March 28, 2008, Newsletter Issue #45: What To Do When Banks Don’t Cooperate in Resolving ID Theft Issues

Tip of the Week

When you are a victim of identity theft that affects your bank accounts or bank-issued credit cards, your first action is to contact the banking institution directly and enlist their help to resolve the problems. However, if you have difficulty getting cooperation directly from the institution, seek assistance from the identity theft resource center of the agency that oversees your bank.

· Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC supervises state-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System, and insures deposits at banks and savings and loans.

· Federal Reserve System (Fed). The Fed supervises state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System.

· National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The NCUA charters and supervises federal credit unions and insures deposits at federal credit unions and many state credit unions.

· Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC charters and supervises national banks. When the word "national" or “N.A.” is included in the bank’s name, the OCC oversees its operations.

· Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). The OTS is the primary regulator of all federal, and many state-chartered, thrift institutions, such as savings banks and savings and loan institutions.

If you are uncertain about which of these agencies is the right one, call your bank for the information or visit the National Information Center of the Federal Reserve System and click on the “Institution Search” link.

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