Identity Theft
What is it?
Identity theft is when someone uses another person's personal
information to commit fraud or other crimes. The crime can be committed
in person, over the telephone, Internet, or through the mail.
Identity theft usually occurs when someone obtains another person's
Social Security number, driver's license number, bank account number,
credit card numbers, online passwords, personal identification numbers
(PINs), date of birth and other personal information. With this data, a
criminal can access the victim's bank accounts and brokerage accounts,
open a new but fraudulent bank account and credit cards, make purchases
and obtain false loans. In addition to the financial loss, identity
theft can also damage the victim's credit record. The damage is often
expensive and time-consuming to correct. To help protect yourself
against identity theft, there are actions you can take.
Protect yourself online:
Delete any e-mail without opening it if you don't recognize the sender.
Never respond to e-mails, open attachments or click on links from
suspicious or unknown senders.
Be suspicious of any e-mail, pop-up window or link that asks for your
personal information, such as your Social Security number, account
numbers, personal identification number or any other personal
information or identification. TomatoBank,N.A. would never
ask you to provide or verify personal information in an e-mail or
pop-up window format.
Install anti-virus protection software and keep it current by using its
automatic update features.
Use a personal firewall. A personal firewall is a special program that
helps protect your computer and its contents from outsiders on the
Internet or a network. When installed properly, it prevents
unauthorized traffic to and from your computer.
Establish hard-to-decode passwords and change them frequently. Once
established, protect your passwords.
Avoid using automatic login features that save your user name and
password.
Never open any e-mail attachments, web links or files if you do not
know the source is completely trustworthy.
Never share your PIN or password.
Be on alert for "phishing" e-mails in which the sender attempts to get
you to reveal confidential information.
Protect Your Property:
Report all lost or stolen cards immediately. (For your TomatoBank, N.A.
Debit cards, call (626) 759-9200 during business hours and (800)
264-5578 during non-business hours).
Keep a separate record of your account numbers and important phone
numbers in a safe place so you can contact the credit card company or
financial institution quickly.
Review your account, debit and credit card statements and report any
suspicious charges promptly.
Review your receipts, bank account, debit and credit card statements
before disposing of them and report any suspicious charges, promptly.
Shred all of your receipts, bank and credit card statements before
disposing of them.
Protect Your Social Security Number:
Don't print your Social Security number or driver's license number on
your checks.
Keep your Social Security Card in a safe place instead of carrying it
with you in your wallet.
Don't give your Social Security number unless you know who is asking
for it and why they need it.
Protect your mail:
Promptly remove your mail from the mailbox.
Do not put outgoing mail in your mailbox the night before pickup.
Consider using TomatoBank's Online Bank and Online Bill pay to prevent
mail fraud and save you time and postage.
Pay attention to billing cycles and call if you do not receive an
expected bill in a timely manner. An identity thief may have taken the
bill from your mailbox to get the account number.
3 things to do if you suspect that you're a victim
of identity theft:
Call TomatoBank N.A. at (626) 759-9200 and any other financial
institution where you have an account that might be affected.
File a report of identity theft with your local police department. Keep
a copy of the report.
Contact one of the 3 major credit bureaus to report the incident. Ask
the credit bureau to put a "fraud alert" on your file. Once the credit
bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will
automatically be notified to put fraud alerts on their records. Credit
reports from all 3 bureaus will be sent to you free of charge. Review
your credit reports and notify the bureaus about anything that looks
suspicious.
Regularly review your credit report from all three major credit bureaus
to make sure that new credit card or other accounts have not been
opened in your name. Credit bureau contact information is listed below.
CREDIT BUREAUS
Equifax - www.equifax.com
To order a report, call: (800) 685-1111
To report fraud, call: (800) 525-6285
TDD (800) 255-0056 and write:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian - www.experian.com
To order a report, call: (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
To report fraud, call: (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
TDD (800) 972-0322 and write:
P.O. Box 9532, Allen TX 75013
TransUnion - www.transunion.com
To order a report, call: (800) 888-4213
To report fraud, call: (800) 680-7289
TDD (877) 553-7803; fax: (714) 447-6034; or write:
Fraud Victim Assistance Department,
P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634-6790
Also contact:
Social Security Administration - www.ssa.gov/oig
SSA Fraud Hotline (800) 269-0271
For additional valuable information about identity theft, visit www.idtheft.gov
or call the Federal Trade Commission's toll-free ID Theft Hotline at
(877) IDTHEFT.
Also view the video, "Don't
Be an On-line Victim: How to Guard Against Internet Thieves and
Electronic Scams".
