FRAUD PREVENTION

Who is at risk?

Anyone who uses the internet is a potential target for fraudsters. At U.S. Bank, our first priority is protecting your personal information.

How we protect you:

• Our dedicated security teams are always on guard to anticipate, address and help prevent security threats.
• 24/7 surveillance and security systems strictly control access to all of our facilities.
• For added protection, U.S. Bank’s systems will automatically log you out of U.S. Bank Online Banking after 15 minutes of inactivity. This timed log off reduces the risk of unauthorized access to your account from an unattended computer.
• U.S. Bank’s mobile applications (for smartphones, iPads and other mobile devices) will automatically log you out after 5 minutes of inactivity. This shortened log-off period helps reduce risk from unauthorized access to your account if your mobile device is lost or stolen.
• We encrypt your confidential banking data to protect it on route to and from our servers.
• We monitor payment channels for suspicious transactions to detect fraud.

How you can protect yourself:

U.S. Bank needs you to be our partner in the fight against fraud. We can’t do it without you. To learn more, read 10 Steps to Minimize Your Risk of Fraud and Theft (PDF) and Fraud prevention tips (PDF).

What to do if your wallet is lost or stolen.

Read "Lost Your Wallet?" (PDF) to learn what to do if you have a lost or stolen passport, U.S. Bank cards, other credit or debit cards, driver’s license, checks, Green Card, Social Security Card, membership cards or insurance cards.

Make a list of everything in your wallet   before you lose it.

• Credit or debit cards numbers
• Checks
• Insurance cards (medical, car, etc.)
• Membership cards (gym, library, etc.)
• ID cards (driver’s license, school ID)
• Passport
• Green Card

Include contact numbers in your wallet list so you have the information you need to cancel or reissue your cards. Store this information in a secure location that you can access if you lose your wallet. Note: Never carry your Social Security card in your wallet.

The more paper with personal information you have laying around, in your garbage cans, or sitting in your mailbox, the greater the risk of your personal information getting into the wrong hands.

Watch Your U.S. Postal Mail

Missing bills or statements may indicate someone is tampering with your mail or your identity. To cut down on mail fraud:

• Sign up for "Hold Mail Service" with the U.S. Postal Service if you plan to be away from home for 3 to 30 consecutive days. Call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 or submit a "Mail Hold" request online. Download "Beyond the Bank" (PDF) to learn more about preventing mail fraud.

Switch from Paper to Online statements

• Getting U.S. Bank statements online eliminates your risk of identity theft or fraud as a result of stolen mail.
• Online statements provide all the same information as paper statements.
• The service is FREE.
• You can view and print statements, and manage your account online.
• And as a bonus, you’re helping U.S. Bank protect and conserve natural resources while improving your security at the same time.

Learn More about Online Statements

Eliminate Paper Bills with Internet Banking and eBills

• eBills are electronic versions of paper bills (for example, utility bills).
• By going paperless with eBills, you eliminate the risk of having bills lost or stolen from the mail.
• Thousands of companies are already signed up with the U.S. Bank eBill service.

With the U.S. Bank free eBill Service you can:

• Set up eBills to be paid automatically - or choose each payment date and amount.
• Make one-time payments, or set up recurring payments.
• Get alerts when an eBill is delivered or a payment is processed.
• See up to 18 months of payment history online.

Learn More About eBills

What Is Identity Theft?

The United States Federal Trade Commission defines identity theft as follows:

"Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes."

Identity theft can happen to anyone, but there are steps you can take to minimize your risk of becoming a victim.

Don’t be a victim! Download "Fraud Prevention" (PDF)to learn how to arm yourself against identity thieves.

Install anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-spam software

• Computer viruses can install malicious software ("malware") programs on your computer without you knowing it.
• Anti-virus and anti-malware software helps detect and remove viruses and other types of malware from your computer.
• Anti-spam software helps prevent spam and junk email from entering your inbox.
• Use reputable software.
• Don’t install software offered through pop-up windows warning you that your computer is infected. These may actually install malware!
• To securely close a pop-up window, do not click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the window. Instead, right-click on the task bar button (at the bottom of your computer screen), and click Close, or use the Task Manager. If you cannot close the window using these methods, exit and restart your Internet browser.

Install a firewall and keep it turned on

• Your computer should have a firewall.
• Firewalls help protect your computer against criminals who want to crash your computer or delete or steal confidential information.
• Firewalls come prepackaged on some operating systems or can be purchased for individual computers.
• For more information about what you can do to protect your network, check out the National Security Agency's Best Practices for Keeping Your Home Network Secure:
  https://www.dni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/campaign/NSA-guide-Keeping-Home-Network-Secure.pdf

Need help with Anti-virus or Firewall software?

Use strong passwords and change them frequently

• A strong password should combine no fewer than 8 letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Never share your password with anyone.
• Create a unique user ID and password for online banking that you never use anywhere else (for example, webmail, social networking or any other online accounts).
• Don’t carry passwords around in your wallet—especially if they are listed along with usernames and websites.
• Never use a password you’ve seen used as an example or in a list of good or bad passwords – the bad guys like to start with these!
• Make your password easy to remember and hard to guess. For example, you can turn your dogs’ names – Spot and Rover -- into the password "Sp0t&R0v3r." Or you may want to convert the sentence "I love my dogs, Spot and Rover" to a password of "I<3mdS&R." It’s still meaningful and memorable but harder for someone else to guess. (And remember, don’t use either of these examples!)

Erase (or physically destroy) your hard drive before discarding your old computer

Private information stored on your computer’s hard drive should be erased or destroyed before you get rid of your computer. First, make a backup copy of any important data you want to save. Then, to erase information permanently, you must either wipe (or “scrub”) your hard drive with special software or physically destroy it (for example, by drilling holes in it). These steps are necessary because your files may be easily recoverable even after you have deleted them or put them in the “recycle bin” on your computer and emptied the bin. Learn more about how to safely dispose of old computers and hard drives.

Keep your system current

• Keep your computer operating system, Internet browser, and other software up-to-date for additional protection against fraud and theft.
• Most current operating systems have the ability to automatically update critical system files. Take advantage of this to better protect your computer.
• Regularly update Adobe Flash
• and Acrobat Reader for Windows or Macintosh

Change default passwords and network names

• When you buy a wireless router or cable modem, it comes with a default password set up by the manufacturer. Be sure to change the default password to your own unique password.
• Routers also come from the manufacturer with a default name (or “SSID”). This is the name that shows up when you search for a wireless network to get on the Internet. Don’t keep the default SSID. Instead, rename the network. (Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions)
• Following the manufacturer’s instructions, make sure the encryption (for example, WPA2 or WEP) on your wireless router is turned on.