American National Bank wants you to have the information necessary to protect yourself against identity theft.

How do they get my personal information?

• Lost or stolen items including stealing your mail
• Watching as you enter your PIN
• Looking through trash for discarded personal information
• Phishing-the use of emails or pop-ups to deceive you into giving out information
• Calling and pretending they are from a legitimate company
• Stealing your credit or debit card information using a data storage device on the terminal or ATM

How do I keep my identity safe?

• Never give out financial information such as checking and credit card numbers or your social security number unless you KNOW the person or organization.
• When giving out information over the phone, it is safest when you initiate the call.
• Report lost or stolen checks or bank cards immediately.
• Notify your bank of suspicious phone inquiries - especially if you are asked for any personal account information.
• Closely guard your ATM personal identification number and receipts.
• Shred financial solicitations and statements before disposing of them.
• Put outgoing mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box.
• If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why.
• Get your free annual credit report to check for fraudulent activity. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

What should I do if I suspect my identity has been stolen?

The following steps are recommended by the Federal Trade Commission:

• Put a fraud alert on your credit file by contacting any one of the three major credit bureaus:

  Equifax	1-888-766-0008
  Experian	1-888-397-3742
  TransUnion	1-800-680-7289

• Close the accounts you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
• File a police report.
• File a complaint with the FTC. The commission maintains an ID theft database that helps law enforcement initiate and build identity theft cases. A complaint form can be filled out online at: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Our staff is ready to help reduce your exposure to identity theft and fraud. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 308-254-5536