According to Identitytheft.info, an online resource for identity theft and fraud prevention, as many as 100 million Americans each year risk identity theft as a result of insecure government, corporate, and retail databases. In addition, an estimated 15 million people in the United States are victims of identity theft.¹

Although federal and state laws as well as banks, many companies, merchants, and institutions work to protect your personal information, you are the person who can best protect yourself from identity theft and fraudulent activity on your bank and credit accounts.

At Popular Bank, your privacy is our focus.  In addition to protecting your information with secure online features, we want to empower you to take an active role in protecting your identity. Popular Bank recommends these tips to ensure the security of your private banking information:

Be Password and Pin Perfect

• Avoid passwords/personal identification numbers (PINs) that include birthdays, addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiers that are easy for thieves to find in an Internet search
• Make passwords a minimum of 8 characters and a mix of numbers as well as capitalized and lower case letters
• Don’t use repeat passwords/(PINs) for records involving sensitive personal information such as bank/credit accounts, mortgages, and other financial information as well as medical records
• Voluntarily change your passwords/(PINs) often
• Don’t recycle old passwords/(PINs)
• Don’t share or write down passwords/PINs

Be the Champion of Your Checks

• Limit personal information on your checks and never include your drivers license and social security numbers
• Store cancelled and new checks in a secure place
• Carry checks with you only when you need them
• Purchase checks that come with tamper-resistant packaging and chemically sensitive paper that prevents changes
• Immediately report lost or stolen checks

Analyze Account Statements Regularly

• Immediately ask about suspicious charges; reviewing your account allows you to quickly detect and end fraudulent activity

With Popular Bank, you can monitor your account online any time and as often as you like. If you believe the security of your account has been compromised, call us immediately at 1-800-377-0800. Be sure to check our blog again soon to get tips on protecting the security of your credit/debit card accounts.

Reference

Identity Theft and Scam Prevention Services. Identity Theft Victim Statistics. Identitytheft.info. Accessed February 8, 2016.