SECURITY SHIELD

• Identity Theft, the fastest rising crime in the country
• Here is our Three Step Security Shield Approach
• If you think your Identity has been stolen, here's what you should do now
• Identity Theft Protection Action Plan
• For more information on Identity Theft
• Link to FDIC presentation: "Don't be an online victim"
• Latest Security Alerts

Identity theft is the fastest rising crime in the country.

Using a variety of methods, criminals steal your identity by using your Social Security number, driver’s license numbers, credit card numbers, ATM cards, telephone calling cards, and other pieces of your identity. They use this information to impersonate you, spending as much money as they can in as short a time as possible before moving on to someone else’s name and identifying information.

Here is our Three Step Security Shield Approach:

• Step 1. Protection - Place the elective password and ID protection on your checking and saving accounts adding two important layers of security to your Coulee Bank accounts.
• Step 2. Prevention - Advanced technology and hometown service shielding your Coulee Bank’s credit and debit cards. If your Coulee Bank cards are ever stolen, Coulee Bank’s Identity Theft Officer will be able to assist you. Dealing with national credit card companies over the phone is one of the biggest headaches in repairing your credit.
• Step 3. Education - Implement our 10-step identity theft action plan to help protect yourself. What you will learn will dramatically reduce your risk of identity theft.

For more information, contact the Coulee Bank’s Identity Theft Officer at 608-784-9550 or e-mail Kim Metcalf for our “When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name” brochure.

Click here to download our Security Shield Brochure

Protecting you from identity theft!

If you think your identity has been stolen, here’s what you should do now:

Control the damage. Be persistent and follow up any conversation with a written letter.

• Step 1. For all of your Coulee Bank accounts, immediately call our Identity Theft Officer at 608-784-9550 and to hold or close the needed accounts until the damage can be assessed.
• Step 2. The Identity Theft Officer will advise you on how to contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing account.
• Step 3. File a report with your local police department. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
• Step 4. File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Call them at 1-877-FTCHELP or www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Our Identity Theft Officer will also be able to help minimize additional damage by providing more information and resources to help you deal with more sophisticated forms of identity theft and fraud.

Security Shield Protection is Coulee Bank’s commitment to help you safeguard all of your checking, savings and credit card accounts by keeping you on the leading edge of identity theft technology and prevention.

Identity Theft Protection Action Plan

By being vigilant in all of your financial matters, you are the first line of defense in reducing your chances of becoming a victim.

1. Take advantage of Security Shield Protection from Coulee Bank to protect all of your checking, savings, investment, debit and credit card accounts and sign-up for our Security Shield update and fraud report to stay on top of current threats.
2. Complete the Security Shield checklist that lists all of your credit cards, bank accounts, and investments with the account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place so you can quickly contact these companies in case your credit cards have been stolen or accounts are being used fraudulently.
3. Close all unused credit card or bank accounts.
4. Order and closely review biannual copies of your credit report from each of the national credit reporting agencies.
5. Only release your personal data to agencies that require it for action that you have initiated. Never give this information to unsolicited telephone callers or over the Internet.
6. Remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved credit lines.
7. Remove your name from marketers’ unsolicited mailing lists.
8. Don’t put sensitive information in your mailbox. If you must mail it, consider dropping it off directly at the post office or consider switching to Coulee Bank’s Bill Pay to submit and manage your bills.
9. Ensure that your PIN numbers cannot be observed by anyone while you’re utilizing an ATM or public telephone.
10. Shred documents containing personal information before discarding.

Don’t be a victim of identity theft

• More than 10 million people will be victims of identity theft in the next year
• 27.3 million people have been victims in the last five years

Protect your Credit Cards

• 67% of identity theft victims reported that existing credit card accounts were misused
• 19% reported that checking or savings accounts were misused
• 4% reported stolen mail was the source of information for identity theft
• On average, 49% of victims did not know how their information was obtained

Privacy Basics and Opt-Out Strategies

Reduce Unwanted Telemarketing Phone Calls

• Register with National Do Not Call Registry: (888) 382-1222 or www.donotcall.gov
• If called by a company that you do business with, ask to be placed on its internal “Do Not Call List”.

Opt-Out of Pre-Approved Unsolicited Credit Card Offers

• Call (888) 5-OPT-OUT / (888) 567-8688 or opt-out online at www.optoutprescreen.com.
• You can choose to opt-out of credit offers for 5 years, through the website. Or you can opt-out permanently by mailing the Permanent Opt-Out form, available on the website.

Receive Your Three Credit Reports Free Once a Year

• There are 3 credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Under federal law you can obtain a free credit report from each one annually. To order your free reports, go to www.annualcreditreport.com where you can order your reports directly or download the Annual Credit Report Request form to mail in your request. You can also call (877) 322-8228. For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission's Facts for Consumers.
• Tip: To monitor your credit reports year round, get one report every four months.

Restrict Access to Your Credit Report

• You have the right to freeze access to your credit reports in all 50 states. This is an effective way to reduce your risk of identity theft. To learn more, click here. For additional tips and information visit Privacy Basics.

Source: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

For more information on identity theft

Coulee Bank Identity Theft Officer - Kim Metcalf
Phone 608-784-9550
e-mail: kmetcalf@couleebank.net

Federal Trade Commission
Phone: (877) IDTHEFT (877-438-4338)
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

U.S. Dept. Of Justice
www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Phone: (619) 298-3396
www.privacyrights.org

Latest Security Alerts