Learn How to Protect Your Identity and Finances
ATM Security
We have great information that can help you protect yourself from identity theft and other fraud.
Fraud Protection for Business Accounts
Concerned about fraud? According to the 2023 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey, 65% of companies experienced attempted or actual payments fraud. Union Bank & Trust is committed to offering convenient management solutions to our customers. We offer services to ensure that your account is protected against unauthorized presentments, such as:
- For Checks: Our Positive Pay service will match each item presented for payment against a list of items with the date, amount and check number provided by you. You will receive notification of items that do not match any of the criteria so you can make an informed pay or no pay decision.
- For Electronic Presentments: ACH Alert triggers a notification when an ACH debit is received for payment against your account, enabling you to detect fraudulent entries immediately and return them instantly. You can also populate an “approved list” for authorized vendors so future debits do not trigger a notification.
How to Protect Your Information
- Read your credit reports. You have a right to a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Order all three reports at once, or order one report every four months. To order, go to annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
- Read your bank, credit card, and account statements, and the explanation of medical benefits from your health plan. If a statement has mistakes or doesn’t arrive on time, contact the business.
- Shred all documents that show personal, financial, and medical information before you throw them away.
- Don’t respond to email, text, and phone messages that ask for personal information. Legitimate companies don’t ask for information this way. Delete the messages.
- Create passwords that mix letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t use the same password for more than one account.
- If you shop or bank online, use websites that protect your financial information with encryption. An encrypted site has “https” at the beginning of the web address; “s” is for secure.
- If you use a public wireless network, don’t send information to any website that isn’t fully encrypted.
- Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall on your computer.
- Set your computer’s operating system, web browser, and security system to update automatically.
Identity Theft Tips
Identity theft is a serious crime. It can disrupt your finances, credit history, and reputation, and take time, money, and patience to resolve. Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission.
Identity thieves might:
- Go through trash cans and dumpsters, stealing bills and documents that have sensitive information.
- Work for businesses, medical offices, or government agencies, and steal personal information on the job.
- Misuse the name of a legitimate business, and call or send emails that trick you into revealing personal information.
- Pretend to offer a job, loan, or an apartment, and ask you to send personal information to “qualify.”
- Steal your wallet, purse, backpack, or mail, and remove your credit cards, driver’s license, passport, health insurance card, and other items that show personal information.
Here’s What to Do if Your Identity Is Stolen
1. Flag Your Credit Reports
Call one of the nationwide credit reporting companies and ask for a fraud alert to be placed on your credit report. The company you call must contact the other two so they can put fraud alerts on your files. An initial fraud alert is good for 90 days.
- Equifax: 1‑800‑525‑6285
- Experian: 1‑888‑397‑3742
- TransUnion: 1‑800‑680‑7289
2. Order Your Credit Reports
Each company’s credit report about you is slightly different, so order a report from each company. When you order, you must answer some questions to prove your identity. Read your reports carefully to see if the information is correct. If you see mistakes or signs of fraud, contact the credit reporting company.
3. Create an Identity Theft Report
An identity theft report can help you get fraudulent information removed from your credit report, stop a company from collecting debts caused by identity theft, and get information about accounts a thief opened in your name. To create an identity theft report:
- File a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint or 1-877-438-4338; TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Your completed complaint is called an FTC Affidavit.
- Take your FTC Affidavit to your local police department, or to the police where the theft occurred, and file a police report. Get a copy of the police report.
These two documents comprise an identity theft report.
Online Security
Create Strong Passwords
One option is taking a sentence that represents something in your life and turning it into a password, for example:
- My anniversary is on September 12 (Maio0912 or MaioS12 or Ma!oS12)
This would satisfy an alpha-numeric, and/or special character password requirement. Another option is to create a strong password that would be easily remembered by only you.
Keep These Tips In Mind
- Do not use security questions with answers available on social networking sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), for example, the name of your high school or the name of your dog.
- Delete any/all unknown emails. Do not open an email if you don’t know who it is coming from.
- Avoid using unsecured wireless (Wi-Fi) for any online activity that requires a password, including online banking.
- Ensure that you have an anti-virus software installed on your computer with scheduled updates and scans.
- Do not have passwords stored within close proximity of your computer.
- Change passwords frequently and do not share your password.
Red Flags of Identity Theft
- Mistakes on your bank, credit card, or other account statements
- Mistakes in the explanation of medical benefits from your health plan
- Your regular bills and account statements don’t arrive on time
- Bills or collection notices for products or services you never received
- Calls from debt collectors about debts that don’t belong to you
- A notice from the IRS that someone used your Social Security number
- Mail, email, or calls about accounts or jobs in your minor child’s name
- Unwarranted collection notices on your credit report
- Businesses turn down your checks
- You are turned down unexpectedly for a loan or job