be used in an attempt to compromise your identity.”

Set Spending Alerts

For debit and credit cards, you can usually set a limit on the card for when it needs to alert you to ‘spending past your set limit.’ If you get an email or text alerting you to extra purchases, that can be a quick way to find out your identity was stolen.

Check Your Statements

A lot of banks now offer e-statements, so you don’t even have to wait until the next month to see your expenses. Find out ways to check your statements this holiday season more frequently to be on the lookout for strange purchases.

Watch For Scams

There are so many scams during the holiday season – we can’t even name them all! Be very wary of fake charities, emails, links and so forth. Only give to trusted sources if you want to spread the holiday cheer and be extra cautious when reading emails and clicking links.

Keep Away From Skimmers

It’s easy to forget that even when you’re the one using the card, it’s still in danger. Skimmers tend to pop up more around the holidays, which are invisible to the untrained eye and download your credit card information to the computers of criminals. Then, criminals can steal your identity. Here’s an article on how to avoid skimmers.

Hopefully, these simple tips help you stay a little more cautious when doing your holiday shopping. Be on the lookout and extra aware this season, so you can keep your identity safe!

Peoples Bank & Trust Co.

Member FDIC

Equal Housing Lender

10 Steps to Keep Your Identity Secure

Cyber Security

It may seem like protecting your personal information is just one more thing to add to the to-do list, but being proactive now could save you a mountain of work later. At Peoples Bank & Trust, we believe your identity is the most precious thing you have. To help you keep it safe we offer the following steps to help you keep it as secure as possible.

 

  1. Check your credit score. By looking at your personal credit report each and every month, you can catch any potential errors as soon as they occur instead of months or years later.
  2. Never give out personal details. Phishing scams can come by phone or by email. Always be sure to use your designated contact at a company and never give out information to someone you don’t know.
  3. Use software like Lifelock for extra support. Lifelock and other similar companies offer a valuable safety net when it comes to your individual identity. Their services can help to supplement the efforts you complete on a monthly or annual basis.
  4. Keep all sensitive or personal information secure in a safety deposit box. Items such as birth certificates, social security cards, and other valuable documentation can be secured in one of our insured safety deposit boxes. At an affordable annual rate, you can be sure all of your documents are always locked and stored away.
  5. If you’re unsure about a phone call, always check its source. If you receive a call and are unsure of the intentions of the caller, we suggest checking the source of the call through White Page’s reverse number
  6. Be on the lookout for tempting clickbait. As you browse across the internet be wary of clickable links that share controversial titles on the side or bottom of the page. These can lead to spam sites which could harm your computer and/or your personal information.
  7. Remember not to click on attachments from senders you don’t know. When you’re viewing your email, be wary of senders you don’t recognize. If the sender doesn’t appear to be a person or brand you know, avoid clicking on any attached links as they may attempt to hack or spam your device.
  8. Use different passwords for different accounts. There are numerous great services like Last Pass which can help you maintain different passwords and usernames for each of your various accounts. This ensures that should one become compromised, hackers are unable to access any other information through like logins.
  9. Always use upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers when creating passwords. As you’re creating new passwords and accounts, remember to make your logins as secure as possible to avoid becoming an easy target for potential hackers.
  10. Steer clear of public wifi. While public wifi can sometimes be a blessing for the traveling business person, it can also pose a dangerous opportunity for nearby cyber criminals. Unless you gain the wifi password from an employee of the business, never assume signage or non-password protected portals are safe connections.

 

At Peoples Bank & Trust we hope you and your information stay safe. If you ever want to enhance your cyber security or identity theft protection, stop in and speak to one of our personal bankers. We offer services such as safety deposit boxes to help keep your important documents secure, and our team is always available to help if you find yourself facing fraudulent activity online.

The Top Cyber Scams of 2017

Cybersecurity

Each year new technology begins to emerge and make an impact on the way we shop, pay, and manage our money. As mobile becomes more relevant, and Americans begin to understand last year’s cybercrime tactics, hackers have already begun using a new bag of tricks and techniques. To help keep both you and your personal information secure, Peoples Bank & Trust wants to share an updated overview of this year’s most common cyber tactics and how to avoid their tempting lures:

 

  1. Smishing

Smishing is similar to the more commonly referred phishing tactics, however, in these instances, the initiatives are completed through SMS or text messaging. By incorporating a more personal element, hackers have become more dangerous, claiming to be not-too-distant relatives traveling abroad or in other circumstances of need. Sometimes the phone numbers they use may show up as unknown, and other times they may look like they belong to the relative they are claiming to be. To safeguard against this, we suggest always calling the contact you have for your family member to confirm the proposed narrative and ensure you aren’t being scammed in an attempted hoax.

