Protecting Against Identity Theft

Protecting Against Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when a criminal steals a person’s private identifying information and uses it (typically) for financial gain. Consider the following helpful tips to prevent identity theft.

Protect Your Paper Records

  • If you use First Republic Banking Online, you can reduce the chance that paper statements and other sensitive paper documents might get into the wrong hands by signing up for Bill Pay and free online statements.
  • Shred documents containing personal or financial information before discarding. Many identity theft incidents occur because of mail and garbage theft (e.g., dumpster diving).
  • Know your billing and statement cycles for all your financial service providers. Contact the provider’s customer service department if you stop receiving your regular bill or statement.
  • Carry only necessary information with you. Leave sensitive documents like your Social Security card and unused credit cards at home in a safe and secure location.
  • Make photocopies (front and back) of vital information you carry regularly and store them in a secure place, such as a safety deposit box. Then, if your purse or wallet is lost or stolen, you have contact information and account numbers readily available.

Monitor Your Credit

Reviewing your credit report can help you detect suspicious or unknown transactions.
  • Be sure to also review the credit reports for your children.
  • Enable fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus to detect and prevent fraudulent activity.

Monitor Your Email Account

  • Vary your passwords for every email account you use. At a minimum, use different credentials (username and password) for emails associated with online banking.
  • Enable multifactor authentication for your email account for an added layer of protection.
  • Never share your email password with anyone. If you have any suspicion that someone may have accessed your email account (e.g., you stopped receiving expected emails), change the password as soon as possible.
  • If you receive an email stating that your password, mailing address, email address or security questions were changed on your account and you did not make those changes, contact your financial institution immediately, using a verified phone number, and change the email account password.

First Republic Can Help

  • For more information on identity theft, schedule an Identity Protection Consultation with one of our cybersecurity experts. This complimentary service is a personalized discussion designed to prevent identity theft as well as provide guidance on what to do if your identity has already been compromised.
  • For general security questions or to learn more about our cybersecurity offerings and services, email InformationSecurity@firstrepublic.com.
  • If you know or suspect that your identity has already been compromised, visit our page on Reporting Fraud or Identity Theft.