With the transferring of data, information and money accelerating at an exponential rate, it is easier than ever to become a victim of identity theft. Thieves are getting smarter and are coming up with more advanced ways of getting consumers to divulge personal information. It’s more important than ever to safeguard your information and think before giving out any personal identifiable information.
Ways to Protect Yourself and Your Information
- Never provide personal information in an unsolicited response. Scammers have ways of making fake attempts at your personal information look and sound legitimate.
- If you believe that a request may be legitimate-contact the institution yourself. If you receive a phone call or email message from an institution that you deem questionable, reach out to that institution directly to see if the original inquiry was legitimate.
- Never give out your password to anyone-even if they claim to be from a legitimate organization. It is important to never give out or write down your password. Passwords can be easily stolen. When creating a new password avoid names, places, dictionary words or anything that can be easily found on your social media profile.
- Review statements regularly. Review statements regularly to check for irregularities or potential fraudulent purchases.
Westfield Bank employees will never call you to request information such as your Social Security number, date of birth, debit card number, expiration date or CVV number on the back of your card, we may reach out to you for questions pertaining to transactions that we deem questionable or potentially fraudulent. If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of a call from Westfield Bank, please contact our Customer Call Center at 413.568.1911 or 800.995.5734.
What do I do if my information is compromised?
Contact Westfield Bank Immediately at 413.568.1911 or 800.995.5734. You should also contact Experian, Equifax, or Transunion to discuss if you need to place a fraud alert on your file.