 

  1. IRS Tax Scams

It’s that time of the year, and while many Americans may be waiting until April to file their taxes, countless cyber criminals are already filing fraudulent returns on their behalf. In order to best protect your refund from curious criminals, we recommend filing your federal tax return as soon as you receive all of your filing information from employers and other income sources. While there are many relevant software services to help you file, we always suggest working with a tax professional to ensure you can take advantage of every deduction and new tax regulation.

 

  1. Ransomware

In this scenario, cybercriminals enter your computer through a phishing email or other disguised Trojan horse. Through this charade, they are then able to take control of your computer and change passwords or access codes until a ransom is paid. After any ransom is paid, the victims of this crime hope to get their hardware reset to their original passwords, but unfortunately, there are no guarantees. This crime can be extremely difficult due to the fact that once someone has gained access to your device, most often there is no sure-fire way to know they have removed that access unless you purchase a new device or network. To best safeguard against this, we suggest screening all emails and links before opening to be certain they are coming from a credible source.

 

  1. False Merchandise

Year after year, online and mobile shopping continues to eclipse the traditional brick and mortar retail revenues. The 2016 holiday season only continued this trend, pushing mobile shopping to propel its largest growth compared to prior years. Unfortunately, these increasing online revenues typically come tied to additional cyber crimes as well. There are many instances where spam sites are created using a misspelled version of a common retailer, enticing users to purchase goods that may not truly exist. In these circumstances, we always recommend searching for the retailer on Google, as national retailers typically have organic or paid listing at the top of the search results.

Continue to learn new ways to protect your information online with our monthly cyber security blog! We’ll show you all the in’s and out’s of a safe network, and personal security.

 

Peoples Bank & Trust Co.

Member FDIC

Equal Housing Lender

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Security

Did you know unsecure Wi-Fi and passwords could leave your personal information vulnerable? This October be sure to double check your online security with these helpful tips courtesy of Peoples Bank & Trust!

  • Keep your personal and business computers safe by installing and monitoring an active malware and spyware program.
  • If your family all uses shared devices or Wi-Fi, set ground rules for appropriate online behavior. Show your children how to steer clear of weary links, and set-up parental locks to help keep them safe from known predatory sites.
  • For those accounts containing your most valuable information, be sure to change your password every month, using 13 or more characters, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Phrases work great for this! Instead of using I love puppies – you could try iL0vEPupp!Es as the password.
  • Monitor your Online Banking and credit card statements. If something seems out of the ordinary, chances are it probably is. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact your financial representative as soon as possible.
  • Keep all your important documents off the grid. Items such as birth certificates, social security cards, or home deeds need to be kept where no one but you can access them. You can store them at home in a fireproof vault, or keep them within one of our secure safety deposit boxes.

The annual cost of Cybercrime in the United States is rising. Currently over $100 Billion dollars, this an epidemic that creates issues for millions of Americans each and every year. Protect your family’s finances by taking a proactive approach to your cyber security today!

Our trusted team at Peoples Bank & Trust is here to help secure your personal information. If you’d like to learn more about how to can safeguard your identity and finances, head to our website!

Peoples Bank & Trust Co.

Member FDIC

Equal Housing Lender

What to do if You’ve Shopped at a Breached Store

Identity Theft

If you shop at national companies such as Home Depot, Target, or Ebay, you may have been the victim of a data breach in the past several years. With an increasing risk of customer data infiltration, many consumers have had to navigate the tricky route to re-establishing their finances. At Peoples Bank & Trust, we want show you the simple steps to help get you back on track once your personal information has been in jeopardy.

  1. Check the affected account.

Asses the damages, if any, to your credit or debit card. If any transactions aren’t in line with your spending, alert your bank or financial institution immediately to counteract any false usage. The sooner you communicate any false usage, the easier it is to get it removed.

 

  1. Cancel the card and request a replacement.

 Once a financial institution is made aware of a store breach they will typically alert any affected customers. However, to err on the side of safety, always call your bank or credit lender to ensure that you will be receiving a new card.

