Identity thieves can strike even if you've been very careful with your personal information. The following may be signs of identity theft and fraudulent activity in your name or on your accounts:

• New accounts appear on your credit report that you didn’t open
• You did not receive an expected bill or statement
• You receive credit cards or billing statements you didn't apply for
• You are denied credit or are offered less than favorable credit terms
• You receive calls from creditors or debt collectors regarding merchandise or services that you did not buy
• You receive security alerts from your financial institution or from a creditor alerting you to unusual log in, change of contact information, or seeking verification of a transaction
• Unknown or unauthorized charges occur on your account

This could be your first indicator of fraud. Verify your contact information is up to date and sign up for alerts from your institutions.

Check:

• Account activity via online services – often
• Bank Statements
• Credit Card Statements
• Social Security Statements
• Investment Statements
• Credit Bureaus

Be sure to request your Free Annual Credit and Debt Bureau Reports and look for recent accounts that might have opened or credit used without your knowledge.

AnnualCreditReport.com

ChexSystems

If you see errors, report it and have an Identity theft alert put on your account.

Frauds & Scams

Elder and Dependent Adult Fraud

• Just browsing to a malicious website could infect your device with malicious software; make sure the website is secure. Look for "secure transaction" symbols such as the lock symbol (see the lower right-hand corner of your web browser window or on the toolbar), or "https://…" in the address bar of the website. The "s" indicates "secured" and means the web page uses encryption.
• Don't open attachments, click on links, or respond to emails from suspicious or unknown senders.
• Criminals may send you attachments or links that will lead you to spoofed sites or cause you to inadvertently download malicious software to your computer. Do not respond to any communication asking for confirmation of personal information. Personal information includes but is not limited to name, address, phone number, email address, Social Security Number, and/or financial information such as account numbers, etc.
• Do not respond to unexpected text messages or automated voice messages.
• Look for spelling and grammatical errors as these are often an indication of fraudulent emails or websites.
• Report any suspicious email purporting to be from Bank of the West by forwarding it to: abuse@bankofthewest.com.
• Do not include account or sensitive information in emails. If you use Online Banking, send a secure message through the Message Center function of your Online Banking service.

Protect your business by making fraud prevention a priority.

Business account takeover protection

Payment fraud protection

• We'll help you and take action, which may include placing holds and flags on your Bank of the West accounts, closing compromised account(s) and disabling online/mobile banking access
• Review all recent transactions and electronic authorizations on your account. If suspicious active transactions are found, cancel them immediately
• Identify gaps in your internal controls and address them immediately

Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

If you suspect identity theft, call the FTC at 1-877-438-4338 to speak with an identity theft counselor. Or visit, www.ftc.gov.

File a police report

Contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report involving identity theft. Give a copy of the FTC theft complaint to law enforcement when you file a report. Contact your state's Attorney General's office to see if an Identity Theft police report is required.

Contact the credit reporting agencies

If you suspect identity theft, contact the credit reporting agencies immediately and have a Fraud Alert placed on your profile. This 90-day alert provides extra security should anyone try to open an account using your identity.

If you suspect a fraudulent account has been opened using your identity, contact the credit reporting agencies immediately and have a Fraud Alert placed on your profile. Once the dispute has been resolved, the credit reporting agencies will send you another copy of your credit report. Review it to make sure that all fraudulent activity has stopped and your file has been corrected.

For more information, contact:

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 or www.equifax.com
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742 or www.experian.com
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 or www.transunion.com

Contact the company
If you suspect unauthorized charges, contact the company where the charges were made. The procedures for handling unauthorized charges will vary by company. Discuss your options with them, so that you can make an informed decision. Ask the company to send you an official notification of fraud account activity and discharge of the unauthorized transactions/debt in writing. Keep this for your records.

If you suspect fraudulent accounts have been opened using your identity, contact the companies where the accounts were opened. Your credit report profile will have the names of the companies. You will want to have the accounts closed and ensure that they have alerted the appropriate departments, such as their fraud prevention department. The procedures for handling fraud activity will vary by company. If you'e mailing documents to the companies, be sure to keep the originals and send copies. Send your documents by certified mail with return receipt requested.

