Identity Theft Information Center
How to Guard Against Internet Thieves & Electronic Scams
Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, and has been ranked as one of the top consumer concerns for the past several years. Please take some time to view the following resources to learn how to protect yourself, your business and your identity against cyber-criminals.
What to Do If You Become a Victim of Identity Theft
- Call your bank(s) and credit card issuers immediately so they can protect your accounts.
- Contact Lakeland Bank’s Customer Service department at 866-224-1379 for assistance.
- Contact the fraud unit of the three credit reporting agencies. Place a fraud alert on your credit report and consider placing a credit freeze so the criminal can’t open new accounts. The fraud unit numbers are:
- Equifax 800-525-6285
- Experian 888-397-3742
- TransUnion 800-680-7289
- Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov or call 877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338).
- File a police report.
- Make sure to maintain a log of all the contacts you make with authorities regarding the matter. Write down names, titles and phone numbers in case you need to re-contact them or refer to them in future correspondence.
What Our Customers Should Know
Did you know that every day thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, text messages and phone calls from scammers pretending to be their bank? Use caution when responding to phone, email or text messages regarding banking activity or requesting that personal information be updated, especially when a link is included in the message.
Lakeland Bank will never contact you via text, email or phone asking for any personal or bank account information. We remind our customers to be aware of the following which may help identify fraud or ‘phishing’ attempts:
- Is the message from an unknown name and/or text or email address?
- Does the link provided direct users to an inconsistent website address?
- Does the text, email or website request information that is contradictory to the service provided?
- Is the appearance of the text, email or site inconsistent with the authentic website format?
As with any electronic messages, please use caution responding to incoming inquiries as fraudsters have the ability to ‘spoof’ or change the originating telephone, text or email address. When in doubt regarding the authenticity of any telephone call or electronic message that you receive, please contact us at 866-224-1379.
Learn more about the questions your bank will never ask you here.
Monitor Your Accounts with Online & Mobile Banking
Reviewing your account activity and transactions can help you proactively detect and reduce fraud. Enroll in online and mobile banking to securely monitor your account 24/7. Plus, manage your card on your terms! Keep a close eye on your transactions, set spending limits, activate real-time notifications and switch your card ON or OFF to prevent unauthorized use all from your mobile banking app with Card Control.
Read Our Latest Privacy & Cybersecurity Tips
As your financial partner, we’re here to help you identify fraud so you can protect your private information. Read our other relevant articles for tips and tricks to prevent falling victim to scams.
Additional Resources
More Information
Please refer to the Lakeland Bank Privacy Policy, or contact us at support at lakelandbank dot com.
