Report a Lost or Stolen Debit Card
Immediately call your local Guaranty Premium Bank branch during normal banking hours
Head Branch: +1(240) 316 1197
During non-business hours, please call +1(240) 316 1197
Identity Theft
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone acquires your personal information and uses it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. It is a serious crime and cases are growing. An all-too-common example is when an identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.
No matter how cautious you are, there is no way to completely prevent identity theft from occurring. But there are ways you can help minimize your risk. This page contains valuable information on how you can protect yourself by managing your personal information wisely, the warning signs of identity theft, and what to do if you do become a victim.
Helpful Tips
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› Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the internet unless you have initiated the contact or are sure you know whom you are dealing with.
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› Don’t carry your Social Security card with you; leave it in a secure place. Carry only the identification and credit and debit cards that you need.
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› Don’t put your address, phone number, or driver’s license number on credit card sales receipts.
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› Social Security numbers or phone numbers should not be put on your checks.
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› Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you are discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.
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› Secure your credit card, bank, and phone accounts with passwords. Avoid using easily available information like birth date, the last four digits of your SSN, or your phone number. When opening new accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their applications for your mother’s maiden name. Use a password instead.
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› Secure personal information in your home, particularly if you have roommates or hire outside help.
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› Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you are planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1.800.275.8777 to request a vacation hold.
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› Ask about information security procedures in your workplace. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that records are kept in a secure location. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well.
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› Before revealing any personally identifying information (for example, on an application), find out how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information. Can you choose to have it kept confidential?
Check Your Credit Report
Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy. You may log on to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1.877.322.8228 for a FREE credit report from any or all three credit reporting agencies. (The law allows credit bureaus to charge you up to $9.00 for an additional copy of your credit report.)
Make sure it is accurate and includes only those activities you have authorized.
By checking your report on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Don’t underestimate the importance of this step.
Credit Bureaus
Equifax – www.equifax.com
To order your report, call 1.800.685.1111.
To report fraud, call 1.800.525.6285.
Experian – www.experian.com
To order your credit report or report fraud, call 1.888.EXPERIAN (397.3742).
TransUnion – www.transunion.com
To order your report, call 1.800.916.8800.
To report fraud, call 1.800.680.7289.
Website Security
Protect yourself against phishing
Phishing usually comes in the form of fraudulent emails that appear to come from legitimate sources. These ask customers to verify personal information or link to counterfeit websites that appear real.
Watch for emails that:
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› Urge you to act quickly because your account may be suspended or closed, or to update your personal information.
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› Don’t address you by name, but use a more generic one like “Dear valued customer.”
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› Ask for account numbers, passwords, access IDs, or other personal information.
Guaranty Premium Bank will NEVER ask for sensitive information, such as account numbers, access IDs, or passwords via email.
Tips from the American Bankers Association for safeguarding your information:
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› Do not give your Social Security number or other personal credit information about yourself to anyone who calls you.
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› Tear up receipts, bank statements, and unused credit card offers before throwing them away.
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› Keep an eye out for any missing mail.
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› Do not mail bills from your own mailbox with the flag up.
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› Review your monthly accounts regularly for any unauthorized charges.
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› Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy. You may log on to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1.877.322.8228 for a free credit report from any or all three credit reporting agencies.
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› Do business with companies you know are reputable, particularly online.
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› Do not open email from unknown sources and use virus detection software.
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› Protect your PINs (don’t carry them in your wallet!) and passwords; use a combination of letters and numbers for your passwords and change them periodically.
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› Report any suspected fraud to your bank and fraud units of the three credit reporting agencies immediately.
TransUnion: 800.680.7289
Experian: 888.397.3742
Equifax: 800.525.6285
If you become a victim, contact:
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› The fraud departments of the three major credit reporting agencies
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› The creditors of any accounts that have been misused
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› The local police to file a report
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› The bank to cancel existing accounts held in your name and re-open new accounts with new passwords
Guaranty Premium Bank is committed to safeguarding our customers’ financial information. Maintaining our customers’ trust and confidence is a top priority. To learn more about how we protect your information, you may view our privacy policy.
Cyber Security
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has prepared cybersecurity information to assist financial institution customers on how to protect and maintain their own computer systems, to help them steer clear of fraudsters. The following is a summary of guidelines the FDIC has composed.
Protect Your Computer
Install software that protects against malware or malicious software, which can access a computer system without your consent to steal passwords or account numbers. Use a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC. Make sure settings allow for automatic updates.
Use the strongest method available to log into financial accounts
Use the strongest authentication offered (especially for higher risk transactions). For each of your electronic devices or your accounts, use passwords which cannot be easily figured out. (Combine upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and symbols, in a configuration that would be hard to guess). While tempting for ease of memory, try not to use the same password for a number of accounts or devices.
Understand Internet safety features
You can have greater confidence that a website is authentic and that it encrypts your information during transmission if the web address starts with https://. Be sure you are logged out of financial accounts when you complete your transaction(s) or walk away from the computer. For additional information, check your web browser’s user instructions
Be Suspicious of unsolicited e-mails asking you to click on a link, download an attachment, or provide account information
A cyber-criminal can easily copy the logo of a reputable company/organization into a phishing email. If you respond in any way you may install malware. The safest strategy is to ignore such request, no matter how legitimate or enticing they appear.
Be careful where and how you connect to the Internet
For banking or other activities involving your personal information, when connecting to the Internet, use only your own computer, laptop or mobile device through a known, trusted, and secure connection. A public computer and free WI-FI networks are not necessarily secure. These often provide easy access to Internet traffic for cyber criminals.
Be careful when using social networking sites
Cyber Criminals use social networking sites to gather details about individuals (e.g. place of birth, pet’s name, mother’s maiden name and other types of information) that can help them figure out passwords. Don’t share your page or access information with anyone you do not know and trust. Cyber criminals may pretend to be a friend to persuade you to divulge personal information.
Take precautions with your tablet or smartphone
Take advantage of automatic updates which are available for your device that will help reduce your vulnerability to software problems. Never leave your mobile device unattended; and use a password or other security feature to restrict access in case your device is lost or stolen. Make sure you enable the “time-out” or “auto-lock” feature that secures your mobile device when it is left unused for a certain period of time. Check out an app before downloading it. Consult your bank or their website to confirm where to download the bank’s official mobile app.