Ongoing review all your accounts
Continue to review all charges and transactions appearing on your account statements and online account activity. Immediately report any discrepancies to the financial institution.

Check these resources for more information:

• Annual Credit Report: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): www.ftc.gov
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): www.fdic.gov
• Report Fraud with FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Because internet scams are so varied, resolving cases is often a lengthy process. In many cases, there is no satisfaction for the victim and recouping losses can be difficult. Follow these steps to protect yourself.

Review your accounts
If any fraud activity occurs, follow the Identity Theft resolution instructions.

Contact credit reporting agencies
Check your credit report for unauthorized new accounts. If a fraudulent account is opened, follow the Identity Theft resolution instructions and put a fraud alert on your credit profile.

Contact your financial institutions
Contact them to open new accounts, change your PIN, and/or have your credit/debit cards canceled and reissued.

File a compliant
Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) www.ftc.gov and the Internet Crime Compliant Center (IC3) http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx to file a report.

Contact the company
Contact the website hosting the fraudulent seller, and let them know. They may have policies in place to help you recover your money.

For more information on business identity theft:
Visit the FBI's cyber investigations website www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber for details on how to protect yourself.

1. If your account has experienced suspicious activity or fraud, contact Bank of the West immediately. You'll need to get new account numbers and select a new PIN.
• Fraudulent activity on Bank of the West account(s) or lost/stolen: checks and debit ATM cards 1-800-488-2265. TTY 1-800-659-5495. Lost/stolen credit cards or suspicious credit card transactions 1-800-996-2638
• Fraudulent Bank of the West emails (Phishing) and websites (spoofed sites) .
• Important numbers to report Identity Theft and or obtain a copy of your credit report:
  
  Theft hotline: 1-877- IDTHEFT or www.ftc.gov
  Equifax: 1-888-766-0008 or www.equifax.com
  Experian: 1-888- 397-3742 or www.experian.com
  TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 or www.transunion.com
• View Don't be an online victim from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• Federal Trade Commission

1. Be wary of "phishing" emails that appear to be from a valid company or financial institution requesting confidential information. Legitimate companies like Bank of the West will never send unsolicited emails asking for confidential information. Do not reply to these emails or click on links embedded within them.
   
   Do not respond to unsolicited requests for personal information. Contact your financial institution at a trusted number to verify requests.
2. Review your bank and credit card statements carefully and report any unauthorized charges immediately. Monitor your account online at least once a week or more frequently, and review your account details and transaction history for suspicious activity.
3. Before using an ATM, be aware of people and your surroundings. If you observe suspicious persons or circumstances, do not use the ATM at that time. Guard your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Shield the ATM keypad with your hand or body while entering your PIN. After completing a withdrawal, secure your card and cash immediately before exiting the ATM area. Count your cash later in the safety of your locked car or home.
4. Report lost or stolen checks or credit cards immediately.
5. Keep your operating systems, web browsers, and other applications on all personal devices (computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone, etc.) updated with the latest security patches: Most internet service providers offer an automatic update feature to help you stay up to date; ensure this feature is turned on.
6. Protect your personal and online account information:
• Never share your user names or passwords with anyone.
• Avoid login features that save usernames and passwords.
• Avoid passwords or PINs that are easy to discover like your mother's maiden name or your birthdate. Regularly change your passwords.
• Never leave your device unattended while handling bank-related business.
• Never access banking information or financial services at public internet locations.
• Clear browsing history and cookies stored on your hard drive.
• Beware of scams, no matter how urgent someone claims a deal, job offer or plea for assistance, you should research and confirm its legitimacy before responding.
• If your computer is infected with a virus, use a separate secure device to change passwords on all your financial, personal and email accounts.
7. Install antivirus and/or other protection software on all personal devices:
• Purchase or subscribe to an antivirus service to help keep your computer virus free. Make sure your software is updated regularly and always running to stay protected. Beware of scams involving pop-ups or phone calls from software companies claiming to provide security support by downloading software. These are attempts to download spyware onto personal devices; confirm legitimacy before responding.
8. Reconcile your bank account frequently and immediately report any unauthorized activity:
• Review your account details and transaction history at least once a week (or more) in an effort to promptly identify unauthorized or suspicious activity. Notify your financial institution immediately if you identify any unauthorized or suspicious activity.