North Shore Bank And National Identity Theft Experts Offer Holiday Saftey Tips For Shoppers

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - North Shore Bank and LifeLock, one of the nation's leading identity protection services, today released a list of tips to help shoppers avoid becoming victims of identity theft heading into the busiest shopping days of the year.

"Today's consumers are becoming more aware of the need to protect themselves while shopping online, but the fact of the matter is that identity theft is as real a threat at the cash register as at the keyboard," said Steve Steiner, senior vice president-Retail Banking for North Shore Bank. "Open wallets, distracting impulse items, even a Grinch with a camera phone can turn a simple shopping trip into months of post-holiday red tape and agony. We want to help educate consumers and keep them safe so they can enjoy the holidays."

North Shore Bank and LifeLock offer the following tips to protect yourself during the holidays and every day:

• Guard your card. Make sure store clerks swipe credit cards in front of you. If they must take a card somewhere else to swipe, go with them.
• Keep private information private. Resist the urge to apply for a store credit card - and give out your Social Security number - at the register.
• Leave your checkbook at home. Checks are a jackpot of personal information - name, address, account and routing numbers, driver's license numbers and more.
• Carry your money, credit cards, ID and other important papers securely. Unzipped purses, backpacks and open bags are invitations to trouble.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for "shoulder surfers," people hovering to see sensitive information on credit cards, driver's licenses, receipts and other documents.
• Take care with your car. Don't leave personal items, such as a laptop with personal data, even an old credit card receipt, or checkbook, in your car at a shopping center parking lot.
• Keep track of your receipts. It's easy to throw a receipt into the shopping bag, but it's safer in your wallet. And always shred credit card receipts before throwing them away.
• Keep tabs on your accounts. Don't postpone your paperwork - monitor your bank and credit card accounts online and review your statements right away. Contact your bank or credit card company immediately if you spot anything unusual.
• Make it hard for criminals. Take steps to make your personal information useless to anyone but you. Place fraud alerts with the three major credit bureaus, order/check your credit reports and remove yourself from the Direct Marketing Association lists. The experts at LifeLock can do all of this for you, and provide a guarantee your identity will be safe.

"Unfortunately, identity thieves are as busy as Santa's elves this time of year," Steiner said. "The holiday season is all about giving, but giving someone your identity is going a little too far."

These tips are available at all North Shore Bank branches.

North Shore Bank, headquartered in Brookfield, was founded in 1923. It has assets of $1.7 billion and 42 offices throughout eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. Current Wisconsin branch locations are in metro Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Appleton, Menasha, the Green Bay area, Burlington, Union Grove and Door County. North Shore Bank also has two Illinois State Bank offices in McHenry County, Ill.