Financial Blog - Big Picture Loans | Identity Theft

Fraud Alerts: The Ultimate Guide

Have you lost your credit cards? Concerned that someone might have stolen your bank account information? Worried, your Social Security number was exposed in a recent data breach at your favorite retailer?

What do you do?

You need to act fast! You do not want to become another statistic as a victim of identity theft.
In 2019 the Identity Theft Resource Center reported 1,473 data breaches exposing more than 869 million records.

Maybe it's time to place a fraud alert on your accounts.

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How to Rebound After Identity Theft

Identity theft could be one of the most frustrating issues to deal with in your lifetime. That is why it is crucial to have a plan in place before this situation happens to you.

To help you rebound from an identity theft incident, here is a look at the types of identity theft and what steps you may want to take as soon as you find out that you are a victim. However, you should always contact an attorney or advisor and appropriate law enforcement if you believe you are a victim of identity theft.

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Beware of Fraudulent Imposter Websites

FRAUD WARNING – BE AWARE OF COPYCAT FRAUDSTER WEBSITES POSING AS A LEGITIMATE INSTALLMENT LOAN PROVIDER.

Counterfeit online lending websites claiming to be legitimate installment loan providers will collect your personal information via what seems like a valid application process.

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4 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

A 2018 Identity Fraud Reportⁱ produced by Javelin Strategy & Research, shows the number of identity theft victims increased to 16.7 million in the U.S. This is an 8% increase from the previous year. Despite industry efforts to prevent identity fraud, the study shows that identity thieves stole from 1.3 million more victims in 2018 and the amount stolen increased to $16.8 billion. The types of identity fraud continued to move online and away from physical stores due to embedded chip cards. It was reported that fraud is getting more complicated, meaning identity fraud criminals are opening more new accounts to compromise accounts consumers already have.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR APPLYING FOR A LOAN – To help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, and to comply with Tribal law and the spirit of federal law requiring all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who applies for a loan, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask for your driver’s license number or other identifying documents.

* Loan approval, and amounts are based on minimum income amounts, other credit criteria, and verification of the information you provide during the application process. Big Picture Loans, LLC (“Big Picture Loans®”) will run credit checks on all applicants and may review credit information from specialized credit bureaus. Big Picture Loans reviews and approves all loans on Tribal land at its office located at E23970 Pow Wow Trail, Watersmeet, MI 49969. If your application is verified and approved by 5:00 p.m. CST, you will generally receive an ACH deposit on the next Business Day. Business Day means Monday through Friday excluding all federal banking holidays. The loan documents and authorizations, including the loan agreement, depend on time-sensitive factors. Despite our best efforts, unavoidable delays in the review process can happen. If we are unable to verify your information within two Business Days after you submit your application, the loan documents and authorizations may need to be modified to accurately reflect certain payment disclosures, and you may be required to carefully review and submit new documents reflecting these changes.

** Returned payments, late payments, and non-payments may result in additional fees, charges, or collection activities pursuant to the terms of your loan agreement and as allowable under Tribal and applicable federal law.

*** Big Picture Loans is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tribal Economic Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned and operated economic arm and instrumentality of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (“Tribe”), a federally recognized Indian tribe, created for the benefit of the Tribe and operating pursuant to Tribal law. Big Picture Loans is a duly licensed Financial Services Licensee of the Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Financial Services Regulatory Authority, an independent regulatory body of the Tribe, and operates in accordance with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Tribal Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Code, which can be found here: Tribal Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Code.pdf.

If Big Picture Loans approves your loan it will be governed by Tribal law, applicable federal law and your loan agreement. The laws of your resident state may have interest rate limits and other protective laws that are more favorable. If you wish to have your resident state law apply, you should consider taking a loan from a licensed lender in your state. Availability of installment loans are subject to change from time to time as determined by Big Picture Loans.

You can contact us at Support@BigPictureLoans.com or at PO Box 704, Watersmeet, MI 49969-0704. To access a copy of Big Picture Loans Privacy Notice, please click here: Privacy Notice. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or disclosure is prohibited without Big Picture Loans’ express written consent.

Consumer Notice:
Our loans should be used for short-term financial needs only, not as a long-term financial solution. Individuals with credit difficulties should seek credit counseling. For more information, please see our Financial Wellness Page.