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Identity Theft InformationBeware of official check scams and other common financial scams such as phishing and pharming. Never reply directly or click on a link in response to an e-mail that asks for personal or financial information. Tioga State Bank and Federal Financial Agencies DO NOT communicate with consumers by e-mail requesting important personal information such as name, account numbers, date of birth or Social Security numbers.
More information can be found at the FDIC Consumer News website.
To visit the U.S. government's central website for information about identity theft, click here. This site is maintained by the Federal Trade Commission.
For practical tips to prevent Internet fraud and protect personal information online, go to www.onguardonline.gov.
Verifying Customer IdentityTo help the government in their efforts to fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account or creates a new customer relationship with Tioga State Bank.
What does this mean to you? When you open an account or complete an application either in person or online, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, taxpayer identification number, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents. We will use this information to protect you from unauthorized access to your personal and financial information.
Protecting Against Identity Theft- Don't give personal information, such as account numbers or Social Security numbers, over the telephone, through the mail or over the Internet, unless you know with whom you are dealing.
- Store personal information in a safe place and tear up or shred old credit card receipts, ATM receipts, and unused credit card offers before discarding them.
- Guard your mail and trash from theft.
- Take your mail out of your curbside mailbox as soon as possible. If you're traveling, have the U.S. Postal Service hold your mail or have someone you trust pick it up daily.
- Pay attention to billing cycles and statements. Contact the bank or company if you do not receive a regular monthly statement or bill. It may mean that the document has been diverted by identity theft.
- Check all account statements carefully to ensure all charges, checks or withdrawals were authorized.
- Don't use PINs or other passwords that are easy to guess (such as family birth dates or your pet's name).
- Cancel all unused credit accounts.
- Periodically contact the major credit reporting companies to review your file and make certain the information is correct. Each of the three credit reporting companies must provide you a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228 for more information.
- For a small fee, you can obtain additional copies of your credit report at any time. To order your secure credit report online, click here.
Steps to Take if You Are a Victim of Identity TheftIf you suspect theft and/or misuse of your personal information, take action immediately. Keep a record of all conversations and correspondence when you take the following suggested steps:
- Contact your financial institutions and credit card issuers immediately so that access to your accounts can be protected by stopping payment on missing checks, blocking use of ATM cards, debit cards and credit cards.
To report lost or stolen Tioga State Bank ATM/Debit Cards, call:
1-888-303-4872 (During Business Hours)
1-800-528-2273 (After Business Hours)
To report lost or stolen Tioga State Bank / Elan Credit Cards call: 1-800-325-3678.
- File a police report with your local police department. Obtain a police report number with the date, time, police department location and police officer taking the report. The police report may initiate an investigation into the loss with the goal of identifying, arresting and prosecuting the offender and possibly recovering your lost items. The police report will be helpful when clarifying to creditors that you are a victim of identity theft.
- Contact the fraud department of each of the three major credit bureaus to report the identity theft and request that the credit bureaus place a fraud alert and a victim's statement in your file. The fraud departments of the three national credit bureaus can be contacted as follows: TransUnion 1-800-680-7289, Equifax 1-800-525-6285, Experian 1-888-397-3742.
- You may request a free copy of your credit report. Credit bureaus must provide a free copy of your report if you have reason to believe that you have been a victim of identity theft and you submit your request in writing.
- Maintain a written chronology of what happened. Make sure you record the date, time, phone numbers, agencies, financial institutions and firms you contacted, persons you talked to and any relevant information.
- Call the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).
Safe Internet Banking When you travel the Internet to access the convenience of online banking, you want to be assured, first and foremost, that effective safeguards are in place to:
Protect the privacy of your personal transactions;
Ensure that your account informtion is accessible by you and you alone;
Guarantee that no one can eavesdrop on your transactions.
To learn about the security measures in place for TSB Online Banking and TSB Online Bill Pay, go to our TSB Online page and review the security information.
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Equal Housing Lender | Privacy | Security & Copyright