ID Restoration - What if You Become A Victim of Identity Theft?

If you feel you may have become a victim of identity theft, immediately contact your personal banker or the Bridgeview Bank Customer Care Center at 800-794-2070.

You may also follow the list of steps below to help repair any identity theft damage:

• Report the identity theft to your police of sheriff’s department and obtain a copy of the police report. Creditors will require the police report when you request to remove negative information from your file.
• Contact at least one of the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax or TransUnion) and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. Once the fraud alert is in place, it should automatically be placed on the other two. This fraud alert is good for 90 days and can be extended up to 7 years if a report is filed with the police department. The fraud alert notifies credit granters to confirm requests for credit with you before granting them.
• Notify your bank and all of your credit card companies and let them know you were a victim of identity theft.
• Contact the Social Security Administration if you suspect your social security number was compromised or is being used by someone else.
• Keep copies of all correspondence to credit bureaus, creditors, Social Security Administration, and others pertaining to the identify theft.
• Close the accounts that have been tampered with, including the ones you know and the once you suspect have been tampered with. Call and speak to someone in the security or fraud department of each company. Follow-up in writing and include copies (keep originals) of supporting documents.

Identity Theft – Would you know what to do if it happened to you?

Make Sure you know what’s in your wallet, purse or handbag. It’s smart to keep a list of everything you keep with you, in case any items are lost or stolen.

Some common items include:

1. Drivers License/Government ID
2. Social Security Card (Try not to carry your Social Security Card)
3. Passport
4. Employment ID
5. Medical Health Card
6. Dental insurance card
7. Car insurance card
8. Credit Cards and Debit/ATM Cards
9. Library Card
10. PIN Numbers (These should never be in your wallet!)
11. Group membership cards
12. Professional group membership cards
13. AARP card
14. Entertainment Card
15. Purchase program cards (Ex. Starbucks, Subway)
16. Firearms Owner Identification Card (FOID)
17. Gas card
18. Store discount card

What to do if your wallet is lost or stolen:

• Immediately call the police and report the theft/loss.
• To report a stolen or lost Bridgeview Bank ATM/Debit Card, please call our Customer Care Center at 1-800-794-2070. 

• Cancel all credit, ATM, debit and other stolen or lost cards.
• Request written verification that each account has been closed.
• Call the three major credit reporting agencies to report the theft and register for fraud alerts: Equifax: 800-525-6285. Experian: 888-397-3742. Trans Union: 800-680-7289.
• When speaking with credit card companies and credit reporting agencies, write down the card number, date of the call, name and ID or extension of each person you speak with and what you were told. (Note: Sometimes employees are reluctant to give you their name but they should be able to provide their company ID or extension number).
• Write a follow-up confirmation letter to each party contacted.
• To replace a Social Security card, contact the Social Security Administration 800-269-0271.
• For information about a stolen or lost driver’s license, contact the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles / Secretary of State’s Office). 


NOTE:

An initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for 90 days. When you place this alert on your credit report with a nationwide consumer reporting company, you’ll get information about ordering one free credit report from each of the three major consumer-reporting companies. It’s prudent to wait about one month after your information was stolen before you order your report. That’s because suspicious activity may not show up right away. Once you get your reports, review them for suspicious activity, like inquiries from companies you didn’t contact, accounts you didn’t open, and debt on your accounts that you can’t explain. Check that information – like you social security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers – is correct.

Before you become a victim of identity theft...

