Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America.  We are all concerned about having our identity stolen and the impact it can have on our financial resources and our reputation.

PROTECT YOURSELF
There are many things you can do to protect yourself from being a victim of Identity Theft.

• Always balance your checkbook each month when your bank statement arrives.
• Keep the unused supply of checks in a safe place.  When you replace the checks in your checkbook, verify the new number is the next check number in the sequence.
• Protect your Visa Banking Card from theft. If it is stolen, cancel the card immediately.
• Keep a record of each card number and the emergency telephone number for reporting a lost or stolen card.
• Never write your PIN on the card or anywhere in your wallet or purse.
• When using your card to make a point of sale purchase, select credit card whenever possible.  If you must enter your PIN in a public area, shield the PIN pad from public view.
• Always review your debit or credit card statement to be certain you have authorized every transaction.  Do not ignore a small transaction that you did not authorize.  It may be a test to see if you are paying attention.
• Protect your home computer with a commercially available security program (anti-virus).  Take advantage of the excellent security programs provided by many Internet providers.  Be certain it is updated each time you log onto the Internet.
• Phishing is a common way that criminals obtain your financial information.  Never respond to an email request to update your financial information.
• Email is another way that criminals infect your home computer to steal your financial information.  Never open an attachment you receive in an email unless you know the person or company that sent it to you.  When in doubt delete the email without opening the message.

CONTACT CENTENNIAL BANK
If you have any reason to believe that your Centennial Bank accounts or Visa Banking Cards have been compromised, telephone the Bank immediately at 303-680-1600.  We can and will help you identify whether or not you have a problem and provide assistance in resolving the problem.

WHAT SHOULD A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT DO?
Below is a link to the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) Identity Theft web site.  The FTC web site will take you through the steps you should follow to stop any further activity, notify the correct authorities, and protect your credit.  You must also file a police report to document the problem.