Protecting Your Identity

This year more than 750,000 Americans will be victims of identity theft, according to government and private sector estimates. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information to establish credit… purchase items… or borrow money in your name.

• Don't release your financial information such as checking account and credit card numbers, or your Social Security number, to anyone over the phone or email, unless you know the person or organization you're dealing with. Don't even release that information to someone claiming to be from your bank.
• Report lost or stolen check immediately. Review new deliveries of checks to make sure none have been stolen in transit.
• Notify your bank of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."
• Shred financial solicitations or financial statements before disposing of them.
• Deposit your mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box. Thieves may use your outgoing mail to steal your identity.
• If regular mail fails to reach you, call the company to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change of address notice to divert your mail to his or her address.
• If your bills include questionable item, investigate immediately. His is often the first sign of identity theft fraud.
• Contact major credit reporting companies to review your file and make certain the information is correct. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of your credit report at any time.

• Privacy Policies - We maintain rigorous information security programs and privacy policies to protect your personal and financial information. These policies are stringent and enforced, with employee training provided regularly. We treat your confidential information with the utmost care - whether online or in-person.
• Internal Confidentiality - Access to non-public information about you is limited to employees who need to know that information to provide products and services to you.
• Internet Protection - Before using any of our online services, you will select, or be assigned, your own personal password. It is important that you protect this information. Do not leave it in a place where it may be easily found, such as in a wallet or under a keyboard.
• Encrypted Security - Whenever you are online with EBSB, your transactions and personal information are secured by powerful encryption software that converts the information into a secure code.

• File a police report, and call the Federal Trade Commission
• Contact the Bank
• Notify any one of the three credit bureau's fraud units. A single call to any of the three bureaus can result in a "security alert" being placed at all of the bureaus and a free credit report from each organization.
• Establish a password for telephone inquiries on credit card accounts.
• Request a copy of your credit report (free to fraud victims), and consider reviewing bimonthly copies of your credit report until your case is resolved (available at a minimal cost to fraud victims).
• Report check theft to check verification companies.
• Check post office for unauthorized change of address requests