• Make copies (preferably color), front and back, of every card in your wallet and put the copies in a Bridgeview Bank safe deposit box.
• Memorize your social security number. Never put your social security number on your driver’s license, checks or any other item you carry with you.
• Never tell anyone any PIN (Personal Identification Number).
• Never tell anyone any Password.
• Never give personal information over the telephone unless you make the call and know with whom you are 
speaking.
• Be familiar with your credit card billing and bank account statement cycle: If a bank or credit card account 
statement is not received when you usually receive it, contact your bank or credit card company immediately.
• Review bank account and credit card statements promptly Immediately notify the bank and/or credit card provider of any unauthorized 
transactions (see Wallet Checklist).
• Sign up for online banking and use it to review your account during the statement cycle to see if there are any 
unauthorized transactions—if so, contact your bank immediately.
• Secure your mailbox.
• Know when your mail is delivered.
• Have a cross cut shredder. Shred anything with your name or personal information on it—Tearing up your papers may not be adequate to 
obliterate personally identifying information.
• Take advantage of free credit reports provided yearly (upon request) by the three major credit-reporting agencies.
• Review any credit report to confirm no one tried to open an account in your name or get credit based on your 
information.
• Remove your name from lists sold to credit card companies by consumer reporting firms.

If you have concerns about identity theft, or feel your personal information may have been compromised, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team at 800-794-2070.

Report Identity Theft

If you feel you may have become a victim of identity theft, immediately contact your Personal Banker or the Bridgeview Bank Customer Care Center at 800-794-2070.

You may also follow the list of steps below to report identity theft and prevent damage:

• Report the identity theft to your police of sheriff’s department and obtain a copy of the police report. Creditors will require the police report when you request to remove negative information from your file.
• Contact at least one of the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax or TransUnion) and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. Once the fraud alert is in place, it should automatically be placed on the other two. This fraud alert is good for 90 days and can be extended up to 7 years if a report is filed with the police department. The fraud alert notifies credit granters to confirm requests for credit with you before granting them.
• Notify your bank and all of your credit card companies and let them know you were a victim of identity theft.
• Contact the Social Security Administration if you suspect your social security number was compromised or is being used by someone else.
• Keep copies of all correspondence to credit bureaus, creditors, Social Security Administration, and others pertaining to the identify theft.

Identity Theft Reporting Resources:

Equifax:     800-525-6285

Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

TransUnion: 800-680-7289

Illinois Attorney General: 800-964-3013

U.S. Federal Trade Commission: 877-ID-THEFT (438-4338)

Office of the Attorney General Identity Theft Hotline: 866-999-5630

Social Security Administration: 800-269-0271.

Free Annual Credit Report:

www.annualcreditreport.com
P.O.Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
877-322-8228

Ways to Prevent Identify Theft.

To avoid becoming a victim of identity thieves, there are many preventative actions you can take. Follow the steps below to reduce your chances of identity theft:

      1. Protect your social security number.

• Never give your social security number over the phone, via text message, or in e-mail.
• Do not carry your social security card in your wallet.
• Secure or shred any documents that contain your social security number or other sensitive personal information.

      2. Protect your incoming and outgoing mail.

• Put all outgoing mail in an actual post office mailbox instead of your home mailbox.
• Shred all pre-approved credit offer letters and mail that contains your personal information.
• Keep waste receptacles in a secure location.

      3. Protect your computer.

• Install up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer.
• Do not click on links, attachments, or open e-mails from unknown senders.
• Never send sensitive personal information via e-mail, text message, or over the phone.

      4. Protect your debit card and Personal Identification Code (PIN).

• Never disclose your debit/credit card number or PIN over the phone.
• If you receive an automated phone call stating your card or account has been suspended, do not respond.
• Report any suspicious calls regarding your account to your bank.
   

Ways to Detect Identity Theft.

In the unfortunate circumstance of identity theft, the sooner you discover that your personal information has been compromised, the better. By acting quickly, you can reduce the amount of money that may be stolen and it becomes less difficult to repair the damage.

Here are some simple steps to you can take to watch for identity theft:

• Review your bank and credit card statements every month to ensure they do not contain unauthorized charges. If you do not recognize a charge, call the bank and/or credit card company immediately.
• View your full credit report at least twice annually and check for discrepancies.

