Security Information – Identity theft
At Valley West Bank, our first priority is protecting your identity and personal information. Identity theft is a federal crime in which someone deliberately uses someone else’s identity as a method to gain financial advantages, or obtain credit and other benefits.
How to prevent identity theft
There are several things you can do to keep your personal information private and secure. Most importantly, be cautious any time you are being asked to provide your personal information, whether over the phone, through the mail, or online. Make sure you know who you are dealing with. With physical documents, use a shredder to destroy any personal documents that are no longer useful.
Please use passwords on your credit card, bank, and phone accounts. Avoid using easily obtainable information like your birth date, your Social Security number or your phone number.
Deposit your outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. If you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service to request a vacation hold.
With physical documents, tear or shred any documents that contain your personal information. To opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail.
When you go out, only carry the identification information and the credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need.
Place fraud alerts on your credit report with the three credit bureaus listed. Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from continuing to exploit your identity.
File a report with local law enforcement. When you file a report, try to
provide as much information as you can about the crime, including the date,
time, and place of the identity theft and the fraudulent accounts opened.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can file a complaint
online.
