Identity Theft & Phishing Information

The world is changing, and it can be challenging to keep up. Northwestern Bank wants to ensure that all its customers are educated, aware, and safe against the threats facing us. To that end, we provide information on things you should know about, like scamming, phishing and identity theft.

Identity Theft

	What is identity theft?
	How do they go about stealing my identity?
	How can I tell if I'm a victim of identity theft?
	What can I do to protect myself?
	Information on Credit Bureaus
	Where can I get more information on Identity Theft?

"Phishing" Scams

	What is "Phishing"?
	How do I identify a Phishing attempt?
	How can I protect myself from Phishing?
	Where can I get more information on phishing?

DID YOU KNOW?

A great way to keep tabs on your identity, and find out FAST if someone is opening accounts or credit cards in your name, is by checking your credit report. An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months, from www.annualcreditreport.com. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights and how to order a free annual credit report.

TIP: Since you get one free report from each of the 3 bureaus per year, do not request them all at once. Spread them out, since you then get three free "snapshots" of your credit per year - all the better to thwart Identity Theft!

Reminder: Be assured that Northwestern Bank will not call you to request personal or account information from you over the phone or Internet!