Fight fraud before it happens.

Identity theft protection: Be prepared. Stay alert. Take timely action.

There’s an old saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When it comes to protecting your identity and personal information, it’s true.

Fraudsters continue to get more advanced. It’s tricky for even the most well informed. And no one is immune. But there are steps you can take. Staying ahead of fraudsters means being prepared, remaining alert and taking timely action when threats arise.

Be prepared.

Part of what makes identity theft so difficult to combat is that it can occur with few readily available hints or scam alerts. By the time that fraud is noticed by the unprepared, it’s often difficult and expensive to correct. But there are some actions that you can take to help protect your information and detect abnormalities as they arise.

1. Regularly review your credit reports. Federal law allows you to get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from the three largest U.S. credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. You can get started online by visiting annualcreditreport.com link opens in a new window. Be careful as you type that address into your web browser. There are several similarly named websites that have been set up by fraudsters to lure unsuspecting visitors.
2. Consider a credit freeze with Equifax link opens in a new window, TransUnion link opens in a new window and Experian link opens in a new window. This is a free service that places a hold on your credit file that will prevent prospective creditors from accessing your information. It won’t affect your credit score in any way. But you will need to temporarily lift the freeze in order to open any new credit accounts (such as a credit card, mortgage or line of credit).
3. Enlist a credit monitoring service link opens to a Commerce page, such as Commerce ID Recover link opens to a Commerce page¹ or Commerce ID Monitor link opens to a Commerce page¹, to help you keep an eye on your credit activity. Check this information regularly and/or set up automatic alerts; this may help you detect fraudulent activity early by identifying information that looks out of place.
4. Protect sensitive information by using a virtual private network (VPN), such as the one offered through Commerce ID Monitor link opens to a Commerce page¹.
5. Create unique, complex passwords, and don’t use them for more than one site.
6. Use cybersecurity and fraud prevention tools like antivirus software, multi-factor authentication, and encrypted communication tools.

Remain alert.

Staying diligent is an important part of staying ahead of the scammers. Whether online or in person, here are a few precautions you can take to help keep fraudsters at bay:

1. Update your online account passwords regularly. Create hard-to-guess passwords that don’t contain any personal information that scammers can access through public information. Use a password manager link opens to a Commerce page to track and regularly update your passwords, such as the one available through Commerce ID Recover and Commerce ID Monitor². And, don’t use your password manager password for any other online accounts.
2. Update your software on digital devices regularly.
3. Store documents and electronic records with sensitive information in an encrypted place, such as Online Identity Vault link opens to a Commerce page³ (available through Commerce ID Recover link opens to a Commerce page¹ and Commerce ID Monitor link opens to a Commerce page¹.) Shred documents with sensitive data before discarding. Wipe data from old computers, cellphones or tablets before disposal.
4. Be very selective about who can access your personal data. Ask what sensitive information is needed and why. Then, don’t give out more information than is necessary.

Take timely action. Report fraud.

If you do detect something that looks out of place on your credit report or if you receive notice that your information has been compromised:

1. Visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) IdentityTheft.gov link opens in a new window site to report identity theft and get a recovery plan.
2. File a police report link opens in a new window. If you’ve obtained an ID Theft Complaint reference number from the FTC, ask the officer to include that information in the report.
3. Consider setting a Fraud Alert with Equifax link opens in a new window, TransUnion link opens in a new window and Experian link opens in a new window. This free service will place a “red flag” on your credit account that alerts creditors that you may have been a victim of fraud and/or identity theft. This will prompt creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before extending future credit.
4. Notify your card issuer, financial institution and/or the Social Security Administration link opens in a new window (if your Social Security number has been compromised). You can report a lost or stolen Commerce Bank card through our Security Center link opens to a Commerce page.
5. Change your online passwords using your password manager link opens to a Commerce page.
6. If you have automatic payments related to a compromised card, bank account or website, be sure to update the payment information with your new card, account or password.

By being prepared, staying alert and taking timely action when threats arise, you’ll be able to spend your time doing the things that matter most to you while protecting yourself from fraudsters.