Wilmington Trust
General Security Tips
Safeguarding your personal and financial information is a responsibility we take very seriously at Wilmington Trust. However, you should also remain vigilant against potential threats to "Identity Theft." Identity Theft affects millions of people each year.
Thieves can get your personal information by many means, both technology based and people based, including, but not limited to
- Stealing your purse or wallet
- Pilfering information, such as account statements and pre-approved credit card applications, from your physical mail box
- Obtaining your Driver's License number or Social Security number if imprinted on your personal checks
- Observing your transactions at ATMs or store check-out terminals to capture your personal identification number (PIN)
- Going through trash for credit card receipts or loan applications
- Utilizing different types of fraud (e.g. Phishing, Vishing or SMiShing scam)
- Operating other common fraud schemes and scams. The FBI maintains a current listing of these schemes and scams on its website: http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety
Here are a few simple tips to always keep in mind:
- Change your password at least every 90 days
- Never disclose personal information to anyone without authorization to access your accounts. Unless you initiate the contact or we are completing an application for you, Wilmington Trust will NOT request your personal information (e.g. account number, Social Security number, or mother's maiden name) through email, U.S. mail or phone
- Do not print your driver's license number or Social Security number on personal checks
- Report lost or stolen checks or credit cards immediately
- Store new and cancelled checks in a secure location
- Select and memorize a PIN that never uses information readily found in your wallet or purse (e.g. your house number or date of birth)
- Promptly review monthly financial statements yourself and report any discrepancies immediately. Never ignore suspicious activity statements. If regular bills or statements stop coming to you, call the company's customer service number to determine if someone has filed a false change-of-address notice to divert your mail
- Retain all receipts from ATM, debit and credit card transactions until they have been reconciled to your statements and ensure your account number is not readable when you dispose of them
- Be sure to sign new bankcards immediately
- Only carry important documents as needed (e.g. Social Security card, passport or birth certificate). If lost or stolen, a thief could use them
- Destroy cards you no longer use, making sure the numbers are not recognizable
- Shred unnecessary financial documents, including old account statements, invoices, and unwanted pre-approved credit offers
- Shield the keypad when using ATMs or entering in any personal information in a public location
- Never provide your financial information to an unfamiliar website
- Remember to always sign off of any financial website completely when you have finished viewing your personal information online
- Be careful in responding to "Work from Home" ads as this is a common method for fraudsters to attract money mules unknowingly. Money mules transfer money acquired illegally on behalf of others and are typically paid a small part of the money transferred for their services
- Report suspicious emails or phone inquiries (e.g. requesting account information to "award a prize" or "verify a statement") to your phone company, Wilmington Trust or the local authorities. (Note: We occasionally use third parties to perform surveys via email. We will never ask for personal information)
- Forward any suspicious emails to phishing@mtb.com that appear to be from Wilmington Trust and request that you click on a link to enter your login credentials or personal information
- Ensure that each of your computers has up-to-date software installed including operating system, personal firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware and current browser. Use reputable internet tools to scan your browser for known vulnerabilities
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud related to your Wilmington Trust accounts, notify us immediately at one of the following numbers:
Deposit and Loan Account clients
Please call 1-800-724-2440 M-F 6 AM - 9 PM, Sat-Sun 9 AM - 5 PM ET or visit www.mtb.com.
Brokerage Clients
Please call 1-800-724-7788, M-F 8:30 AM - 5 PM ET. (Closed during Market holidays)
On-Line Portfolio, Institutional Portfolio, institutional Service, and Wealth Advisory clients
Please call 1-800-982-4620 M-F 8 AM - 5 PM ET
A formal complaint can also be filed with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. If you think you may have been a victim of identity theft, please visit our Identity Theft page for more information.
* If you are a customer of M&T Bank and would like to learn more regarding the security of your accounts, please follow this link