Identity Theft and Protection

At BCSB, our priority is ensuring our customer's privacy and security. In addition to our privacy measures and procedures, our website follows industry-standard safeguarding technology. For more information on our privacy policy, visit our Privacy section.

More than your bank, BCSB serves as a resource for customers to prevent and detect identity fraud. Below are helpful tips, tools and links to protect you in cases of identity theft and fraud.

Identity Theft Prevention and Protection

Click here to learn about protecting against identity theft.

Tips to Protect Your Identity:

• Never carry your social security card. Don't disclose your social security number unless absolutely neccessary and with a trusted source.
• Never carry more credit cards than you need. Cancel credit card accounts you don't use.
• Shred all bills and documents containing account or personal information.
• Don't leave receipts behind, and verify charges on your accounts against the receipts.
• Never leave your purse or wallet unattended.
• When traveling, postpone delivery of the newspaper and mail, or have a trusted neighbor/friend/family member collect these items for you. A pile of newspapers and unattended mail is a clear indication that you may be away.
• Don't use the same password on multiple sites.
• Avoid unknown sites when shopping online.
• Be suspicious of any banner ad or unexpected pop-up ad that claims your computer is infected or in need of repairs. Spyware scanners often use these tactics to trick you into purchasing ineffective or malicious software. Keep your computer secure and make sure your antivirus software is up to date.
• Familiarize yourself with scams. The most common are lottery scams and inheritance scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it most commonly is.

What is Phishing?

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, phishing is a method used by Internet fraudsters to lure personal information including:

• Credit card numbers
• Bank account information
• Social Security number
• Passwords
• Other sensitive information

Typically this takes the form of an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with. You should never reply or click on a link from an unfamiliar source. Never send personal information about yourself via email. To find out more about how to protect yourself from Phishing scams, click here.

Know Your Credit Score

Knowing your credit score and the contents of your credit report can help consumers guard against identity theft and can help them obtain credit at rates reflective of their credit history.

By law, consumers can obtain a copy of their credit report once per year free of charge from each of the three credit reporting bureaus. Visit the FTC-sponsored website, www.annualcreditreport.com to obtain your free reports. Visit the FTC to find out how to dispute a credit report error.

TIP: By staggering your requests, you can actually obtain a free
report every four months to stay as up-to-date as possible with
your credit report.

Helpful links:

www.ftc.gov
www.annualcreditreport.com
www.fdic.gov
www.identitytheft.gov
www.occ.gov
www.aba.com
www.treasurydirect.gov

Investments:
http://www.finra.org/Investors/ProtectYourself/