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Identity Theft Information Center
What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is a crime where someone steals key pieces of your personal information – your name, driver's license number, social security number or an account number – for fraudulent use.
Often, identity thieves can drain assets from your existing accounts, open new accounts in your name, apply for credit and charge purchases to you. This can wreck victims' credit history, leaving them with the burden of having to clear their name.
Report Identity Theft
- Call: As a PNC customer, call your bank branch, account representative or 1-888-PNC-BANK (1-888-762-2265)
- Click: Visit the Federal Trade Commission website to report identity theft and to get a recovery plan.
- Send: Once you've reported, send the information to your bank, credit card companies, mortgage holder, other organizations with which you have financial relationships and all credit bureaus. Be sure to tell the bank or card issuer about all accounts and/or cards that could be potentially affected, such as ATM cards, check (debit) cards, credit cards and phone cards.
- Save: Keep a record of all conversations and correspondence.
- Consult: View our Reporting Fraud page for more information.
- Ask: If you have any questions or concerns about fraud or identity theft, call PNC Bank at 1-888-PNC-BANK (1-888-762-2265), 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET, Saturday and Sunday.
Credit Management Resources
How to Identify and Respond to Identity Theft
- Identity Red Flags
- Notify PNC Immediately
- File Reports
- Create a Recovery Plan
Indicators your identity may have been stolen
Denials
- Denial of credit card application or services
- Denial of services (utility, rent, mortgage, etc.)
Unusual Activity
- Unusual charges on your credit card or financial account
- Unusual changes in credit report and credit scores
- Unusual calls from debtors or collection agencies for debts you do not owe
- Unusual bills for services or products that you have not used
- Unusual increases in insurance or interest rates
IRS Reports
- IRS reports indicating that more than one person has filed a tax return using your SSN
- IRS reports indicating wages received from unknown sources
Medical Information
- Incorrect medical history information
- Incorrect medical bills
Alerting your bank immediately enables quick reaction to prevent potential damage
Call your PNC Bank branch representative or 1-888-PNC-BANK (1-888-762-2265) to report the situation. Be sure to ask your account representative to check the following for activity:
- Customer Activity Log
- Customer Account Record
Contact your bank(s) and card issuers so:
- Access to your valid accounts can be protected;
- Stop payment orders can be placed on missing or unauthorized checks, and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and online passwords can be changed; and,
- New accounts can be opened, if necessary.
If you are a victim of identity theft, it's important that you act as soon as you notice.
- Call your credit card companies and ask to close any accounts that you think might be compromised. Then ask to open new accounts with different identification numbers, passwords and PIN numbers.
- Call your local police and file a report. The report can be useful in clearing your name and your credit. Make sure you have a copy of the report for your records.
- If your Social Security Card is missing, call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 800 269-0271.
- Call one of the three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax or TransUnion — and ask them to place a fraud alert on your account. Once the alert is in place, it will be significantly more difficult for thieves to open fraudulent accounts in your name.
Access Federal Trade Commission resources and plan for recovery.
Visit the Federal Trade Commission website to report identity theft and to get a recovery plan or call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The information you provide could be helpful in finding and convicting the people committing identity theft.
Repair the damage - change passwords, PINs, and open new accounts and destroy any old checks, deposit slips and/or debit cards associated with your account that is or will be closed.
If you receive any type of notification of unauthorized accounts opened in your name, do the following:
- Immediately call the businesses that have opened the accounts and make them aware that your identity has been stolen.
- Ask to have the accounts closed and the action confirmed in writing.
- Continue to check your credit reports regularly to spot fraud, excessive inquiries and any negative reports.
How to Help Prevent Identity Theft
Stay informed by setting up alerts and easilyt monitor your accounts via email or text message
- Shred any documents with account and other identifying numbers.
- Check your personal credit report at least annually - quarterly recommended.
- Change your passwords regularly (i.e., email, social media, Online Banking, etc.).
- Think twice before sharing personal information with store clerks and telemarketers.
