What to Know About Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information without your permission. There is only one YOU. Learn how to keep it that way.

Protect Yourself

Protect documents that contain personal information by keeping them in a safe and secure location. Anytime these documents are discarded, shred them or black out the information.
Your social security number is a very private piece of information. Know the situation and who you are communicating with before sharing. The Social Security Office will NOT contact you via phone.
The more complex the password, the more protected your information will be. Try to keep different passwords for different forums and don’t have it written where anyone can find it.
Monitor your credit report and use alerts when available to notify you of account activity.
Be sure to review bank account and credit card statements for fraudulent activity.
If fraud is detected, immediately contact the bank, credit card companies, and the credit bureaus to notify them of the situation and for further instructions.

Phishing- This is when a scammer sends an email or text message or a phone call pretending to be a company or individual in order to gain confidential information.
If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
Be sure any link you visit continues to be a part of that particular business’s webpage.
Text messages and emails that are from someone that you do not know and have a clickable link in the body, should be deleted immediately.
Remember, anything posted on social media is for the world to see. Think before you act and be sure there is no personal information that could be used to harm you.
Gift cards and google play cards that are demanded from someone on the phone because they “refunded you too much money” is a scam. Don’t fall for it.
If you ever suspect that you’re being scammed or feel unsure of anything regarding your personal financial information, please call us at the Bank of Holly Springs. In today’s world, it’s better to be safe than sorry. One phone call to us with a question could save hours of phone calls trying to regain your identity.