How to Guard Against Identity Theft:

• Obtain a free credit report and review for any inaccurate information.
• If you bank online, check your deposit accounts and lines of credit frequently to spot and report errors or fraudulent transactions, just as you should with traditional banking.
• Never give your Social Security number, credit or debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs) or any other confidential information in response to an unsolicited e-mail, text message or phone call, no matter who the source supposedly is.
• Don’t open attachments or click on links in unsolicited e-mails from anyone you don’t know or you otherwise aren’t sure about.
• Watch out for “Scareware” of sudden pop-up windows asking for personal information or warning of a virus.
• When shopping online, deal with reputable merchants and be wary of unbelievably low prices.
• Make sure your full credit card number and expiration date does not appear on receipts.
• Do not leave outgoing mail in your mailbox. Take it to the Post Office or collection box.
• Shred credit card receipts, statements and applications, insurance forms, physician statements, bank statements and checks, credit card offers you receive in the mail and expired credit cards.
• Minimize the amount of financial information you carry. Memorize PIN numbers and passwords instead of carrying them with you.

Tips For Securing Your Computer:

• Virus protection software should be updated regularly, and patches for your operating system and other software programs should be installed to protect against intrusions and infections that can lead to the compromise of your computer files or passwords. Most Internet Service Providers will allow you to download antivirus and privacy protection software for free. Check your service provider’s website for details.
• Use a firewall program, especially if you use a high-speed Internet connection like cable, DSL or T-1 that leaves your computer connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. The firewall program will allow you to stop uninvited access to your computer. Without it, hackers can gain entry into your computer, access the personal information stored on it, or use it to commit other crimes.
• Do not open files sent to you by strangers, click on hyperlinks, or download programs from people you don't know. Be careful about using file-sharing programs. Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program known as "spyware," which could capture your passwords or any other information as you type it into your keyboard.
• Use a secure browser – software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet – to guard your online transactions. Be sure your browser has the most up-to-date encryption capabilities by using the latest version available from the manufacturer. You also can download some browsers for free over the Internet. When submitting information, look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar to be sure your information is secure during transmission.
• Look for website privacy policies. They should answer questions about maintaining accuracy, access, security, and control of personal information collected by the site, how the information will be used, and whether it will be provided to third parties. If you don’t see a privacy policy or if you can’t understand it consider doing business elsewhere.
• Don’t log into your bank account while using public computers, such as at a library, or with free wireless connections at coffee shops and similar places. Criminals often try to intercept Internet traffic, including passwords, from these locations.
• Choose “strong” user IDs and passwords that will be easy for you to remember but hard for hackers to guess. The strongest ones have a combination of letters, numbers and other characters, and are at least 10 characters long. For your online banking, choose IDs and passwords that are not the same as those you use for e-mails or social networking sites. Also, it is wise to change your online banking password about every 90 days.
• Protect yourself from fraudulent websites. For example, watch out for copycat websites that deliberately use a name or web address very similar to, but not the same as, that of a real financial institution. The intent is to lure you into their site and then have you provide your personal information, such as your account number and password.
• Before you dispose of a computer, destroy all the personal information it stored. Deleting files using the keyboard or mouse commands or reformatting your hard drive may not be enough because the files may stay on the computer's hard drive, where they may be retrieved easily. Use a "wipe" utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.

Identity Theft Reporting Resources:

Equifax:     800-525-6285

Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

TransUnion: 800-680-7289

Illinois Attorney General: 800-964-3013

U.S. Federal Trade Commission: 877-ID-THEFT (438-4338)

Office of the Attorney General Identity Theft Hotline: 866-999-5630

Social Security Administration: 800-269-0271.

Free Annual Credit Report:

www.annualcreditreport.com
P.O.Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
877-322-8228

If you feel you may have been a victim of Identity Theft, please call our Customer Care Team at 800-794-2070.

How Bridgeview Bank Protects Your Identity.

At Bridgeview Bank, our first priority is protecting your sensitive personal information. We adhere to strict bank-wide security procedures to safeguard your accounts, and we work to proactively detect and prevent fraud. Bridgeview also utilizes advanced Internet banking security technology to ensure your privacy and protect your identity.

