Aiello and Associates - Privacy Policy

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AielloandAssociates.com and AielloAndAssociatesMortgage.com are committed to safeguarding your information online.

Your Privacy
At Aiello & Associates, respecting the privacy and security of your personal information is very important to us and we want to make sure that your personal information is protected, and that you understand the policies that protect you.

Any information you provide will remain strictly with our company and it will NOT be shared with any other companies or persons.

We value you and your time for visiting our Website. We are very proactive when it comes to people's personal information. Therefore, any personal information that is exchanged between you and our office, by means of email, text message, phone, fax and other means, will be kept strictly confidential and will not be shared with anyone, other than Aiello & Associates and its Agents.

Cookies and Browsers
This site uses a feature of your browser called a "cookie" to assign a "User I.D." Cookies, by themselves, cannot be used to find out the identity of any user. Your Aiello & Associates User ID automatically identifies your computer but not you to our servers when you visit www.aielloandassociates.com or other Aiello and Associates websites. Unless you specifically tell us who you are (for example by completing an application or one of our online forms), if you are just browsing our site, we will never know who you are even though we assign you a cookie. This site contains links to other sites. If you use a link to visit the website of another company, we cannot be responsible for the privacy practices or the content of that company or its website.

Safeguarding Customer Information
Our Code of Conduct requires that your information remain confidential. Even if you are no longer our customer, we will continue to treat your nonpublic personal information in the same way as if you were still a customer. In addition, we maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard this personal information.

Collection of Information
Our privacy policy describes how we collect, protect and use information about you during your visit on our website. If you fill out an application or other form on our site, we may ask for a variety of information to helpl us communicate with you, evaluate your eligibility and the product or services that may be right for you. We may also obtain other information about you, such as your credit report. This information is kept strictly confidential. However, being that Aiello & Associates is a mortgage broker, we will need to share your information with our Lenders, who also maintain privacy policy procedures, in order to provide you with a mortgage loan. If you chose to share any personal information with us, we may store it and use it for our own marketing research and the marketing of our products and services to you.

We collect non-public personal information about you from the following sources; User ID and password assignment for logging in to our site, online fillable forms, text message, email, phone, fax and other means.

Notification of Changes
We are committed to maintaining accurate and up-to-date information on all of our customers. Aiello & Associates reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy or alter its privacy principles at its sole discretion and without notice to you. Any alterations to this Privacy Policy or our policy principles will be posted on our website in a timely manner.

Identity Theft
Identity theft is a serious and growing problem. If someone has fraudulently used your identification to establish credit, report the incident as quickly as possible to each of the credit reporting agencies listed below and ask that a Fraud Alert be placed on your file.

You may also check to see if any additional credit accounts have been opened without your consent or whether unauthorized charges were billed to your accounts. Contact these credit reporting agencies to obtain a copy of your credit report.

Please note that this contact information is being provided as a service to you. Aiello & Associates is not affiliated with any of these services and cannot guarantee their effectiveness.

What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is when someone takes and uses your personal information (such as your name, social security or credit card number) without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. These criminals take the identities of others to open new credit cards; obtain phone or utility accounts, loans, or employment; open bank accounts; and/or pass fraudulent checks. According to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America.

How Does Identity Theft Occur?
Criminals gain access to personal information in many ways, but the most common method is to take it from the victim himself or herself. They steal mail (such as account statements, new checks and offers of credit) left in a mailbox, discarded in the trash or stored in an easy to get to location in your home or office. They take credit card and personal identification from your purse or wallet. Without knowing it, you may give the information directly to the criminal when you enter data at an unsecured or unknown website, or in response to a fraudulent request for account information through an unverified e-mail ("phishing").  Imposters also ask for information from you in unsolicited phone calls, tricking you into thinking it is someone you know, such as your bank ("pretexting").

"Phishing" is a type of online scam that targets consumers by sending them an e-mail that appears to be from a well-known source – an internet service provider, a bank, or a mortgage company, for example.

"Pretexting" is a made-up scenario developed by threat actors for the purpose of stealing a victim's personal data. During pretexting attacks, threat actors typically ask victims for certain information, stating that it is needed to confirm the victim's identity.

What happens to the Victim?
Identity thieves can damage the credit reputations and lives of victims. Studies have shown that victims spend an average of $808 and 205 hours resolving the identity theft. Time and money are spent clearing credit reports, reporting the theft to lenders and merchants, and filing complaints with law enforcement and governmental agencies. One of the menacing problems of identity theft is that it can happen more than once. Once the initial incident is resolved, the thief may begin using the victim’s identity again after waiting 6 months to a year and the cycle begins all over again.

How Can I Prevent Becoming a Victim?
Identity theft requires someone to gain access to your personal information. You can take steps to decrease the risk of someone stealing your information.
  • Destroy papers you throw out. Shred or completely destroy any documents that contain personal information before discarding them in the trash. This includes information about you, your family, your home, or your accounts such as credit card solicitations, pre-approved credit offers, convenience checks contained in your statements, bills, cancelled checks, loan offerings, ATM or credit card receipts, insurance or tax information. Just as important are receipts from ATM’s or self-service devices such as gasoline pumps. Don’t just leave them behind or throw them in the trash. Criminals only need a few pieces of information about you to get credit in your name and access your existing accounts.
  • Be careful whom you give your information to over the telephone. Do not give out personal information such as your social security number, credit card or bank account numbers, or loan numbers over the phone to anyone who has called you without first confirming whom you are speaking to, why they need the information and that they are who they claim to be.
  • Guard your PINs. Never give out your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Memorize your PINs and never write them on your cards or carry them in your wallet.
  • Report lost or stolen credit cards, checks or identification immediately.
  • Store your personal information securely. Keep it where it is not easily available in the event of a burglary or other unauthorized access.
  • Be cautious online. Make sure it is safe when you are asked to provide information at websites or with online merchants you do not have an existing relationship with. Always confirm that you are in a secure session before entering personal information online,
  • Check your credit reports. Review your credit report regularly to identify any inquiries or accounts that you are not aware of and did not apply for.
  • Protect your mailbox. If your residential mailbox is not secure, don’t put outgoing mail in the box and promptly pick up incoming mail or obtain a secure postal mailbox.
  • Safeguard your checks. Never print your personal information such as a Social Security Number or driver’s license number on your checks.
What should I do if I become a Victim of Identity Theft?
  • Contact the three major credit bureaus
  • Ask them to send you a copy of your credit report and instruct them to place a fraud alert on your record. Once you receive the report, review it carefully. Contact any creditors listed that you did not apply for credit with and inform them that you have been a victim of identity theft. Instruct them to close the account, send you copies of the application and any transactions, and to promptly clear your credit record.
  • Contact your local Police or Sheriff’s Department and file an identity theft complaint.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or via their hotline at 1-877-ID THEFT (438-4338)