Nationwide Bank^® Identity Protection

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information (Social Security number, account number, etc.) without your permission to commit fraud, theft or other crimes.

Collecting your personal information

Nationwide Bank^® collects personal information about you from different sources. For example, we collect information you send us on applications and forms. We also collect information from your transactions with our sister companies, others or us. We may collect information from a consumer-reporting agency or a medical provider. This collection depends on the product or service you request.

Nationwide Bank does not sell your information to anyone. We may share this information with a business that carries out services and marketing for us. We may share your information as required or permitted by law. We may share your information to comply with legal or regulatory needs or to combat fraud. This sharing depends on the products you select. We may share information from applications or other forms, transactions with our sister companies, consumer-reporting agency or other reporting agencies and companies that perform marketing services on our behalf.

Nationwide Bank understands that identify theft can have a serious impact on the good name and credit record of a victim. Sometimes it can take years to clean up the results of such a crime and restore an individual's personal and financial life. That's why we go to great lengths to work to protect your identity and make sure that your financial information is secure. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your identity.

Identity protection is a 24-hour job for Nationwide Bank and our website is working to protect your identity.

Tips to protect your identity offline

• Securely dispose of printed account statements, receipts and other documents containing your account information. Nationwide Bank recommends the use of a cross-cut shredder to accomplish this. Many identity thieves have obtained the information they needed by going through the victim's trash. Shred or tear up papers with account or other personal information.
• Do not leave statements or other documents with your personal information where others can see them.
• Minimize the amount of personal information available for a criminal can steal. Don't carry extra credit cards, your Social Security card, birth certificate or passport.
• Sign your credit cards as soon as you receive them.
• Keep a list of all your credit cards, loans, account numbers and expiration dates in a safe place so you can notify creditors in case of theft or loss.
• Never give a credit card number or loan account information over the phone unless you initiated the call.
• Take care when using ATMs to shield the keyboard from the view of others when you enter your PIN.
• Be aware of who is listening when you give personal information over the phone no matter the location.
• Monitor your financial records on a regular basis and request free copies of your credit bureau reports annually from the three national credit-reporting agencies: 
  • Equifax
    equifax.com
    1-888-766-0008
  • Experian
    experian.com
    1-888-397-3742
  • TransUnion
    transunion.com
    1-800-680-7289

If you believe you're a victim of identity theft, you can minimize the impact:

• Report the crime to your local police and sheriff departments. A copy of the police report can help you clear up your credit records later on. You may need to provide copies to the creditors.
• Notify your local post office if you suspect an identity thief has filed a change of address or has used the mail to commit credit or bank fraud. Find out where fraudulent credit cards were sent by contacting the card issuer, and notify the local postmaster for that address to forward all mail in your name to your own address.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). File a complaint via their toll-free hotline 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or online at ftc.gov/idtheft.
• With respect to any of your Nationwide Bank accounts or transactions, please contact us immediately at:
  
  Nationwide Bank
  P.O. Box 182049
  Columbus, OH 43218-2049

When you write us, please include your name, address and account number(s). Or, you may contact your Nationwide Customer Care Center at 1-877-I-Bank-NW (1-877-422-6569) Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. –  8 p.m. ET.