We would also like to take this opportunity to outline steps you can take to protect yourself in the event of potential identity theft:

• Monitor your accounts for unusual activity
• Do not provide information over the phone or by e-mail
• Report any losses
• Report suspected fraud
• Don’t get hooked by scammers out ‘phishing’
• Additional steps you can take

Monitor your accounts for unusual activity
Through Online Banking you can monitor your accounts for unusual activity, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Click here to register for Online Banking today. 

Not at your computer? Call toll-free (877) 713-7000 to use Telephone Banking to access your accounts from any Touch Tone® telephone.

Do not provide information over the phone or by e-mail
Legitimate organizations will never ask you to verify your personal or account information via unsolicited e-mail or telephone call.

If you receive an e-mail that appears to be from North Shore Bank or other organization, or a telephone call from someone claiming to be a representative of the Bank or other organization, do not provide any personal information (including date of birth, credit or debit card number, social security number or driver’s license number).

Report any losses
If you are the victim of fraud through the use of your North Shore Bank Debit MasterCard®, you are protected by MasterCard’s Zero Liability policy, which means you pay nothing for unauthorized purchases on your account.

Report suspect fraud
Protecting your identity and financial information is our number one priority. If you suspect your accounts have been compromised, or you are the victim of fraud, please call us directly at (978) 538-7000, or speak with a member of our staff at any office.

Don’t get hooked by scammers out ‘phishing’!
Internet scammers casting about for people’s financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go “phishing.”

Also called “carding,” phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam to deceive consumers into disclosing their credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information.

How it works
The scammers send you an e-mail that appears to be from a business you deal with. It could be your internet service provider, online payment service, or bank, for example.

The e-mail says you need to “update” or “validate” your billing information to keep your account active. You are directed to a “look-alike” web site of the legitimate business, further tricking you into thinking you are responding to a valid request.
Unknowingly, you would end up submitting your financial information to the scammers, who would then use it to order goods and services and obtain credit – in your name.

Be aware
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urges you to take the following precautions to avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:

• If you get an e-mail that warns you, with little or no notice, that an account of yours will be shut down unless you reconfirm your billing information, do not reply or click on the link in the e-mail. Instead, contact the company cited in the e-mail, using a telephone number or web site address you know to be genuine.
• Avoid e-mailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial information through a web site, look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar. It signals that your information is secure during transmission.
• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.

Report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission. Send the actual spam to uce@ftc.gov. If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft web site (www.ftc.gov/idtheft) to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from identity theft.

Additional steps you can take:
Review credit report regularly
Reviewing your credit report at least once a year can help guard against identity theft by making sure thieves have not used your personal information to open a new account or apply for credit in your name.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.

The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one central web site, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report(s):

• To order online, go to www.annualcreditreport.com
• To order by phone, call (877) 322-8228
• To order by mail, complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail to: Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Don’t be an
on-line victim
Find out how to Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams. Click here.