Customer Identity Theft Awareness Program

 

Each year, millions of Americans have their identity stolen. Ossian State Bank wants you to have the information you need to protect yourself against identity theft.

We will never initiate a telephone call or letter to request sensitive information from you (such as, social security number, personal login ID, password, PIN or account number) nor ask you to verify account information via email.

We strongly suggest that you do not share your personal login ID, password, PIN or account number with anyone, under any circumstance.

If you receive an email that requests this type of action, you should be suspicious of it and contact us immediately at (260) 622-4141. We also suggest you report suspicious emails or calls to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT or through the Internet at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
How do I protect my identity?

To protect your identity, do the following:

·         Report lost or stolen checks or credit cards immediately.

  • Sign the back side of all credit or debit cards as soon as you receive them in the mail – before someone else does or write with a black marker on the back: Always Check ID.
  • Close all credit card accounts that you are not using. Identity thieves are looking for dormant accounts.
  • Shred all documents containing personal information, like bank statements, unused checks, deposit slips, credit card statements, pay stubs, medical billings, and invoices.

·         Don't put your trash out until shortly before it will be picked up.

  • Pay bills online or mail bill payments and other items that contain personal information at a U.S. Postal Service drop box rather than in your curb side mailbox. Don't put any mail in your curb side mailbox until shortly before it will be picked up daily.
  • Take your mail out of your curb side mailbox as soon as possible after it has been delivered. If you are traveling, have the U.S. Postal Service hold your mail or have someone you trust pick it up daily.
  • Limit the information on your checks (for example, don't include driver's license number, social security number, or telephone number), and don't carry around any more credit or debit cards than you will be using.
  • Do not give out your Social Security Number without checking if the company definitely needs that information.
  • Ask about information security practices at your workplace, businesses, doctor’s offices and find out who has access to your information, if it is shared with anyone else, and disposal procedures.
  • Don't give any of your personal information in person, over the telephone, or over the Internet to anyone – unless you instigated the call or the communication and have a very good reason to trust them. If someone contacts you for personal or account information, call the company back with a number found in the phone book or on an invoice to make sure that you are talking to the correct person. You can not trust caller ID because identity thieves can spoof telephone numbers. Do not allow yourself to be pressured into giving out personal or credit card information because you are told if you do not respond at that time the offer will expire (this is usually a scam).
  • Don't give any of your personal information to any web sites that do not use encryption or other secure methods to protect it. A secure website will have either a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for secure). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some fraudulent sites have forged security icons. Look for website privacy policies and read them before giving out personal identifying information.
  • Do not follow links in email or cut and paste a link from email to get to a website, type in the URL that you know is correct.
  • Do not open files sent to you by strangers, click on hyperlinks, or download programs from people or companies you don’t know. Be cautious about using file-sharing programs. Opening a file could expose your PC to a computer virus or spyware, which could capture your passwords or any other information as you type it.
  • Never email personal identifying information.
  • Use a firewall if you have a high-speed Internet connection. This software can be purchased on-line or from most software retailers.
  • Update the virus protection software and install patches on your PC regularly. Setting your PC for automatic updates is preferable.
  • Before disposing of a computer, delete all personal information stored and use a “wipe” utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
  • Do not store personal or financial information on a laptop unless absolutely necessary.
  • Don't use PINs or other passwords that are easy to guess (for example, don't use birth dates or spouse, child, pet or mothers’ maiden names). A strong password should be at least eight characters long using at least one of each: upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Never use words that are in the dictionary as part of your password. Regularly change your passwords. Also, create a username that is unique and difficult for others to guess. Do not use the same user ID and password for more that one account. Never share your password with anyone.
  • Do not use an automatic log-in feature on your computer.
  • Examine your credit card and financial institution statement immediately upon receipt to determine any unauthorized transactions. Report any that you find immediately to the financial institution.
  • Make a prompt inquiry if bills or statements are not received in a timely fashion-this could mean that they are being diverted by an identity thief.
  • Check your credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the three national credit reporting companies to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months. It would be a good practice to order your credit report from one credit reporting company every four months instead of all three once a year. To order your free annual report from one or all of the national credit bureaus, visit www.annualcreditreport.com/, call toll free at 1-877-322-8228 or visit http://ftc.gov/credit to print and complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348. Do not contact the three nationwide credit bureaus directly; they provide free annual credit reports only through the Annual Credit Report Request Service.
  • Opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail that are based on your credit report, call: 1-888-5OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).The nationwide consumer reporting companies use the same toll-free number to let you opt out of receiving credit offers based on their lists. Note: You will be asked to provide your SSN which the consumer reporting companies need to match you with your file.
  • Add your name to the National and Indiana Do Not Call Lists.

What do I do if I suspect I'm a victim of fraud or my identity has been stolen?
Visit http://www.ossianstatebank.com/information_security.htm and choose Customer Identity Theft Awareness Program to read the complete document, or come to Ossian State Bank and request a copy.

Additional Helpful Information

Check these resources for more information on identity theft and what to do if you're a victim:

·         The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – http://ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ 

·         United States Department of Justice – www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html

·         U.S Secret Service – www.secretservice.gov

·         U.S. Postal Inspection Service – https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/  

·         ABA Education Foundation – www.aba.com/default.htm

 

Equifax
P O Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30349-5069
www.equifax.com
To order a report: (800) 685-1111
To report fraud: (800) 525-6285

Opt out of credit and marketing lists: (888) 567-8688

Experian
P O Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013-0949
www.experian.com
To order a report: (888) 397-3742
To report fraud: (888) 397-3742

 Opt out of credit and marketing lists: (888) 397-3742

Trans Union
P O Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
www.transunion.com
To order a report: (800) 916-8800
To report fraud: (800) 680-7289

Opt out of credit and marketing lists: (888) 567-8688