Beware of Phishing scams and other common financial scams. Kinderhook Bank and Federal Financial Agencies DO NOT communicate with consumers by e-mail requesting important personal information such as name, account numbers, date of birth or social security numbers. More information can be found at the FDIC Consumer News web site. and the Anti-Phishing Working Group. Go to Kinderhook Bank's Identity Theft Information page to learn how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Identity Theft

Take Steps to Safeguard Your Identity
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States today. Recent statistics show that each year approximately 700,000 individuals fall victim to identity thieves those careful crooks who search online and off for valuable pieces of your personal information. Learn more about identity theft and how it happens. What identity thieves can do using everyday items such as your drivers license or Social Security number to assume your identity, a skilled thief can:

• Open new bank accounts and write bad checks.
• Establish new credit card accounts and not pay the bills.
• Obtain personal or car loans.
• Get cash advances.
•  Set up a cellular phone or utility service and run up bills.
• Change your credit card mailing address and charge on your existing accounts.
• Obtain employment.
• Rent an apartment, but avoid the rent payments and get evicted.

Act Now to Prevent Theft
In many cases involving identity theft, months pass before the victim is aware of any wrongdoing. Typically, either a collection agency letter or a loan rejection due to a negative credit rating alerts you to the crime. And at that point it can take several months–or years–to reclaim your identity and straighten out financial matters.

Take some time to understand how to prevent identity theft and what to do if it happens to you.

For More Information
To learn more about identity theft, download the Identity Theft Brochure.

Privacy Policy
Kinderhook Bank is not responsible for the information found on the hyperlinks. These sites are maintained and created by a business or individual who is not affiliated or employed by Kinderhook Bank. The bank offers these links as a service to our users and does not necessarily endorse the views or opinions found on these pages.