Simple Steps to Safeguard Your Identity

Up to 500,000 individuals are victims each year of identity theft, a fast-growing form of fraud.

At Bogota Savings Bank, we put a combination of safeguards in place to protect customers, including employee training, strict security standards, data encryption and fraud detection. You can take these steps to avoid becoming a victim:

• Don't give your Social Security or account numbers to anyone over the phone    unless you initiated the call.

• Tear up receipts, old bank statements and unused credit card offers before           throwing them away. Crooks could steal information from your trash and use it to get credit in your name.

• Review your bank and credit card statements as soon as you receive them to       check for unauthorized transactions.

• Protect your PINS and computer passwords; use a combination of letters and      numbers and change them often. Never carry this information with you!

• Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy. Call any of the  three national credit reporting agencies: Trans Union (800) 680-7289, Experian  (888) 397-3742 and Equifax (800) 525-6285.

• Report any suspected fraud to your bank and credit card issuers immediately so  they can start to close accounts and clear your name right away. You may also      contact the FTC's ID Theft Consumer Response Center toll-free at (877) IDTHEFT.

By law you are only liable for the first $50 of unauthorized charges against a credit card account. Still, restoring your identity can be a tremendous inconvenience. It's worth your while to exercise a little preventive maintenance. Protect yourself against this terrible crime.