- Get Identity Theft Reimbursement Insurance or use a credit monitoring service.
- Stop paper statements. Get your statements online.
- Enroll in email alerts to monitor your account activity.
Checking your credit report regularly is one of the smartest ways to spot fraud, excessive inquiries and any negative reports. Contact the credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, Innovis, or TransUnion Credit — for more information.
- Equifax or 1-800-525-6285
- Experian or 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion or 1-800-680-7289
Consumers can receive a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion or Innovis.
To receive your report, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report.
If you fall victim to a fraud scam, be proactive.
Use PNC’s Security & Privacy page resources to learn best practices for protecting yourself.
How PNC Protects You
At PNC, we are aware of the risks consumers face each day.
That's why we have implemented stringent security measures in our everyday business practices, so you can conduct your personal and professional business with confidence that your money is secure.
PNC will:
- Requests an ID at the teller window before granting access to your account
- Asks specific questions during phone transactions
- Guards Online Banking transactions, including Online Bill Pay with encryption and passwords, and masks all account numbers from online transmission
- Limits the amount of ATM withdrawals
- Offers zero liability if your PNC Bank Debit Card or PNC Bank Visa Platinum Select Rewards Credit Card is used fraudulently
- Adheres to the requirements of our Privacy Policy
PNC will not:
- Provide anyone outside of the PNC family of companies or agencies doing business with PNC with your personal account or contact information. We also will not sell your personal information to firms that claim they want to do business with you. If you have any questions or concerns about identity theft, call PNC Bank at 1-888-PNC-BANK (1-888-762-2265)
PNC Victims Assistance Program
PNC Bank's Victims Assistance Program offers tips to help you avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, steps to take if you are a victim and forms that may be used to report the incident to financial institutions. You can also access your PNC account activity logs and customer account records to check for discrepancies.
For more information about PNC's Identity Theft security programs, call our toll-free number 1-888-PNC-BANK (1-888-762-2265)
FAQs
Once it occurs, identity theft can impact your ability to make big purchases, like buying a car or house, getting a passport or new driver's license and collecting benefits that are due to you.
Identity thieves steal information from outdoor mailboxes, garbage cans or dumpsters. Many people have also been victims of identity theft through telemarketing scams and computer hacking. In some cases, thieves pay retail clerks and other people with access to your personal information to copy it and pass it along.
It is a federal offense to steal mail from a mailbox. If you think your mail is being removed from your mailbox without your authorization, do the following:
- Call your local post office and report the theft
- File a report with the U.S. Postal Service at www.usps.com or visit your local post office.
If you notice checks are missing from your checkbook, or if an order of checks doesn't arrive, do the following:
- Call PNC Bank and report the checks missing
- Issue stop payments on all missing checks
- Call the following check verification firms to determine if the checks have been presented for payment:
- International Check Services: 800-526-5380
- SCAN: 800-262-7771
Dos
- Do monitor your accounts, credit reports, and credit score. Do monitor your financial statements.
- Do set up PNC Alerts to receive an email and/or text message notification of key activity on your PNC accounts.
- Do practice online safety.
- Do secure important documents.
- Do be aware of your surroundings.
- Do sign up for two-factor authentication with your bank to make it harder for someone to impersonate you.
Don’ts
- Don’t use public Wi-Fi to access sensitive information.
- Don’t click unknown links.
- Don’t open suspicious attachments.
You can utilize credit monitoring services, identity monitoring services, credit or security freezes, and fraud alerting through your bank.
Those seeking to open a PNC account both at a branch and over the phone need to provide two forms of identification: one form of primary ID (i.e., driver's license, state ID, etc.); one form of secondary ID (i.e., utility bill, social security card, etc.).
Proof of a physical U.S. presence is required to open a Retail business account, as well as either an Employer Identification Number or a Social Security Number for the business owner. Additional details will need to be assessed regarding type of business and structure and business documentation will need to be verified before the account onboarding can be approved and completed.