Customer Education

Any communication from Farmers State Bank, which includes mail & email, will always be "Information Only" & will not ask a customer to input any banking information.  BEWARE of any email asking you to input any banking or personal information (known as "phishing") as these emails were NOT sent by Farmers State Bank.

When clicking on 3rd party links you will be leaving fsballen.com, Farmers State Bank has no control over the content or security of linked sites.

PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY

Millions of Americans have fallen victim to identity theft, with the incidence rate increasing every year.  Measures are in place to protect your identity and accounts against theft and fraud.

• Bank Privacy policies protect your personal and financial information

• Password protection for online transactions help assure online security.  Our online services require you to develop a secret password that only you know. Never give your passwords to another party.

• Encryption of online transactions with the bank coverts your information into secure code, protecting you against hackers.

TIPS TO HELP PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT

1. Do not give out financial information, checking and credit card numbers, your Social Security number, unless you know the person or organiztion.

2. Report lost or stolen checks immediately.  The bank will block payment on them.

3. Notify your banker of suspicious phone inquiries, someone asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize".

4. Closely guard your ATM PIN number and ATM receipts.

5. Shred any finanacial solicitations and bank statements before disposing of them.

6. Put outgoing mail in a secure Postal Service collection box.

7. If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company and find out why.

8. If your bills include questionable items, don't ignore them.  Investigate immediately to head off any possible fraud.

9. Periodically contact the major credit reporting agencies to review your file and make certain the information is correct.

CREDIT REPORTING BUREAUS

 When clicking on 3rd party links you will be leaving fsballen.com, Farmers State Bank has no control over the content or security of linked sites.      

   Fact Act Helps to Fight Identity Theft

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT ACT) will help reduce identity theft according to congress and the Federal Trade Commission.  One provision requres the three major credit reporting agencies to provide consumers with a free copy of their own credit report.

Another provision is the National Fraud Alert System.  Consumers who suspect they have been or may be victimized by identity theft, or who are military personel on active duty away from home, can place an alert on their credit files.  Potential creditors are put on notice that they should proceed with caution when granting credit.

Measures to help consumers recover their credit reputation after they have been victimized.

• Credit reporting agencies must stop reporting allegedly fraudulent account infomation when a consumer establishes that he or she has been the victim of identity theft.

• Creditors or businesses must provide copies of business records or fraudulant accounts or transactions related to them.  This information can assist victims in proving that they are, in fact, victims.

• Consumers will be allowed to report accounts affected by identity theft directly to creditors-in addition to credit reporting agencies-to prevent the spread of erroneous information.

HOW TO OBTAIN A FREE CREDIT REPORT

www.annualcreditreport.com                                                                                        (877)322-8228

When clicking on 3rd party links you will leaving fsballen.com, Farmers State Bank has no control over the content or security of linked sites.

Useful Resources Regarding Identity Theft Prevention and Detection

Customer Support

customersupport@fsballen.com