![]() ![]() Immediately report any discrepancies to the financial institution.Ĭheck these resources for more information: Send your documents by certified mail with return receipt requested.Ĭontinue to review all charges and transactions appearing on your account statements and online account activity. If you'e mailing documents to the companies, be sure to keep the originals and send copies. The procedures for handling fraud activity will vary by company. You will want to have the accounts closed and ensure that they have alerted the appropriate departments, such as their fraud prevention department. Your credit report profile will have the names of the companies. If you suspect fraudulent accounts have been opened using your identity, contact the companies where the accounts were opened. Ask the company to send you an official notification of fraud account activity and discharge of the unauthorized transactions/debt in writing. Discuss your options with them, so that you can make an informed decision. The procedures for handling unauthorized charges will vary by company. If you suspect unauthorized charges, contact the company where the charges were made. TransUnion: 1-80 or Contact the company.Review it to make sure that all fraudulent activity has stopped and your file has been corrected. ![]() Once the dispute has been resolved, the credit reporting agencies will send you another copy of your credit report. If you suspect a fraudulent account has been opened using your identity, contact the credit reporting agencies immediately and have a Fraud Alert placed on your profile. This 90-day alert provides extra security should anyone try to open an account using your identity. If you suspect identity theft, contact the credit reporting agencies immediately and have a Fraud Alert placed on your profile. Contact your state's Attorney General's office to see if an Identity Theft police report is required. Give a copy of the FTC theft complaint to law enforcement when you file a report. Or visit, File a police reportĬontact your local law enforcement agency to file a report involving identity theft. If you suspect identity theft, call the FTC at 1-87 to speak with an identity theft counselor. You can report any suspicious Bank of the West communications to us at identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Delete any unsolicited emails with attachments and links immediately. Run antivirus software regularly to identify and remove viruses from your computer.ĭo not open any attachments or go to any links from a source that you don't know. Make sure that you have antivirus software installed and update it regularly. If you don't a have a firewall installed, you can purchase one. If you do have a firewall, make sure that it is turned on. Firewalls are designed to block unsolicited attempts to access your system. Make sure that your computer has a firewall installed. View your internet networking sites and profiles to ensure you're not inadvertently giving out information that can be used to steal your identity. Take a look at what kind of information about you is available on the internet. Know the policies of the various institutions you do business with so that if you are faced with this type of scheme, you are prepared to protect yourself. Understand that a criminal may use the name of someone you trust to get your information, so you cannot rely on name alone to make a judgment. View Internet scams for more information on avoiding email phishing attempts. If you use Online Banking, send a secure message through the Message Center function of your Online Banking service. Report any suspicious email purporting to be from Bank of the West by forwarding it to: Do not include account or sensitive information in emails.Look for spelling and grammatical errors as these are often an indication of fraudulent emails or websites.Do not respond to unexpected text messages or automated voice messages.Personal information includes but is not limited to name, address, phone number, email address, Social Security Number, and/or financial information such as account numbers, etc. Do not respond to any communication asking for confirmation of personal information. Criminals may send you attachments or links that will lead you to spoofed sites or cause you to inadvertently download malicious software to your computer.Don't open attachments, click on links, or respond to emails from suspicious or unknown senders.The "s" indicates "secured" and means the web page uses encryption. Look for "secure transaction" symbols such as the lock symbol (see the lower right-hand corner of your web browser window or on the toolbar), or " in the address bar of the website. Just browsing to a malicious website could infect your device with malicious software make sure the website is secure. ![]()
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