As a means of protecting our Amegy Bank cardholders, we closely monitor any suspicious activity on your Visa debit cards. We will contact any customer that has been affected by any unauthorized access and will take appropriate action to protect your account. We would like to remind you that your consumer debit card relationships are protected in full by Visa's Zero Liability Policy. You will not be held liable for any fraudulent activity or charges on your consumer Visa debit card(s). If you think there has been any fraudulent activity on your account, please call the number on the back of your card immediately. Identity Theft and Check Fraud Prevention Tips
Understanding how it can happen…learning how to protect yourself.
The fastest growing financial crimes in America today are identity theft and check fraud. Identity theft, check fraud and business fraud are not crimes that happen to other people or businesses--they affect us all. There are endless opportunities for a criminal to obtain the necessary information to commit identify theft and check fraud thus underscoring the importance of taking a proactive role in protecting yourself and your business from financial crimes. The Wall Street Journal reported that nearly 700,000 Americans have been victims of identify theft totaling about $5 billion. On average, it costs an identity theft victim $1,173 and 175 man-hours to get their credit report straightened out. This crime also affects a second set of victims: the business community.The Nilson Report estimates check fraud losses to be about $20 billion a year. Studies on the cost of identity theft vary. Recently one study reported that identity theft cost U.S. businesses and consumers $56.6 billion. Almost all studies agree that Texas is among the top five states in terms of victims. To keep our valued customers protected from these types of crime, Amegy Bank of Texas has provided the following tips to help you protect your information and assets from criminals.
Take control of your company's financial information. There are tools to help you do this. Positive Pay is a unique feature we offer through our Internet-enabled NetST@Rsm group of products. Positive Pay assists in protecting against check fraud by giving you early warning of check irregularities such as encoding errors and multiple postings. Other benefits include interactive, real-time transaction information, continuous updates throughout the day of your issued check information, and local, dedicated personnel to coordinate complex processing situations.
Conduct thorough background checks on all potential employees - The key to committing fraud is the ability to deceive. Make sure you confirm information on job candidates before making a job offer. Recently, the CFO of a Houston-based company stole $50,000 from his company. Unfortunately, he had a criminal record that could have been accessed before hiring him had the proper steps been taken. A thorough background check should be a critical component to your hiring process for every position in your organization.
Get to know the people you do business with - Visit customers at their place of business. Fraudulent companies often use short-term, low-rent space to conduct business. Also be aware of one-time purchases of large amounts of equipment or services, companies with mystery affiliates or companies that require up-front payments for goods or services.
Take precautionary measures to protect your company's mail - Many banks offer Internet-delivered e-Statements that allow you to keep your account information from sitting in a mailbox waiting to be stolen, altered and then cashed. Also, shred any mail that contains sensitive information.
Remove your name from the marketing lists of the three credit reporting bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. This will limit the number of pre-approved offers of credit that you receive. Any pre-approvals you do receive that are tossed into the garbage without being shredded are a potential target of identity thieves who use them to order credit cards in your name.
Sign up for the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service. Your name will be included on computerized name deletion lists used by nationwide marketers.
Have your name and address removed from the phone book and reverse directories.
Never give out credit card or personal information over the phone unless you have a trusted business relationship with the company and you have initiated the call. Identity thieves have been known to call their victims with a fake story that goes something like this. "Today is your lucky day! You have been chosen by the Publishers Consolidated Sweepstakes to receive a free trip to the Bahamas. All we need is your credit card number and expiration date to verify you as the lucky winner." Do not give information to a stranger, even one claiming to be from your bank.
Keep all personal information secured.
Do not carry extra credit cards, social security card, passport or a birth certificate in your wallet or purse, except when needed.
Protect your Social Security number (SSN). Release it only when absolutely necessary (like tax forms, employment records, most banking, stock and property transactions). The SSN is the key to your credit and banking accounts and is the prime target of criminals.
If a business requests your SSN, ask if it has an alternative number which can be used instead
Don’t let merchants hand-write your SSN onto your checks.
When you receive your annual Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement, take time to read it and check for fraud.
Do not print your SSN, driver’s license number, credit card number or telephone number on your checks.
When you order new checks, do not have them sent to your home mailbox. Pick them up at the bank instead.
Store your canceled checks or images in a safe place. In the wrong hands, they could reveal a lot of information about you, including the account number, your phone number and driver’s license number.
Report lost or stolen checks immediately. Your bank will block payment on the check numbers involved.
Balance account statements promptly.
Keep a list of your bank account numbers with telephone numbers of customer service and fraud departments in a safe place.
Notify your banker of suspicious phone inquires such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."
Memorize all your passwords. Don’t record them on anything in your wallet, purse, or electronic organizer.
When creating passwords, do not use the use the obvious like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Avoid anyone looking over your shoulder during an ATM transaction or making long distance calls with your phone card.
Keep a list or photocopy of all your credit cards, the account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place (not your wallet or purse) so you can quickly contact your creditors in case your cards have been stolen.
Always take credit card receipts with you; don’t leave them on the table – be sure your server picks up the original. Never toss them in a public trash container.
Do not toss pre-approved credit offers in your trash or recycling bin without first tearing them into small pieces or shredding them. They can be used by "dumpster divers" to order credit cards in your name and mail them to their address. Do the same with other sensitive information like credit card receipts, unused bank deposit tickets, bank statements, phone bills and so on. Home shredders can be purchased in many office supply stores.
Reduce the number of credit cards you actively use to a bare minimum. Carry only one or two of them in your wallet.
Cancel all unused accounts. Even though you do not use them, their account numbers are recorded in your credit report that is full of data that can be used by identity thieves.
Watch the mail when you expect a new or reissued card to arrive. Contact the issuer if the card does not arrive.
Carefully review your statements for unauthorized use.
Install a locked mailbox at your residence to reduce mail theft. Or use a post office box.
Shred all received mail containing sensitive information: bank statements, canceled checks, credit card applications, credit card checks, and credit card statements.
When you pay bills, do not leave the envelopes containing your checks at your mailbox for the postal carrier to pick up. If stolen, your checks can be altered and then cashed by the imposter. It is best to mail bills and other sensitive items at the post office rather than neighborhood drop boxes. Also, pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if bills do not arrive on time.
Mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington DC 20580-0001
Ask for a copy of ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name, a free comprehensive consumer guide to help you guard against and recover from identity theft.
