Have You Been a Victim of Identity Theft?
If you have been a Victim of Identity Theft we advise to following the provided steps below to secure your account.
STEP-BY-STEP IDENTITY THEFT PROCEDURES
Quick action helps minimize financial damage!
- Contact The First National Bank in Amboy
- Phone: 815-857-3625 ext. 5305
- Freeze your credit right away with the 3 credit bureaus.
- Experian: 888-397-3742 (888-EXPERIAN) www.experian.com/help/
- TransUnion: 888-909-8872 transunion.com/credit-help
- Equifax: 800-685-1111 equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
- Gather proof: copies of letters, emails, messages that suggest identity theft. Organize information in a binder or notebook.
- Contact identitytheft.gov/
- File an identity theft report
- Includes report samples
- Includes prefilled forms
- Contact Identity Theft Resource Center
- Free services for custom recovery plan
- Phone: 888-400-5530
- Monday – Friday, 6:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific
- idtheftcenter.org/
- Contact your local Social Security Office
- Sterling: 866-789-1093
- Peru: 855-245-0640
- Rockford: 877-628-6570
Fraud Links and Resources
- To report fraud with the Federal Trade Commission, click reportfraud.ftc.gov/
- To report fraud with the FBI, click  www.ic3.gov/
- To watch helpful fraud videos created by the FTC, click www.youtube.com/ftcvideos
- To learn more about latest scams and sign up to receive emails from the FTC, click  ftc.gov/consumeralerts
- To view or print PDF versions of FTC publications or scam materials, click www.bulkorder.ftc.gov
- To receive free ongoing support after being scammed, click fightcybercrime.org
Contact Information for Credit Bureaus
Experian: 888-397-3742 (888-EXPERIAN)
TransUnion: 888-909-8872
www.transunion.com/credit-help
Equifax: 800-685-1111
Protecting Yourself from Fraud
By implementing strong security practices and staying vigilant about potential threats, you can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft.
Password Security
In order to secure your various accounts online you need to apply security practices in to your passwords. Some of these practices include:
- Creating complex passwords made of letters, numbers, and symbols
- Having multiple passwords that are unique from one another
- Use a password manager to create and store passwords
Account/ Personal Safety
To make sure your accounts are safe and sound we advise to check your accounts often. Some best practices include:
- Monitor your bank and credit card statements regularly.
- Don’t share personal private or financial information to websites, callers, or strangers.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links, ads, or websites.
- Avoid connecting your devices to public Wi-Fi connections.
Verified Contacts & Communication Safety
Many scams try to take the identity of a person or business you may know. Print the “How I’ll Avoid a Scam” PDF below and fill out the information of both people and businesses. To avoid these scams from taking advantage of you here are a few points to keep in mind:
- If a phone number seems unfamiliar, hang up and call back using a known, verified number.
- Legitimate organizations won’t ask for sensitive details through unexpected phone calls.
- Don’t let anyone pressure you into immediate action. Slow down and consult with a trusted friend or family member.
Avoiding Scams
When received potentially suspicious messages please follow the below steps to help avoid having your information stolen.
- Don’t click links in unexpected messages.
- Don’t open attachments within unexpected messages.
- Don’t be pressured by threats or promises.
- Don’t provide personal or financial information to unsolicited callers.Â
- Contact businesses using trusted phone numbers and/or websites.
Click below for the FTC’s brochure on “How to Avoid Scams” for more helpful tips and better inform yourself on scams.
