Naugatuck Savings Bank is committed to providing its customers with the latest information on Identity Theft and Internet Fraud. 

Don't become a victim!

Identity Theft

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft often occurs when someone steals your personal information, such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, your Social Security number, etc. to commit fraud or theft.

You often don't know you've become a victim until fraudulent activity shows up on your bills or credit reports.

It is recommended that you review your credit report annually. You can do so by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com to order a free credit report.

Safeguard Personal Information from Being Stolen

● Use secure PINs (personal identification numbers), passwords and a secure web browser.
● Do not use obvious passwords such as your birth date, mother's maiden name, Social Security number, etc.
● Review all statements upon receipt and shred any unnecessary documents which contain personal information.
● Do not store financial information on a laptop computer which can easily be stolen.
● Beware of solicitors - do not give out information unless you have initiated the contact.
● Do not leave outgoing mail in your mailbox and collect your incoming mail daily.
● Be aware of the latest fraud scams.
● Learn how to secure your financial information.
● Be proactive in reviewing your credit history.

If You are a Victim of Identity Theft

● Contact Naugatuck Savings Bank at 203.729.4442 or toll free at 877.729.4442 if you suspect any fraudulent account 
   activity.
● Contact each of your creditors to determine if there has been any unauthorized account activity or any new accounts
   have been opened. Keep records of all communication.
● Immediately file a report with your local police department and keep a copy of the report.  
● File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at www.ftc.gov or call 877.IDTHEFT.
● Contact each of the three credit reporting agencies to have a fraud alert placed on your account; creditors will then be
   instructed to obtain your authorization before opening any new accounts.

Equifax 800-525-6285

TransUnion 800-680-7289

Experian 888-397-3742

More Information

For more information on Identity Theft, contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or call 877.IDTHEFT.

The FBI provides a convenient and easy-to-use notification that alerts authorities to suspicious Internet activity.
Internet Fraud Complaint Center

OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and technology industry on securing your computer and your personal information against Internet fraud.
http://onguardonline.gov/index.html 

The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a nonprofit consumer education, research, and advocacy program.  Their site provides practical tips on privacy protection.
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Naugatuck Savings Bank provides Identity Theft resources for informational purposes only.  As no one can guarantee that you will never become an identity theft victim, being an informed consumer can reduce that possibility. 
 

Phishing

Phishing (pronounced "fishing") is an electronic scam that attempts to obtain confidential personal or financial information from its target. It takes the form of a fake message, usually an e-mail, which appears to be from a financial institution or service provider. The message usually includes the company name, logo and a link to a look-alike website which instructs you to update your account information by providing your Social Security number, bank account number, PIN, password, birth date, etc. with a dire warning if action isn't taken. A phisher can then use your personal information to commit fraud.

In order to avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam, you need to know what to look for:

In a typical phishing case, you will receive an e-mail that appears to come from a reputable company, such as your financial institution, government agency or credit card company, but it is actually not authentic.

E-mail addresses are harvested from publicly available sources or through randomly generated lists. Phishers send out millions of e-mails at a time hoping to catch the customers of a targeted company by pure chance.

While some e-mails are easily identified as fraudulent, including some containing tabloid-style headlines to get the user to open them, others may appear to come from a legitimate address and trusted online source. Do not rely on the name or e-mail address in the "from" field as this is easily forged.

The message will describe an urgent reason you must "verify" or "re-submit" personal or confidential information by clicking on a link embedded in the message. Note: with the high volume of mergers within the financial services industry, phishers will often try to get your personal information by insisting they need it in order to transfer your accounts from one institution to another.

Once inside the fraudulent website, you may be asked to provide Social Security numbers, account numbers, passwords or other information used to verify your identity such as your mother's maiden name or place of birth.

A fraudulent e-mail may also include links and/or attachments that contain computer viruses and/or keystroke loggers and should not be clicked on or opened.

Other typical phishing scams include fake job offers, surveys, bogus prize awards, gift certificate offers or money laundering schemes.

Reporting Identity Theft and Phishing

Naugatuck Savings Bank will never ask you to confirm your account number, PIN, password or any other personal information via e-mail. If you are concerned that you have received fraudulent e-mail, disclosed confidential information or have questions about online security, please contact Naugatuck Savings Bank at 203.729.4442 or toll free at 877.729.4442.

Special Alert

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been notified that consumers have received e-mails that appear to the reader to be related to banking activities. The fraudulent e-mails request that the recipients respond to a notice from their bank to confirm an online payment to be made for products purchased. The link contained within the e-mail serves as a gateway to the fraudulent website. The fraudulent website is designed to look like a page from the FDIC's authentic web page, where the individual is then directed to provide sensitive financial and personal information, such as bank or credit card account numbers.

The use of this type of e-mail scam, seeking to obtain sensitive information from individuals, is referred to as "phishing." The FDIC provides information on its Web site that explains more about phishing and other types of fraudulent activity targeting customers. This alert is intended to warn consumers that the fraudulent e-mail, which could also possibly contain a computer virus, was not sent by the FDIC. Financial Institutions and consumers are warned NOT to access the link or submit personal information through this site. Additionally, as a reminder to all consumers, the FDIC strongly recommends that individuals safeguard personal information and refrain from responding to any unsolicited request for personal information.

For more details, visit the consumer news page on the FDIC website at www.fdic.gov/consumers/index.html