Securing your information and protecting our customers is a high priority at Bank of Bozeman. We encourage our customers to be informed about the prevalence, methods and danger of identity theft.

Identity theft is a serious crime that occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft can cost you time and money. It can destroy your good credit and ruin your good name (according to FTC.gov).

Identity theft is on the rise and is one of the fastest growing crimes in America (according to a study conducted by ITRC). It can take up to 5,840 hours (the equivalent of working a full-time job for two years) to correct the damage from ID theft, depending on the severity of the case.

There are many trustworthy resources available that can help to educate you about identity theft and fraud. We like DETER-DETECT-DEFEND, AVOID ID THEFT. This website teaches you how to defend yourself against ID theft by safeguarding your information and routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.

One way to take action is to view your free annual credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to request your free annual credit report. This credit report contains current reporting from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.