Here are just a few of the ways we protect you and your accounts:

• We deploy physical safeguards, including state-of-the-art security systems and 24/7 video surveillance, to strictly control access at all of our facilities.
• Our online banking platform will automatically log you out of internet banking after 20 minutes of inactivity. This timed log-off reduces the risk of unauthorized access to your account from an unattended computer.
• Our computer network is protected by a secure firewall that we monitor continuously. We regularly test and update it to ensure our systems – and your information – stay secure.
• We use encryption to protect you while using our online banking services. The “closed lock” icon in your browser lets you know that your information is being encrypted.
• We monitor accounts for suspicious transactions to provide fraud protection sooner – and to better protect your identity and account information.

E-mail and Text Message Security.

Many scams appear as e-mails or text messages that mimic communications from a financial institution or bank, government agency, or other well-known/reputable entity designed to trick consumers into revealing private information. This scam is called “phishing,” and the number of victims is on the rise. Protect yourself and NEVER use e-mail or text messages to send sensitive personal information, your social security number, or any account information.

Bridgeview Bank Will Never:

• Send an e-mail or text message that requires you to enter personal information directly into the message.
• Send an e-mail or text message threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action and/or provide personal information.
• Send an e-mail or text message asking you to reply by sending personal information.
• Send an e-mail or text message asking you to enter your User ID, password or account numbers into an e-mail, message, or unsecure webpage.

If you receive a suspicious e-mail, or any type of message asking you to supply personal information, DO NOT reply, click on links, or enter personal information of any kind. You can report suspicious e-mail to Bridgeview Bank by us by calling customer care at 800-794-2040, or e-mailing idprotection@bridgeviewbank.com.

For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at www.fdic.gov. For warning signs and tips on preventing telemarketing fraud, go to www.fbi.gov.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and commits fraud or other crimes. Identity thieves target sensitive data such as your name, social security number, credit card numbers, and bank account information.

How Identity Theft Occurs.

Despite your best efforts to protect personal information, skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to gain access to your data. These attempts may be in the form of telephone calls, e-mails or text messages seeking your name, social security number, bank account numbers, debit or credit card numbers, other personal information, or asking you to withdraw your money. Many times individuals involved in these attempts pose as representatives of financial institutions.

By knowing how your information can be stolen, you can better protect yourself. Identity thieves often obtain personal information by:

• Stealing your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks and tax information.
• Rummaging through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps.
• Obtaining credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as “skimming.” They may swipe your card for an actual purchase, or attach the device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.
• Stealing your wallet or purse.
• Completing a change of address form to divert your mail to another location.
• Gaining personal information from you through e-mail or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as “phishing” or “pretexting” by phone.

How identity thieves use personal information:

• They may open new credit or debit card accounts in your name.
• Establish phone, electricity, heating, water, cable TV or other services.
• Open bank accounts.
• Apply for a personal, auto, business or other type of loan.
• Obtain false identification such as a driver’s license issued with their picture, in your name.
• Get a job with your name or file fraudulent tax returns.
• Apply for medical services.
• Give your name to the police during an arrest.

Ways to Detect Identity Theft.

In the unfortunate circumstance of identity theft, the sooner you discover that your personal information has been compromised, the better. By acting quickly, you can reduce your loses and it becomes less difficult to repair the damage.

Here are some simple steps to you can take to watch for identity theft:

• Subscribe to a credit monitoring service. These services can be inexpensive and send you email alerts when changes occur within your credit file.
• Review your bank and credit card statements every month to ensure they do not contain unauthorized charges. If you do not recognize a charge, call the bank or credit card company immediately.
• View your full credit report at least twice annually and check for discrepancies.

You May Be A Victim of Identity Theft If:

• You receive unexpected credit cards or account statements.
• You are denied credit for no apparent reason.
• You receive call or letters about purchases you did not make.
• You are contacted by a collection agency regarding a debt you did not incur.
• Your bank and credit billing statements do not arrive.
• Your credit report shows accounts you did not authorize.

If you have concerns about identity theft, or feel your personal information may have been compromised, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team at 800-794-2070.