Identity theft costs everyone

Each year, millions of Americans are victims of identity theft, the practice of stealing someone’s personal information to apply for loans, open credit, rent an apartment or even commit a crime. Often, victims are unaware they’ve been targeted until it’s too late. The cost of identity theft is much more than financial. Restoring one’s credit and reputation can take years.

Commerce Bank of Arizona actively works with the banking industry and law enforcement to prosecute criminals and minimize risk to its customers. Here are some precautions for protecting your business and personal accounts.

Protecting your business from fraud

Follow these tips to protect your business and your customers from identity theft and fraud:

• Don’t keep client credit card information on file
• Destroy or shred all documents containing personal information such as account numbers, addresses or other confidential facts
• Check each customer’s identification when conducting business transactions
• Limit the number of employees who can access vital information
• Avoid printing full credit card numbers on receipts

For more information on protecting your business from fraud, contact Alan Wahl, Senior Vice President of Commerce Bank of Arizona, at (520) 382-5571.

Protecting your personal identity

Following these simple precautions will minimize the chance of identity theft:

• Check your credit report regularly. Consumers are entitled to a free report once every twelve months from the three national credit bureaus. Additional information is available at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) FACTACT
• Keep your Personal Identification Number (PIN) and other important account information in a secure location
• Memorize your PIN and do not share account numbers with friends or family
• Don’t select a PIN that can be easily guessed, such as a birthday or an address, and change your PIN frequently
• Take store and ATM receipts with you when you leave
• Never provide your account or personal information over the phone or Internet unless you initiated the communication with a trusted organization. Also, make sure your computer’s anti-virus software is up to date to detect malicious messages and hackers

If you become a victim of identify theft, contact us immediately so that we can freeze your accounts and monitor them for unauthorized transactions.

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