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Identity Theft Prevention

identity theft protetion

Identity Theft is a serious crime. It occurs when someone takes your personal information without your knowledge and uses it to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity Theft can damage your credit and cost you. Recent statistics from the US Government suggest that you can expect it to cost on average $1,200 and take around 600 hours to repair your credit.

Click here to learn about ID TheftSmart™, our ID theft restoration and credit monitoring program.

    • How Do I Protect my Identity?

    • Thieves are always designing new ways to steal personal information. The following precautions can you help keep your identity secure.

      Monitor Your Records

      • Review financial statements and report unauthorized transactions promptly.
      • Know your billing cycles. Contact your financial institution if your statement is ever late.
      • Obtain your FREE credit report at least annually:

      www.annualcreditreport.com is the only official site to offer the report with no strings attached.

      Review your credit report for unknown accounts or late payments.

      Dispute any inaccurate information.

      Protect Your Information at Home

      • Keep personal information, such as financial or medical records, secure and organized. Consider using a locking file cabinet. Use an organization system that will let you detect missing documents.
      • Destroy sensitive materials before throwing it in the trash. Some thieves are willing to dig through dumpsters for identity information. Consider purchasing a personal shredder. In addition to personal documents, make sure unwanted credit mailings, old credit cards, and checkbooks are also destroyed.
      • Ignore unsolicited phone calls asking for personal information. Legitimate businesses will not call you to verify personal information. Scammers often impersonate businesses or fabricate other believable stories to get information from individuals. If the call claims to be a business you work with, end the call and call the business at a verified number. Do not trust “Caller ID” information.
      • To reduce unwanted telemarketing phone calls, register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or 888-382-1222.

      Protect Your Mail

      • Empty your mailbox promptly. Don’t leave mail available for thieves overnight or while you’re away.
      • Opt out from unwanted “pre-approved” credit offers at www.optoutprescreen.com or 1-888-567-8688. Thieves could steal these offers and accept the cards on your behalf.
      • Opt out from unwanted credit card checks. Contact your credit card company for more information.
      • If you regularly receive sensitive mail, consider opening a PO Box.

      Protect Your Information When Traveling

      • Keep your wallet thin. Only take information and credit cards you will need for the trip.
      • Don’t take your checkbook, since thieves can easily use check information for other fraudulent purposes. Use cash where possible. Only use credit or debit cards at trustworthy businesses, as cards can easily be copied for fraudulent use.
      • Keep sensitive personal items (such as travel documents, credit cards, and prescription medications) secure. Consider using the hotel safe.
      • Keep separate photocopies of important identification and travel documents, in case the originals are lost or stolen.

      Protect Your Wallet

      • Don’t carry your Social Security card. Only carry it when absolutely necessary.
      • Don’t carry passwords or PINs.
      • Sign the back of debit and credit cards. Unsigned cards may be easier for thieves to use.
      • Keep a separate record of items in your wallet, along with contact information for any card issuers. This will remind you who to contact if your wallet is ever stolen.

      Protect Your Computer

      • Ignore unsolicited emails asking for personal information. Legitimate businesses will not email you to verify personal information. Scammers often impersonate businesses or fabricate other believable stories to get information from individuals. If the email claims to be from business you work with, call the business at a verified number.
      • Be cautious when clicking links or opening attachments received in email. Scammers often disguise viruses in email attachments.
      • Use strong passwords, but do not use one password for every site.
      • Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date.
      • Use online banking to monitor your accounts.

      ID TheftSmart™ from First National Bank

      First National Bank and Kroll Fraud Solutions, the leading provider of identity theft and fraud investigation services, have partnered together to introduce ID TheftSmart™ service to you. If you are ever a victim of identity theft, it can be a very time consuming and overwhelming process to repair the damage done.

      As a victim, you expect real solutions to help you restore confidence and your reputation. ID TheftSmart™ offers two solutions, ID Restoration and Credit Monitoring. Ask for more details at First National Bank, 515-232-5561 or online at www.FNB247.com.

      Other Resources:

      Federal Trade Commission: 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

      Three Major Credit Bureaus:

      Equifax

      • www.equifax.com
      • 800-525-6285

      Experian

      • www.experian.com
      • 888-397-3742

      TransUnion

    • What is Enhanced Login Security?

    • In our quest to protect our customers, First National Bank has extra security on Online Banking. We have added levels of security above and beyond the firewalls, encryption, and password protection. With Enhanced Login Security, you can have security questions that only you know the answer to every time you login. That means that not only is your information protected with a password, your computer is recognized as well.

    • What if Identity Theft happens to me?

    • Unfortunately, Identity Theft can strike any of us. If you have been a victim of Identity Theft, here are some steps you can take to minimize the impact:

      1. Contact your financial institution(s) about the situation and close any accounts that have been affected or that have been opened fraudulently
      2. Contact the three major credit bureaus, review reports for any other signs of Identity Theft and place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit reports
        • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
        • Experian: 1-888-397-3742
        • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
      3. File a police report
      4. Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission
        • www.ftc.gov/idtheft
        • 1-877-438-4338 or TTY 1-866-653-4261
        • Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580
      5. Document the entire process

    • What should I do if my Debit Card is lost or stolen or if I notice fraudulent account activity?

    • Please call First National Bank Customer Service at 515-232-5561.

      Dispute a Transaction or Report Suspected Fraud on your Account

      1. Please click here to complete the form to begin your fraudulent transaction dispute or call us at 515-232-5561.

    • Why should I choose online statement versus paper statements?

      • Receiving Online Statements eliminates the risk of identify theft or fraud as a result of stolen mail.
      • Online statements provide all the same informational as paper statements.
      • You can view and print statements from your online banking account.
      • The service is free.
      • It's environmentally friendly. 

    • What are the most recent scams and how can I protect myself?

    • Click here to learn about identity theft protections, and how to protect yourself from the latest scams. 


Additional Resources:

ID Theft Tips
Federal Trade Commission
Free Annual Credit Report
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