  1. Pull your credit report.

Once you have put out any fires on your affected credit or debit card, you can pull your full credit report to determine if any additional financial information was affected. Your credit report will reveal how many inquiries have been made, in addition to any outstanding payments that may be affecting your score. If something is not accurate with your report, contact each three credit bureau’s to report the fraud. Then file a police report, and call the designated creditors to alert them as well.

  1. Update recurring payments with new information.

Between utility bills, cell phone plans, and online subscriptions, there are plenty of accounts that will need your new card information. Once you receive your new credit or debit card be sure to update any recurring expenses.

accounts that will need your new card information. Once you receive your new credit or debit card be sure to update any recurring expenses.

  1. Continually monitor your accounts.

Keep tabs on your affected and non-affected accounts to be certain nothing else was tampered with during the breach. If you see something out of place, alert your bank or financial institution immediately.

No matter your financial state, Peoples Bank & Trust is here to help you succeed. If you want to learn how you can personally protect your personal finances, check out our blog!

What to do if Your Identity is Stolen

Stolen Identity

With fraud alerts, identity protection, and chip enabled cards, you’d think it would be near impossible for a stranger to swipe your personal information. Unfortunately it’s easier than you think! Other than preparing yourself with preventative measures there is no sure fire way to make sure your identity remains safe and secure. If you ever experience the unfortunate circumstance of having your personal information stolen, be sure to stick to these five actions when working to regain control of your personal information:

  1. Contact one of the three credit agencies (Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This will ensure that any unauthorized loan applications or fraudulent charges won’t affect your personal financial reputation.
  2. Call your bank and credit card companies to freeze your account and cancel your current cards. This puts your account of the defense, securing your funds, and not allowing any prior cards or pending transactions to go through.
  3. Change your password on your online banking. If they have your digital information it’s always best to reset the locks and keep your online account protected.
  4. Create an official Identity Theft Report through the Federal Trade Commission and your local police office. This document is comprised of an Identity Theft Affidavit and a standard police report.
  5. Dispute any charges you didn’t make with either your bank or credit agencies and don’t delay! By reporting these false charges you can help keep your finances safe and on track.

Navigating through the chaos of identity theft is a confusing process. Should you have questions, or need clarification, please call us at (636) 528-7001 and we’ll be happy to help!

Peoples Bank & Trust Co.

Equal Housing Lender

Member FDIC

Avoiding Fraud this Holiday Season

identity theft

Retailers cracked the $3 billion mark on Cyber Monday 2015, demonstrating that online shopping is alive and well this holiday season. As you plug private information into websites this month, take these precautions from Peoples Bank & Trust to avoid identity theft:

  • Make transactions privately: Public W-Fi networks are hotbeds of fraudulent activity just waiting to happen. Shared networks are at the hands of the service provider, who may not have firewalls and other safety measures up and running. Save your purchases for home or risk entering personal information into public domain.
  • Keep your ears open: Hackers know the holidays are prime time for theft, and it’s not uncommon for attacks on large databases from retailers and big companies. Pay attention to stores that have been breached through announcements via e-mails and news releases, and take action if information has been compromised by freezing your credit until the coast is clear.
  • Choose credit, not debit: Debit cards are direct gateways into your account, making short work for thieves who’ve gained access to your card. Opt for credit cards this month instead. They’ll leave a paper trail of purchases, and you can set a credit limit that’ll raise alarms if you go over. Plus, credit cards companies often provide full protection from charges made through fraud, helping make sure you don’t take a crisis level hit to your accounts.
  • Pick one card and stick with it: When possible, dedicate a single card to holiday spending. It’ll lessen the headache of tracking activity across multiple accounts and increase the reaction time to fraudulent activity. It’s also a clever move when you shop in stores, as it minimizes the risks should you misplace your wallet.
  • Make a list (of bills) & check it twice: As paperwork comes trickling in early January, pay attention to warning signs that something’s amiss. Bills that arrive later than normal, collection notices from products you never purchased, and being turned down for a loan unexpectedly are all clues pointing to identity fraud. If you keep a running list of purchases you make throughout the month, you’ll be able to more quickly spot charges that came from foreign sources.

Still a little wary of online activity? Check out more tips to protect your identity – and what to do if it’s stolen – from Peoples Bank & Trust.

 

Peoples Bank & Trust Co.

Equal Housing Lender

Member FDIC