Identity Theft

Have you ever been a victim of identity theft and not known what to do or how to handle it? This information is provided as a means of consumer information. If you feel that you have been a victim of identity theft, contact your local Police Department immediately.

Protect Personal Information

Technology has brought us a lot of great things in the last 10 years such as smarter computers and faster ways of paying for goods and services. Unfortunately, criminals have become smarter, too. Criminals have figured out that it's easier to steal your identity and become you than robbing you at gunpoint. Protect yourself by protecting your personally identifying information such as:

• Bank account information
• Credit card numbers
• Driver license numbers
• PIN numbers
• Social Security numbers

Prevention Tips

These tips are just a few of many things you should consider:

• Never have your personal information such as a driver license number and date of birth pre-printed on your checks.
• Check your credit card statements frequently to make sure that all the charges on the statement are yours. If something does not look right, call your credit card company right away. Don't wait until tomorrow.
• Shred statements that have any account numbers on them or other identifying information.
• When you are at a restaurant and pay with a debit card or credit card, make sure to look at your receipt to see if the whole account number is on the receipt or just the last four digits. If the whole number is on there, scratch through all of the numbers except for the last four digits. Once the charge has been authorized, the business only needs the last 4 digits.