Successfully Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft – Part Six

Thank you for following our series, “Successfully Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft”. For the past five weeks, you have been introduced to numerous facts surrounding the highly prevalent crime, ID theft. You have learned what identity theft is, how your identity is illegally obtained, and numerous measures to protect yourself from this devastating crime. Somerville National Bank believes that it is imperative that you are properly equipped with the knowledge that will protect you from potential criminals that wish to wreak havoc on your life. This week, you will learn how to maintain the highest level of security when it comes to protecting your personal identifiable information. Simply adhere to the following:

• You should never carry the Social Security card that you have obtained from the government on your person. This card should remain in a private and highly safe location at home or in a safe deposit box at your bank.
• When keeping important documentation and policies in your home, you should place them inside of a fire-proof safe that is well-hidden from potential criminals.
• If you carry a wallet, place it in the front pocket of your pants. If you carry a purse, never allow it to dangle. Instead, keep it close against the body.
• You should never write down or keep passwords on your person.
• If you are giving away, selling, or throwing away a computer, a smartphone, or another device that contains personal information, you should destroy the hard drive of the unit or the area where information is stored. Erasing the hard drive is not enough; you must physically remove the hard drive completely from the device.
• You should never provide any type of personal information over the phone or over the World Wide Web; that is, unless you have verified the individual and/or business that you are speaking with or conducting business with.
• You should never provide your personal information in order to obtain a “prize” of any type. If an offer is made to provide you with a prize, inform the giver that the offer should be placed in a written document and mailed to you so that you may examine it and/or validate it.

Somerville National Bank believes in providing you with the highest level of customer service and a wide range of financial products. Not only do we care about your finances, but, we care about your safety. We will never ask for your passwords or your personal financial information over the phone. We will strive to protect you – at all costs. If you have an interest in learning more about protecting yourself from identity theft, call us today at: 513-726-6471