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Prevent Fraud -
Report Fraud
- Common Fraud -
ATM Security -
Computer
Security Tips
Contact your banking center
If you notice inconsistencies in your Peoples Bank account,
contact your local Banking Center immediately.
If you believe you are a victim of identity theft that extends beyond your
Peoples Bank account(s), here are some steps you should consider taking:
Contact the major credit bureaus
The fraud departments of the three main
credit bureaus track the accounts opened in your name. You can request that
a short or long-term “fraud alert” be placed on your credit file, which
requires creditors to verify your identity before opening any new accounts
in your name or changing any existing accounts. You only need to contact one
bureau to do this and that bureau will notify the others.
Credit bureaus must provide victims of identity theft with a free copy of
their credit report. You should request one from each bureau, since the
information can differ. Look them over carefully to see if any fraudulent
accounts have been opened, and if so, notify the credit bureau and the
companies where accounts were opened to report the fraud directly. Once the
dispute has been resolved, the credit bureaus that you dealt with will send
you another copy of your credit report so you can review it again to make
sure that all fraudulent activity has stopped and your file has been
corrected.
For more information about the steps to take, and to get your credit
reports, contact the credit bureaus listed below:
Hearing impaired: Call
1-800-255-0056 and ask the operator to call the Auto Disclosure Line at
1-800-685-1111 to request a copy of your report.
Contact other creditors
Contact your other creditors including credit card
and phone companies, as well as banks and other lenders, to notify them of
potential fraud. Always follow up any telephone conversations with a letter.
Close any accounts that have been breached and reopen them with new account
numbers and passwords. We strongly suggest not using your Social Security
number as either a username or password.
File a report with the local police
Contact your local police department if
you suspect that your personal information was stolen. A police report will
lend weight to your case when dealing with creditors who may require proof
of criminal activity.
Report the criminal activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Call the
toll-free hotline at 1-877-ID THEFT (1-877-438-4338) to speak with a trained
identity theft counselor. Or enter information about your complaint into a
secure FTC online database at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/. Your information may
be shared with other law enforcement agencies investigating identity theft.
Contact other agencies as appropriate
 | Postal Inspection Service at
www.usps.com. If you believe your mail was
stolen or redirected, notify the Postal Inspector at your local post office. |
| Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. If you suspect someone is
using your Social Security number for fraudulent purposes, call the hotline. |
| Department of Motor Vehicles office at
www.dmv.org. If you believe someone
is trying to get a driver’s license or identification card using your name
and information, contact your local DMV. |
Carefully review all your accounts. Since identity theft takes time to
completely resolve, you should continue to carefully review all charges and
transactions appearing on account statements and online. Any discrepancies
should be reported immediately.
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